March 2025

March 29 – Went looking for the white magpie this a.m. at Mount Olivet without luck. saw lots of magpies near the gate but all were the black/white ones. so drove to Highland: saw/listened to a very pretty all fluffed out male meadowlark singing it’s heart out on a fence post about halfway between both cemeteries. saw juncos, starlings, magpies, house finches, chickadees, nuthatches, Eurasian collared doves at Highland Cemetery. had a few more red wings and robins at my feeders today along with sparrows, house finches, chickadees, starlings, Eurasian collared doves and pheasants in pasture and adjacent stubble field

March 28 – Ravens, robins, and red wings out here at the feeders. flock of robins growing as a few remember where to get grapes and are bringing friends with them. broad winged hawk just flew over. something hammering on the rain cap. – Bev Axelsen

March 28 – While driving by Mount Olivet Cemetery at about 3:00 across from the entrance was the white magpie. – Richard Mousel

March 28 – The day started wet with a snow/rain mix that was just ending.  The clouds remained low the entire morning.  Temperatures ranged between 31 and 38 degrees with the winds barely noticeable at NW 6-10 mph.  Despite being so gloomy we had some nice raptor sightings.  We saw 5 Bald Eagles in one field area (2 adults and 3 subadult).  There was a Red-tail nearby sitting close to a nest site.  Our Prairie Falcon was a fast fly-by – for some reason I looked back over my shoulder and it was zipping, went over the truck and kept on moving.  We are all pretty aware of what Prairie Falcons look like in flight now – in any light conditions.  You have to look fast or they are gone.  21 raptors for 4 hours and 75 miles.  We did have some interesting sightings of other birds and critters.  A small group of 150 plus Snow Geese on a pothole near the Buffalo Jump, a Northern Shrike that just would not allow us to get very close as we followed it a mile down a road, 6 Sandhill Cranes that were warming up their dances, lots of American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds and Horned Larks (and starlings, of course).  The oddest was a mini/pot-bellied pig chowing down in a stubble wheat field (unfenced).  He looked happy – but where was home?  And, could it find its way back home? Thanks again to Steve for driving and additional spotting by Velda and Richard. That wraps up 3 surveys this week and the entire winter survey for this winter. – Beth Hill

https://ebird.org/tripreport/345230

March 27 – We heard Cranes yesterday morning. Couldn’t spot them and it sounded like they were continuing – Kitty Knaphus

March 27 – Saw a pair of sandhills and a few tree swallows on the river around Pelican Point today. – Steve Leathe

March 27 – We were hoping for more than 9 Red-tails, a single Bald Eagle, 2 Northern Harriers and a great Horned Owl sitting on her nest today (13 raptors).  After all, 1 year ago (almost to the day) we saw 35 raptors including 11 Rough-legged Hawks.  We haven’t seen 11 “roughies” all month.  They seem to have departed early – or they hung around late last year.  But the days couldn’t have been more different.  Today was a mild 30-60 degrees, mostly cloudy with a wind that started S 8 mph and quickly ramped up to SW 20-25 mph.  Last year our temperatures were 10-28 degrees, sunny and a 5-8 mph.  We did see 6 Sandhill Cranes walking around a field in pairs.  There were many Red-winged Blackbirds, Killdeer and American Robins.  It was funny to see 2 Canada Geese standing on what once was a Bald Eagle nest.  Another pair were perched toward the end of a branch on a cottonwood tree.  There was one more single goose standing in a tree.  Several of the Red-tails were associated with nest sites.  The Bald Eagle was sitting in the same nest that she occupied last year. Thanks to Richard for help spotting. – Beth Hill

https://ebird.org/tripreport/345229

March 26 – I had a pretty nice list of birds going at Giant Springs this morning.  I thought I might see some white geese passing over, but just found 4 swans that departed.  (We had an easy 500 fly over before sunrise at my house this morning).  I was surprised to see 2 American Tree Sparrows.  Junco were all over.  There was a flock of Townsend’s Solitaires (easy 8) moving around.  Last bird to add – tree swallows – I heard their twittering overhead and almost ignored it – then the light bulb went on – TREE SWALLOWS!  Certainly spring.  One Long-tailed Duck still flying around upstream with the goldeneyes. – Beth Hill

March 26 – Pleased to see that the female Hairy Woodpecker is still around, it came to the suet. We get Flickers many times a day. – Richard Mousel

March 26 – red wing blackbirds here this a.m. along with house finches, sparrows, starlings, chickadees, Eurasian collared doves, northern flickers, one junco, and pheasants on the ground. late yesterday afternoon there must have been a thousand starlings in the pasture. robin on the deck this a.m., so I tossed a grape which was immediately taken by squirrel who raced across the lawn to get it. second squirrel took second grape. robin got third grape and flew off with it. another sign of spring:  flickers hammering away on the stainless steel woodstove chimney rain cap. – Bev Axelsen

March 25 – Since the wind was not howling yesterday took a walk along the river from GS to below the Lewis and Clark building. As I was sitting on the bench just beyond the center I had Merlin turned on. It picked up a song sparrow singing and then a Herring Gull yelling a number of times along with the California and ringbilled gulls. On the way saw a small group of Northern Shovelers and on the way back saw a marmot. Then from the road found the Herring Gull. No luck on the Long tailed ducks. – Arla Eckert

March 24 – It was so nice that the high winds predicted for today never materialized.  We had SW 5-15 mph all day.  The temperatures ranged from 48-55 degrees.  Even though it was cloudy all day the sun was hitting the front making the snow on the mountains light up.  The birds were also cooperative.  Red-tailed Hawks are certainly back and tending to nest activities.  Over half of our sightings were in and around nest sites.  Bald Eagles were still incubating in the same nests observed in February.  We even found a Great Horned Owl incubating in the same nest location as last year.  All you could see were some feathers on her back – owl feathers are pretty characteristic in pattern.  We were lucky to spot an early Swainson’s Hawk – a first year bird plumage pattern.  A couple of Northern Harriers were nice to see after an absence of several months.  One was a good looking male. Since we finish this route so close to Fairfield (less than 2 miles) we headed up to Freezout Lake after we finished the survey.  We didn’t see any white geese on the lakes.  The only white geese we saw all day were 3 groups of at least 500 that were migrating high overhead.  They didn’t seem interested in stopping.  (A report from observers in the morning found a large group in barley fields east of the lake).  We did see a lot of swans.  We saw a flight of 23 Trumpeter Swans during the raptor survey.  There were scattered swans on Freezout Lakes – none looked like Tundra Swans.  Priest Butte Lake held more Trumpeter swans.  Some were too far to say they were one or the other, although most likely also Trumpeters.  The biggest group was in the roadside pond between Fairfield and Vaughn – 93, plus some that might have been hiding in the grass around the pond.  They were talking.  Merlin gave an identification of Trumpeter.  There were no swans with yellow on their face anywhere.  Their faces looked more like a Canvasback than a scoop-faced Redhead.  There were several more ‘first-of-year’ birds – like the Red-winged Blackbird.  We had low expectations for this survey, so it was thrilling to see all that we did see.  Thanks again for Velda driving and spotting. – Beth Hill

https://ebird.org/tripreport/344422

March 23 – Looks like there may be kestrel interest in the nesting box out on the east end of Fields  Road: from Kyle I just wanted to let you know that when I was coming out of the driveway by the gravel pit road I saw what I’m 95% sure was a kestral. It looked just like the pictures I found on the internet. It was flying around down by the gate. – Bev Axelsen

March 22 – there are about half dozen flickers up at Highland – they seem to be around the south part of the road just north of the caretaker’s house near that evergreen tree full of holes – Bev Axelsen

March 22 – We have been tickled that we have had Flickers off and on all winter, they have been feeding on suet that sits on top of our hopper feeder. Today we were blessed with 3 Flickers on top of the feeder, they were doing a lot of displaying. Spring must be on its way. – Richard Mousel

March 22 – Since we are having some lovely inclement weather I decided to check out Highland and Calvary Cemeteries and was delighted to see a male Mountain Bluebird at the old Calvary Cemetery which is behind Highland. – Richard Mousel

March 19 – One of them was hanging around in the park across from G S up behind the shelter a few weeks ago. – Arla Eckert

March 19 – Had our first major robin invasion of the spring here this morning.  A couple dozen or so were hanging around in the trees with as many as 4-5 tapping the birdbath at one time.  They were very thirsty (must have been flying all night maybe…) and very noisy and was good to hear them.  – Steve Leathe

March 19 – It didn’t start out windy – just 17 degrees.  Interesting sightings of the day – finally saw a Townsend’s Solitaire (just heard one last Friday).  I don’t know where they were all winter.  The Red-tails are back and working on their nest.  Mom-GHO is still hunkered down on her nest with Dad- GHO watching.  I could see her feathers ruffling in the wind if I stood in just the right spot.  The picture is cropped quite a bit – feathers are near the center.  I saw 3 (three) Long-tailed Ducks cruising with the goldeneyes early in the morning.  The picture is also cropped – but you can see they are starting to get their summer plumage.  Meadowlarks were calling out.  A few Red-winged Blackbirds flew by.  All nice signs of spring.  I hope the swallows hold off for a week or two – it’s rather chilly in the morning and they need those flying insects. – Beth Hill

March 15 – Winter Raptor Survey – South 3-15-25 – What a pleasant day even if it started at 20 degrees.  The sky conditions ranged from partly sunny to mostly cloudy, times of clouds and times of sun.  The wind was negligible.  This was the most “unidentified” birds we have had – 3 eagles, 4 buteos and 1 raptor.  They were just too far away (miles).  We would catch sight of them while watching another bird soaring or perched at a distance.  It was difficult to count the Bald Eagles at times – 6 in the air, several perched, then they would trade places, a group of ravens would fly through and mix everything up again.  So – the count might be low.  The most interesting sighting might have been a lone tree with 2 birds – one took off when we spotted them(a Prairie Falcon) and the other was a Rough-legged Hawk (our only one of the day) that didn’t stick around long.  6.5  hours went by fast. Thanks to Steve for driving and additional spotting with Brenda and Richard. – Beth Hill

https://ebird.org/tripreport/340357

March 14 – the starlings are checking out the kestrel nesting box and every other potential nesting site they can find:  flicker holes in the Russian Olive and cottonwood trees, hollow logs mounted on fenceposts, under the eaves on outbuildings, etc.  at least one robin here is a return and remembers how to beg for grapes and meal worms. it came right up to the deck when I went outside with Einstein and the cats this a.m.! – Bev Axelsen

March 13 – I can count 8 big brown chickens (aka – ring-necked pheasants) looking for food under our feeder this morning.  The males are hanging around somewhere – maybe have another brown chicken cornered.  It is up to 28 degrees now (I know – airport temperature is 48 – but that’s how it goes).  Flickers are flickering and robins are calling and geese are flying in pairs up and down the Sun River.  It sounds like spring out here as well. – Beth Hill

March 13 – The robins seem to think spring and mating time is here. 7:11 AM and as I was drinking my coffee I realized I was hearing robins doing their morning calling big time. – Arla Eckert

March 12 – There weren’t many raptors to be seen today.  Perhaps the weather was too pleasant.  We had cloudy conditions all day, the temperatures ranged from 38 to 54 degrees and almost no wind.  Despite the lack of wind a great Ferruginous Hawk was soaring in circles.  We weren’t sure what it was because it was so high.  There was some white underneath.  A picture taken and enlarged showed dark leggings, a lot of white underneath.  It flew with a pretty good dihedral.  Just up the road from this was an impressive Golden Eagle.  It sat for pictures as well.  Both those pictures were added to the ebird record.  It was quite a contrast to the survey 4 weeks earlier. Thanks to Hannah for driving and Richard and Velda as additional spotters. – Beth Hill

March 12 – Interesting behavior, a Junco has twice this afternoon has been on top of our platform feeder feeding on suet. That’s two behaviors that I’ve never seen before. – Richard Mousel

March 12 – It’s been a while but just had a Hairy Woodpecker feeding on the suet again. – Richard Mousel

March 12 – saw a couple chickadees, a robin, two flickers, a few Eurasian collared doves, lots of magpies and starlings and this  hawk this a.m. – Bev Axelsen

March 10 – eight robins just inside the gate at Highland Cemetery one junco, one flicker, two starlings, and too many magpies to count scattered all over the cemetery. a large raptor flew up out of a tree, landed  in a distant tree, and flew off again when I drove close looked like it had a pouch on a cord hanging off one foot. – Bev Axelsen

March 10 – Had a Meadowlark near Highland Cemetery.  – Richard Mousel

March 8 – It is officially spring, the Chickadees have started singing their two note whistle. Growing up many years ago one of my sisters Martha came home all excited, she asked me Richard which bird is singing your name Rich – hard, I had no clue so I went outside all excited and searched and discovered that it was our friendly little Black-capped Chickadee. To this day I frequently use that whistle when I’m trying to get some birds to respond. You can listen to the audio file at the bottom of this email. – Richard Mousel

March 7 – A girlfriend of mine saw two male bluebirds across from rainbow dam this past week flying by! – Nora Gray

March 7 – The ice melted out on the river through mid-town between Monday evening and Tuesday.  So far it hasn’t attracted a large number of birds – they are just more spread out.  I spotted my first of year cormorant from West Bank Park today.  California Gulls came in big numbers by March 1st at Giant Springs (100’s) and Ring-billed Gulls showed up from West Bank Park this week as well, just not as many.  I see at least one robin every day.  It appears that the Giant Springs owls are incubating eggs if their behaviour is any clue.   – Beth Hill

March 5 – Saw and heard a couple of Robins this afternoon. – Richard Mousel

March 2 – saw a gopher at Highland Cemetery the other day had a robin in the bird bath here yesterday. got a good whiff of skunk early this a.m. when I went outside with Einstein. found an owl pellet by the back porch this a.m. we’d been hearing owls after dinner/sunset – Bev Axelsen