Tweets,
Its been a great week of wildlife viewing, around Yellowstone, Montana
finally coming home from Boise today. The class, yes I did say class, geez
life is hard for students today :) was to focus on the fauna of Rocky
Mountain areas.
Highlights by day were as follows:
Mar.20 Seattle-Missoula, nothing huge except for a few Sandhills along
I-90 near Moses Lake and a couple of Praire Falcons near Ellensburg.

Mar.21 Missoula-Gardiner, the best birding here was around Gardiner were
Barry Levine and others had found Pinyon Jays (more on the bird later),
Bohemian Waxwings. We found both of these plus Townsend's Solitaire and
Evening Grosbeaks.

Mar.22 Gardiner-Lamar Valley in YNP, notable birds were several Mountain
BLuebirds, about 300+ Gray-crowned Rosy-finches, Northern Shrike, Clark's
Nutcracker. Mammal wise, River Otters, saw Coyotes feeding on a Wolf Kill
near Druid Pk.

Mar.23 Lamar Valley, both Eagles, both Goldeneyes, more Nutcrackers,
Dippers galore, 4 in one stop doing territorial displays.
Mammal wise the excitement started. This was to be the day of the canines.
Near the Lamar river bridge we found a coyote kill (all kills were elk)
with the scavengers like Ravens, Magpies feeding on it and a pack of 5-6
Coyotes. At one point saw 3 coyotes chasing 1 other coyote straight at me
as I stood on a rock. They got to about 100 yards away before diverting
off. Next I was looking at Elk grazing on the slope above, I turned away
and heard what sounded like a rock slide instead it was the 100 plus elk
galloping at full speed into two tight circles and heading over the ridge.
I looked below the herd to see what the comotion was a saw one lone "gray
colored" wolf below the herd, not really trying to take anything but
merely looking. I can imagine what the scene would be like if a wolf pack
was hunting.

Mar.24, Ringling MO, headed upto Ringling MO to do Eagle banding with a
local biologist. Interesting birds in the area were numerous Roughie's,
Sandhills, Both Eagles, Horned Larks and a pair of Ferriginous Hawks with
a nest on the slope. Banding wise we caught a 3 yr. subadult Golden Eagle,
male. 1st year imm. Golden Eagle, male. A juv./1st year female Bald Eagle.
We also caught a raven. Was able to take about a role and a half of
pictures of the birds, should have some good ones. That night around
Mammoth YNP where we were staying in the dorms we went out owling results
were 3 NSWO *VERY* close including one birds that came within inches on
hitting my prof's head. Also a Great-horned Owl was heard, though not by
me. Mammal wise had howling wolves near Mammoth at Sunset. Townsend's
Solitaire was also here.

Mar.25, Lamar Valley. Woke up at 4:45 am to a cold crisp morning to go
back and look for wolves in the lamer river valley. Parked at Lamar River
bride and walked about 1/4 mile through the snow the a vantage point above
the river in hopes of getting the highlight we were hoping for a wolf
pack, hopefully maybe even witness a kill. We stood in the cold for about
20 minutes before hearing the long drwan out howls of several wolves to
the southwest of us. By location probably the Rose Creek pack having
between 14-22 individuals. These howls were answered by a second pack,
accross the river valley possibly the spilt off 8 individuals of the Rose
Creek pack (#'s 15-22). Then the first pack was spotted, they had made a
kill in the pre-dawn darkness the snow was drenched in the blood stains as
the pack fed on the meet. Counted 11 individuals total, 8 black, 3 grey.
Watched many social interactions including playing between the alpha pair.
One the way pack for breakfast has a pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers
along the road, very close, great views.

Mar.26, YNP-Boise ID. Best highlights were Long-billed Curlews in central
Idaho. At the Birds of prey natural area, Praire Falcons, Short-eared Owl,
Golden-eagle nest, Raven Roost, Kestrel, Merlin and lots of VG sawllows.

Mar.27, Boise ID-Seattle. Found a dead Barn Owl near the Blue Mountains
along I-84, excellent condition so picked it up and will do study skin of
it. Before anybody jumps on it, this was UW and yes we had appropriate
permits for picking up such items. In WA saw several Turkey Vultures. The
first being near Goldendale in eastern WA, then saw 8-9 near Cle Elum.
All in all a TREMENDOUS TRIP, hard way to spend your spring break and get
credit for it ;), yes we do have to do a paper so its not all play.

As for the Pinyon jay flock it was suggested by Dr. John Marzluff who is a
corvid expert and worked on Pinyon Jay for his thesis that these
individuals might nest here though not the greatest habitat. The flock
size was thought to be a bit small only ~50 individuals. Many pinyon jays
socities numer 200+. For those who do not know I will mention very briefly
that Pinyon Jays for extremely complex socities, extended families if you
will where there are long term monogamous pair bonds, yet the flock works
togethr in all functions of feeding young, nesting etc.. For those that
are not familar with the nature of this species I would recommend reading
some about the social working, its very interesting.


Scott Downes
sdownes at u.washington.edu
Seattle WA

"Birds don't read bird books. (That's why they are seen doing things they
are not supposed to do)." -Mary Wood