The natural environment and history of Kalispell’s West Valley area
by Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
Northern shovelers are common inhabitants of our local wetlands and marshes during the spring and summer, where they mate and nest. They’re gorgeous birds, the males being easily recognizable by their bright green head, yellow eyes, chestnut and white bodies, black back, and most prominently their long, broad bills. It’s these oversized bills that give them their name, and they are prominent on both males and females.
Continue Reading →by Dan Casey, Great Northern Plains Joint Venture
(Ed. note: We are very grateful to internationally renowned birder Dan Casey for allowing us to publish this presentation given to the West Valley Naturalists several years ago.)
To navigate the presentation, click the up and down arrows at the bottom of the presentation window.
Continue Reading →by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) are a colorful lot that spend most of their time in the tops of conifer trees where they use their specialized bills to pry open the scales of the cones to retrieve seeds. If you’re fortunate enough to get to know these acrobatic little birds, they will show you many other aspects of their lives.
Continue Reading →By Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
Back east (I grew up in NC), bluejays were a common and not always appreciated sight around the bird feeders. They tend to be noisy and aggressive toward other birds. Yet they are distinctly beautiful birds and the story of their expansion into Montana is fascinating, and that’s why we’re starting to see them here in the valley.
Continue Reading →by Linda de Kort
linda@westvalleynaturalists.org
One of the small birds we enjoy observing throughout the year has an unusually “cute” scientific name: Spinus pinus; its common name is Pine siskin. Pine siskins are especially interesting because their populations change so dramatically from winter to winter. Sometimes we see them, sometimes we don’t.
Continue Reading →by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
We know it’s fall when Western Conifer Seed Bugs show up on the warm side of the house or even inside the house; what do we do about them?
Continue Reading →by Linda de Kort
linda@westvalleynaturalists.org
We saw Evening Grosbeaks outside our kitchen window on this cool fall morning.
Continue Reading →by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
Northern Harriers are one of the raptors we see often cruising over fields and wetlands from Smith Lake to the potholes. They fly low, eyes on the ground, searching for small rodents. Its owlish face helps it hear mice and voles beneath the vegetation as they hunt by ear more than by sight.
by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
Click on photos to enlarge.
Squirrels are so well-known for their seemingly constant attention to food gathering and caching that a list of synonyms for that activity is pages long. Indeed, nearly every time I see them, they are involved in hunting, storing, defending, or cleaning up from food-related activities.
Continue Reading →by Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
Do you have owls nesting near your home? If so, you may have encountered owl pellets, perhaps without realizing what they are.
Continue Reading →by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
Which comes first: the caterpillar or the butterfly (or moth)? It’s such an interesting puzzle to think about when you find a caterpillar – what flying beauty will it turn into? Here are a few that live in our area that tentatively I have matched up.
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by Linda de Kort, photos by Frank de Kort
linda@westvalleynaturalists.org
The Mourning Doves, Zenaida macroura, are considered to be our native love bird because their courtship behavior and devotion to each other are legendary.
Continue Reading →by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
The sight of a Mourning Cloak butterfly is a sure sign of spring to me! In late fall, they crawl behind loose bark on a tree where they increase the level of glycerol in their blood, convert excess water in their bodies into a gelatin-like substance that doesn’t freeze, and spend the winter. As spring warmth arrives, they reverse those properties and start flying sooner than many others! Many butterflies endure the winter as eggs, caterpillars, or in a chrysalis. A few, like Monarchs, migrate to warmer climates.
Continue Reading →by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
It’s fall already; raptor fans have been counting the migrating raptors at various mountain top sites for a few weeks, and I’m already noticing fewer soaring birds in the West Valley. Any day we may see Rough-legged Hawks that have migrated thousands of miles to call this home for the winter.
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by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
In spring and summer when birds are nesting and raising young, insects are prominent in their diets. The young fledge, and their diets tend more toward fruit, berries, and other high energy foods to fuel their needs for warmth if they’re staying here or energy for migrating.
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