November 17, 2022 It’s a cold, sunny morning in the parking lot of Missoula’s Greenough Park. There are eight of us gathered here, carrying binoculars […]
Attacked by pygmy nuthatches: unusual behavior in the ponderosas
October 26, 2022 It was one of the more curious things I’ve observed in the ponderosa pine forest. At first the interaction seemed peaceful. A […]
Kochia: what this despised weed does for fall sparrows
Kochia (Kochia scoparia): the mention of this weed conjures consternation in the minds of many. But when I think of kochia, I think of sparrows. […]
Finding nature near Missoula: walking through fall at Kelly Island
Note: I updated this story slightly in May 2024, and completely redid the accompanying podcast. In part, this was inspired by Lynda Saul, one of […]
Lake Helena and its amazing ducks
October 4, 2022 “This place is like a gadwall factory,” says Mark Mariano. Today I’ve joined Mark, a Butte-based ecologist who works for Rampart Solutions […]
Stories to watch for: Helena’s fall and winter birds
Fall has come gently to the Helena Valley this year. Temperatures have floated well above average. Killing frosts and early snowstorms have been delayed. Nevertheless, […]
Nature Park: a special place for birds
October 5, 2022 An orange-crowned warbler and two drab gray yellow-rumped warblers are hunting insects in a chokecherry this morning as its leaves drop softly, […]
To glimpse an ancient murrelet
September 27, 2022 On September 22, a low-pressure system that had been hovering over the Pacific Ocean off of the California coast swept inland. The […]
A flood of migration and a harassed peregrine falcon
September 13, 2022 It’s the sort of day when Spokane Bay is covered with birds and anything seems possible. A great blue heron is wading […]
Spokane Bay: mats of algae and hints of migration
September 6, 2022 The sun is high and the afternoon is hot by the time I make it over to Spokane Bay. A lone turkey […]