Bill stained with blood and talons sunk deep into the formerly lively body of a ground squirrel, an impressive Bald Eagle stands atop his meal for today. Each spring, a bounty of eagles and hawks flood into the intermountain valleys of the Northern Rockies. After a winter that may have been spent with meager rations, the first flush of life in the spring is not a living bouquet of wildflowers, but rather the emergence of relatively nondescript brown rodents that begin scurrying about the still snow-covered fields. The raptors know that event is about to take place and they have been waiting patiently for the past couple weeks. Each day, a few more arrive and start their solemn perch, waiting for the Gathering of Eagles.

Sam Koenen and I went out to attend the opening festivities of the Gathering on a beautiful, bluebird day (well, actually we found no bluebirds, but soon). Along the Gallatin River and the nearby Swamp Creek area, there was a great concentration of eagles, in particular Bald Eagles. We had 32 eagles between here and the more upland areas of Springhill, although only 1 more eagle was seen on Springhill. 2 Golden Eagles were seen also along with several Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks. Earlier in the day, I had seen a single Prairie Falcon as well. Among the Red-tailed Hawks, we had a juvenile “Harlan’s-type” at the Central Park Pond. The bird was a dark-morph with heavy white spangling. Sam found a reference image in Wheeler Plate 410-11, page 361. At the pond, the notable waterfowl were several Trumpeter Swans and a few Ring-necked Ducks, and along the irrigation canal beside Swamp Creek Road, we managed to see 8 Green-winged Teals.

Full trip report at WilderTrack

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt
“Citizenship in a Republic,”
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

This morning broke with brilliant sunshine and its accompanying warmth. Ice had formed in the melt-water puddles from yesterday, and the light and heat was beginning to return them to liquid. Along the cottonwoods and riparian scrub, Northern Flickers and Black-capped Chickadees were in full throat. how reassuring it was to hear the two-note song of the little chickadees – the first birds it seems to fully greet the coming warmth of spring.

I turn my skyward when I hear a Killdeer calling from about 35 feet in the air…ok it was the European Starling, but why does it seem that the starlings have a particular affinity for imitating Killdeers, police sirens, and Red-tailed Hawks? I remember the starling that had taken up residence it Fred’s Feed & Read in Missoula…more than once I looked in vain for the passing Red-tailed Hawk.

This morning felt like the first day of spring. The sun was bright and warm, and the birds were very active. I went to the Triple Tree trail for a little birding hike with the Wunder-Mutt, Olivia. Right in the middle of this wealthy neighborhood, a herd of ~100 elk were bedding down and chewing their cuds. The herd was mostly cows with a sparkling of spikes and rag-horn bulls. I remember this area when it was the Meyers’ Ranch, seemed like there were a lot of elk in those days. Now this place is a series of Mac-mansions of 10 acre parcels.

Along trail, there were American Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, and Mountain Chickadees. These were joined by the ever-present chorus of Black-billed Magpies. As the trail enters the Douglas-fir forest, there were Brown Creepers and a multitude of Red Crossbill. I was able to watch these “Montana Parrots” as they called to one another and went from tree to tree. I could hearing the cracks of cones being pried open with the specialized bills. The Red-breasted Nuthatches were calling with such numbers and fervor that the resulting sound seemed to be almost syncopated.

Along the sun soaked ridge, a pair of Clark’s Nutcrackers were in the treetops, and one of them was carrying seem nesting materials (a sure sign of spring). This species has always held a particular place for me, and seeing them today was special and reassuring. A Cooper’s Hawk went overhead as I started to descend and I won’t mention the part where I slipped on the needle-covered ice into my arse.

A full trip report is at WilderTrack

“I write messages on money.
It’s my own form of social protest.
A letter printed on paper that no one will destroy
passed indiscriminately across race, class and gender lines
and written in the blood that keeps the beast alive.
A quiet little hijacking
on the way to the check-out counter
And a federal crime.
I hope that someone will find my message one day when they really need it.
Like I do.”
– Josh Koppel

Last night, Sam and I went up into the Bridger Mountains in pursuit of Boreal and Great Gray Owls. Well, as luck would have it the wind was blowing hard enough to eliminate any possibilities of hearing any owl. We did, however, find a lone Long-eared Owl on a fence post along Brackett Creek. Did I mention that we got skunked, or rather, we saw a Striped Skunk – the fastest skunk I’ve ever seen. “Full” trip report at http://www.wildertrack.com/TripSight/ViewTrip.aspx?TripID=286

I was just informed about this story about Worcester’s buttonquail was known only through illustrations based on decades-old museum specimens until a television crew documented the live bird in the market before it was sold in January, NationalGeographic.com reported.

Scientists had suspected the bird, found only on the island of Luzon, to be extinct, according to NationalGeographic.com.

This is great and funny introduction to birding.

We will cruise the backroads north and west of Bozeman and Belgrade, ending at Central Park Pond.

We will be scouting and doing the 2009 Big Day…time to break (not tie) that blasted record!