Tag Archives: birding

A Party With The Gems of the Treasure State

Photographer and birder Dottie Herring shares her thoughts on how to enjoy the stunning beauty of hummingbirds. Taking the reader step be step through the process of buying setting up and filling a hummingbird feeder, Dottie illustrates the post with beautiful photography take from her experience.

Smith River Delta, California

Our Subaru turns onto Mouth of Smith River Rd. “What a creative name!” I joke, “Oh, hello – I live on Mouth of Smith River! It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.” I have been anticipating this moment ever since Papa emailed me a checklist for the area a few weeks ago. I click theContinue reading “Smith River Delta, California”

Haystack Rock, Oregon

The metal stairs make a dull clang as I jump down each step. Sand poofs out underneath my feet as I make the final jump and land on the beach. The waves surge onto the sandy beach and a group of pelicans drift over the watery expanse. They veer as one towards a huge rockContinue reading “Haystack Rock, Oregon”

Name That Bird : The Montezuma Quail

Post II The Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is a heavily patterned quail that resides in the mountain grasslands and woodlands found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. The male and female are nearly identical. The female’s call is described as “a quavering, descending series of metallic whistles with an otherworldly quality” (All About Birds).Continue reading “Name That Bird : The Montezuma Quail”

Name That Bird : The Wilson’s Phalarope

This is the first post of a weekly series in which I will feature a bird species that has been subjected to nomenclature (see the What’s in a Name blog post series). If you would like to, I would love it if you would submit a new name for the featured bird in the box.Continue reading “Name That Bird : The Wilson’s Phalarope”

Maclay Flat’s Owl Quartet

Missoula hosts a wide range of owl species, from the miniscule Northern Saw-whet to America’s largest, the three foot tall Great Gray. My favorite spot to go ‘owling ‘ is Maclay Flat, in which 4 species of these elusive raptors reside in the winter months. Amongst them is the Barred Owl. Their call, the popularContinue reading “Maclay Flat’s Owl Quartet”

The Caching of Gray Jays

  Gray Jays: the infamous “robbers” of food from campers and picnics. In late October, I enjoyed observing them gather fat from an elk carcass and caching it. Caching is when an animal hides food for later use, like a squirrel hiding a stash of nuts and seeds. The difference between the squirrel’s way of cachingContinue reading “The Caching of Gray Jays”

What’s in a Name?

Part Two : The Cooper’s Hawk In the What’s in a Name series, we dive into the entangled and problematic histories of naming birds after specific people. In November, I introduced readers to the American Ornithological Society’s decision to change the names of birds that were subjected to nomenclature. We learned about the Bonaparte’s GullContinue reading “What’s in a Name?”