2nd Wildflower Species for 2015

3" tall Douglasia in flower 

Pictured is Douglasia (Douglasia montana), a cushion plant of the Phlox family. It blooms early in the spring season. "Cushion" plants usually grow in alpine sites where wind and poor soil challenges plants; natural selection response is short structure. In this case, there's no need to scale a mountain to see this in action, simply go to Missoula Waterworks Hill (http://goo.gl/tN6bcj).  Accessed by foot up an initial somewhat steep slope. Because of this foothill orientation it is exposed to sunshine early in spring; so it is also great spot for other early wildflowers. I finally had blooming plants on my third try (March 22).

Below is a short mp4 (shot with Nexus 7 tablet) of this site on March 2 (note windy wintry conditions :-) The plants grow on the left side of the trail...looks very barren for this video:

Up Your Jackpot Birding Success

I got into birding in the Chicago area and I just marveled at the rarities the veteran birders found...regularly. "How the heck", I marveled. It was like magic...what were their secrets? Sure some of their birding surely was serendipity in nature, random encounters...a look out the window, step out on the back porch, walk around the block, etc. They knew something more, like the needs of the wildlife: food, shelter, water and space. Applied to species it is a roadmap for success; it will up your odds of finding common/uncommon species.

Driving power poled-lined roads of North Dakota will not yield a Snowy Owl or Gyrfalcon in summer, wrong space. In winter an entirely different story (food and space needs). Birding homework pays dividends.

So winter is setting in and your first thoughts: "Where are the winter finches?" Think food and space...cones on conifers. I put this logic to test yesterday going into the "urban setting" of Missoula, Montana. There is an abundance of conifer habitat on public lands, but the cone crop on the Ponderosa pine is somewhat lacking. Spaces in urban areas have an abundance of plantings, some native/some not that are also habitat. Think golf courses, arboretums, cemeteries, dumps, home landscaping, etc.

So I drove towards Fort Missoula and on the way I passed through two golf courses, Larchmont and Missoula Country Club. Heard and saw Black-capped Chickadee in roadside conifers. Noted zero waxwings using Mountain Ash (Sorbus acuparia), btw a great planting for a berry crop. Arrived at the Fort and found the conifers (mature plantings) loaded with cones. Within minutes heard the "gyp-gyp" call of the Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra). Found a flock of about 20 using Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)  and Blue Spruce (Picea pungens). Nothing but magic...try it today :-)

Black-capped Chickadee

Douglas Fir cone

Red Crossbill atop Blue Spruce

Bohemian Waxwing on Chokecherry

Butterfly and Wildflower Action Picks Up

Noted a blog posting from Northwest Butterflies alerting folks as to Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) migrating into Washington. Sure enough found a couple by accident at Blue Mountain (Missoula, MT) nectaring on Heartleaf Arnica (Arnica cordifolia). Also using this 50 yard linear patch of flowers were Green Comma (Polygonia faunus) and Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon). Earlier, a Sulphur blew by me without stopping along with another species of Elfin. And yes the wildflower show is kicking in...really enjoying the stands of color from Shooting Stars and Glacier Lilies :-)

Painted Lady

Green Comma

Western Pine Elfin

Shooting Stars

Glacier Lily

2nd, 3rd, 4th Wildflower Species of 2014

First field trip today (Mondays are my day off and conditions were sunny and 60 F as a high) for wildflowers. A bit early in the season, been cool and not too conducive for plant development. But wasn't disappointed at Waterworks Hill in Missoula, a conservation easement/open space bond issue adopted by forward thinking community members. A steep aerobic climb and one is on the east/west ridgetop. Douglasia (Douglasia montana) was the target, several dozen plants were in bright pink flower (early season color beyond brown...wahoo!). Not only did I find them, but so did four or so Checkered White (Pontia protodice) butterfly (nice unexpected bonus for me). On the way back down captured a photos of Yellow Bell (Fritillaria pudica) and Few-flower Shootingstar (Dodecatheon pulchellum).
You folks that live back east should be able find Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) or perhaps Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) in flower. Take a walk in the wild spot of your neighborhood...development doesn't always get all the wild spots. Get your daily Vitamin D this way, the sunshine vitamin...a lack thereof may be linked to heart disease.

Douglasia and Checkered White

Few-flower Shootingstar

Yellow Bell

Finding Blue...On Many Levels

Hey, it is great to be alive especially with the color blue in mind. Found a mountain top site accessible by road a mere 25 miles from my front door! Target: wildflowers and butterflies on a beautiful summer day.

Maybe ELO, a Spotify embed, will get you in the mood. If not music, how about video context?



Here are some photos of Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea), Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa) and Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides) butterflies just below the peak in the video above:

Blue Copper

Melissa Blue

Boisduval's Blue

Hoping you are reading this on a blue Monday...or just another bluetiful day :-) Find something good.

Wildflowers Blooming

Beautiful spring weather today...low 60's with clear blue skies. Main priority for wildlife watching excursion is to add bird species to month list. Recorded 93 species in 2008; starting today have only 81.  Did find 3 'monthers' this morning : Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch. As happens often, 'things' are found outside of priorities/targets. Found 5 colorful, at times tiny in size, species of wildflower in bloom: Sagebrush Buttercup, Yellow Bell, Spring Draba, Bulbous Woodland-star and Blue-eyed Mary (photos below). It was fortuitous in finding some of them; great overview of 'mastering the art of observation' by Brain Pickings Newsletter. This time I'll claim finding them to a "connected mind" :-) Find something great!

Collinsia parviflora

Lithophragma glabrum

Ranunculus glaberrimus

Draba verna

Fritilliaria pudica 

Finding the Ferruginous...Fantastic Feeling

This morning I followed up on Cynthia Hudson detailed account on area (and behavior also) of a Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) near the former paper mill (Smurfit Stone) west of Missoula, MT. I estimate this is the fifth try for finding this bird; following through/ignoring-the-resistance because of advice from Do the Work by Steven Pressfield.
In transit found: American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) [Blue Mountain and Mocassin Road] and Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) at Kona and Mullan Roads. Rough-legged (Buteo lagopus) and Red-tailed (Buteo jamaicensis) were obvious on the numerous power pole in vicinity of the mill, though most birds were at least 50 yards off the highway/pull-off. Found a pull-off on the north side of Pulp Mill road after crossing over railway tracks. Set up scope and found bird within fifteen minutes of arrival. It was perched about 250 yards away in a willow, with a stick nest, very close to rail tracks. Watched it hunt from a distance, diagnostic field marks seen well (white breasted, three points of white [base of tail and primaries], red coverts). Wow, magnificent, not all about checking off list. Watched for about an hour from different vantage points, never got close enough for better photo/look.
Took long way home in hopes of finding Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedorum). No luck, but did find a Merlin (Falco columbarius) that hunts waxwings; that's coming close isn't it :-)

Ferruginous Hawk at a distance

Prairie Falcon

Merlin 

Rough-legged Hawk

Happy Start to the New Year...Wildlife Wise

As usual, went out to find wildlife on the first day of the new year. First stop, our deck at about daybreak (~18F); looked across the Bitterroot Valley and spied wintering Elk (Cervus elaphus) grazing on mountainside (hard to see on photo):

Daybreak at Lolo, MT

Shortly thereafter heard first bird of the year, a black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) calling. Black-billed magpie (Pica hudsonia) and house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) were also heard calling in the next seven minutes. Retired inside for couple of hours, then gathered gear, and drove to Missoula to find one of several ferruginous hawks 'wintering' there. No luck, but did find common redpoll (Acanthis flammea) and northern shrike (Lanius excubitor) both hunting weedy fields.

Northern Shrike

Common Redpoll

Exited stage left and stopped at Maclay Flat (USFS). Found a nice grouping of 14 pygmy nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) including white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatch on the flanks of the flock.
A second smaller flock of black-capped chickadee and golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa) flushed a Northern pygmy-owl (Glaucidium gnoma) roughly 120 yards from the parking area (typical location). On the drive home quickly pulled over with the appearance of a small, dark raptor atop power pole...yep, a merlin (Falco columbarius), probably the dark, taiga subspecies. Had incredible luck over a three-hour period of birding for the first day of the year. Hoping you also found something great :-)

Merlin

New Wildlife Experience...



Today, I did a NABA Butterfly Count in Missoula, Montana at Rattlesnake National Recreation Area. Joining five other folks at 10:30 am of varying skill and talent we walked the trail of Spring Gulch identifying and counting all butterflies encountered. Initial conditions were ideal for human activity...sunny and 72 Fahrenheit. It quickly warmed up, ending up in the high 90's. As a birder, these temps are death knell for bird activity, birds stop singing and moving. Not so for butterfly action. Frenetic activity was non-stop gliding, fluttering, flitting, darting, diving. Imagine sweeping a net at animals that flap their wings 25 times a second in order to examine it closely for identification purposes, no harm comes to animal in the quick process of netting, id, and letting loose again. It was fun leading the group up the trail; I could see the butterflies in advance of our position coming down to us. I would shout out to folks with nets behind me the general orientation and generic designation, e.g. 2 'blue' coming down trail. Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa), mere 5/8" in length, approached at ankle high creating numerous gyrations on the part of netters to capture them; it was fun watching them and their smiles at capture. Again, that happiness thing; according to Action for Happiness, 40% of our daily happiness comes from activities/relationships of our choosing...only 10% from income/environment. IMHO, attending a butterfly count as a novice or expert is great fun and a terrific learning experience. Photographer?, opportunity abounds for point blank shots. See below for some species found today; the Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus) was a 'lifer' for me. Find a count (typically June or July) in your community and find something great!

Lorquin's Admirals

Painted Lady

Coral Hairstreak



Butterfly Bonanza @ Spring Gulch (Rattlesnake NRA)

Decided to do a pre-count reconnaissance of the Spring Gulch Butterfly Count (Rattlesnake NRA, Missoula, Montana) scheduled for Monday, July 9 starting at 10:30 am. I was not disappointed; I counted over 120 butterflies of ~20 species over 3 hours. Here's a short video illustrating the action at times:

At times the butterflies 'teed up' nicely for still photographs, even caught one species in flight:

Small Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis oetus)

Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)

Rocky Mountain Dotted Blue (Euphilotes ancilla)

Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa)

Scanning...the Skies and the Ground

The last half of May in western Montana is a time of cool/wet conditions. True to form, here's a video from our Lolo porch this morning:

So instead of going on a 'field trip', I've processed some photos and video from the past couple of days for your reading, viewing pleasure. Staying home sometimes has its advantages, found two first of year butterfly species from our yard: Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides) and Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides):

Purplish Copper

Boisduval's Blue

Looking at the ground yesterday, spied a Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum) in bloom in a small native plant patch along Marcure Road west of Missoula:

Sticky Geranium

Just east of Marcure Road is Loiselle Road, this gravel road was immediate to somewhat degraded native pasture...though sufficient for usage by a pair of Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni). Check out the following video of these birds in flight; compare with the excellent written description of flight found in the default reference material (Hawks in Flight [1988] by Dunne, Sibley and Sutton):

Another Field Trip for Lichens...@ Kim Williams Nature Area

A recent warm spell has melted early snows in spots at least at the lower elevations exposing many lichen species. An especially good place for finding these plants (and other wildlife) is the Kim Williams Nature Area (Missoulian Newspaper guide to Trail) along the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana. 

It may be the factors of trees and rock bordering the river that make this a productive site for discovery of lichen.

The trail, a former railway bed, is great as it directly borders the rock cliffs/talus slopes and conifer stands for excellent access. Lots of people recreate on this trail; a good safety feature when wildlife watching here. If you are geologically inclined precambrian and cambrian rock is exposed; note also the strandlines of Glacial Lake Missoula on the sides of Mount Jumbo looking north across the Clark Fork river. Another feature I really like is the 'seep' coming out of the rock cliff immediate to the trail:

Here are two lichen species (from the Cladonia genus) recorded here:

Cladonia cerviconis

Cladonia pyxidata

I encourage you to find these plants yourself, it is fun and will become addicting once your knowledge begins to build. Go forth and discover!

Mount Jumbo and Snow Buntings

Climbed Mount Jumbo (elevation ~4600') on Sunday, March 7. Started at 11:30 am on a beautiful sunshiney day of 40+ degrees. Went up the Cherry Street trailhead in Missoula using the steep "L" trail for a gain of 1100 feet with the target being a group of snow bunting at the summit. Immediately spied horned lark in the grazed areas of native grasses. After 10 minutes or so heard a single snow bunting call. Walked closer to origination of sound, sat down near fenced pen area for sheep, and waited. Within 15 minutes a group of 10 snow buntings flew by (within 50 yards) calling ...got real good looks at the birds...stunning black/white pattern. It is incredible to get these birds without going to the windswept frozen plains and serendipitously finding them in amongst swirling longspur or lark flocks feeding on minute seeds. So my thanks go to Paul Hendricks who posted his sighting of these birds on the Yahoo site of MOB.

Great views from on top. Wildflowers should be good in a while...some are greening up well. Thanks also to the citizens of Missoula for acquiring this land as open space not only for people, but for a great variety of wildlife also.

Get outside and take it all in...