EXPLORATORY PROJECTS
In addition to the research collected at Rogers Pass, we also conducted exploratory counts at two sites this fall, Nora Ridge and the Bull Mountains. Nora is located about 4 miles southwest of Rogers Pass and the Bulls are approximately 65 miles south, near Whitehall, MT. Conducting exploratory work takes a tremendous amount of patience and stamina. We were all cautiously optimistic going into the season.
We were very fortunate to have the invaluable aid of our good friends and colleagues Fred and Cathy Tilly, on Nora Ridge and Mat Seidensticker in the Bulls to evaluate the sites. Fred and Cathy are seasoned raptor migration specialists with accolades that could fill this newsletter; they are the expert's experts in this field! Mat is a very accomplished owl biologist, astute observer, and an exceptionally quick study. An added bonus and true privilege was having Steve Hoffman (founder of HawkWatch International) visit both sites and gave us a very enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’!
Needless to say, numbers at both locations truly surpassed our best expectations, as they almost consistently came in higher than the Rogers Pass location. Furthermore, we always had more observers at Rogers Pass, often three or more, as compared to Nora with two and the Bulls with one, making our exploratory count results all the more impressive.
As a result of this successful endeavor, we are pleased to announce the expansion of our research to include both of these new sites. They will further our understanding of raptor ecology, locally and nationally, while adding to our educational outreach. We can't wait to get started!
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