The natural environment and history of Kalispell’s West Valley area
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 Dr. Lex Blood, Community Activist, Conservationist, Professor Emeritus/Flathead Valley Community College
To take a virtual tour of the West Valley area, click here
The West Valley Naturalists sponsored a geology field trip in May 2014. Dr. Lex Blood led this field trip; for more than 40 years Lex Blood has served as Flathead Valley geologist, geographer, educator, conservationist. After a brief introduction we car-pooled and explained the “story behind the landscape” as we traveled through the West Valley area. For background information on the geology of the Flathead Valley please visit: http://www.flatheadwatershed.org/natural_history/geology.shtml
Continue Reading →by Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
To take a virtual tour of the West Valley area, click here
Mike Koopal, Executive Director of the Whitefish Lake Institute, pointed us to some exceptional resources for learning more about the Flathead Valley watershed and the numerous lakes and streams that make up some of the most beautiful areas of the west valley area and the rest of Montana.
Continue Reading →by Mike Koopal, Executive Director, Whitefish Lake Institute
mike@whitefishlake.org
To take a virtual tour of the West Valley area, click here
(Ed. note: The Mystery of Tally Lake was presented to the West Valley Naturalists meeting on March 2, 2020. We are grateful to Mike for allowing us to post it here.)
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 Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
Although most people think of orchids as tropical plants, Montana is home to 31 species of orchids, almost all of which are found in the western part of the state. In the West Valley area of the Flathead Valley, the orchid you are most likely to encounter is the beautiful Calypso orchid. “Most likely” in this case does not mean common–they’re still a rare treat to encounter on a hike.
Continue Reading →by Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
From Linda de Kort (linda@westvalleynaturalists.org): Reta Sweeney shared some photos from her mother in law’s (Merle) collection. Merle put them together for her 90th birthday celebration. Merle taught at Kuhns for one year. Her photo is included. Apparently Bowser Lake was the place to go for “outings.” The school was moved to its present location on Lost Creek in 1962. There are also some photos I took this week of the old Kuhns school as well as the original outhouse.
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 Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
To take a virtual tour of the West Valley area, click here
If you have driven around western Montana, you may have the feeling that you’re always in a valley between two mountain ranges. There’s a reason for that. It’s called Basin and Range Topography.
Continue Reading →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 →