Flathead Photos 2016

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PeteE
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Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

These are some pictures from around the Flathead Valley. Just stuff I shoot for fun and learning.
All will be with my new camera.
These were taken Monday, the 18th driving home from Logan Pass.
It was right at sunset. Just as I had cam and tripod broken down, the moon rose, of COURSE it did! 8)
Clouds were moving fast and it would be gone forever in seconds... so I didn't get anything good rushing the shot. :(

Here's a 1 minute video of this cloud formation I liked.


I have a graduated neutral density filter arriving tomorrow that will help this sort of situation. I like this spot on Trumble Creek rd. This looks west
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Same spot looking north
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Again, same spot looking east. The "Canyon" going to Hungry Horse and the park beyond is the dip on the left. The ridge line to the right are the mountains across from the GPI airport.
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Pano shot. Here you can see the size of that cloud. I was intrigued by it. I admit it 8)
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The clouds over the mountains were moving off to the left as the moon rose. I had my back turned taking down tripod and camera :evil:
When I turned and saw the moon I hastily got off a couple frames. The clouds moving in from the right covered it in seconds :(
This was a really big missed opportunity. I could have set up a good shot had I been on the ball. Moon rises with this back drop don't come along too often.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda......sigh


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pete :wink:
Clyde says "hi" ...well maybe 8)
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by res »

Never thought of tracking clouds like that. Thanks to you, Pete and others for your pictures in and around the park.
Bob
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

dpratt wrote:
PeteE wrote:Clyde says "hi" ...well maybe 8)
Pretty cool. Wouldn't you love to know what he was trying to communicate? Of course, maybe you don't want to know! :lol:
Clyde is a real character isn't he? Bonnie and Clyde make Winter a LOT more fun for me.
I think they "like" me because I'm one of the few regular visitors during the winter...kind of their "default" friend.
Bonnie is the one who usually "vocalizes" more, Clyde being silent most of the time.
But like with all wild animals, you just never know what's coming next, especially with ravens.
He is usually pretty quiet.


pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by teapot57 »

Wow . . . those clouds are incredible. We were camping at the Many Glacier campground Monday night, and had no idea this storm was to the south east, nor were we aware of the tornado warnings in Waterton and southern Alberta. I was actually surprised how calm and still it was in Many Glacier. I don't ever remember being there without wind of any kind.

Great photos, Pete! Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

I've fed my crow buddies out of my den window for the last few years. The down side is I have all the neighborhood deer showing up as well.
Usually it's only does and fawns that come. However, the rut is still on. Earlier before these pics were taken, a little "rag horn" 3x2 buck was chasing the does from the woods into the street.
He suddenly disappeared and I suspect this rather nice buck had something to do with it 8)

I was watching the crows when I saw the doe under my window come through the woods, across the stree to my window. I could see the buck following her.
Even "city bucks" are cautious. This buck stopped at the wood's edge, and still as a statue, watched carefully for several minutes before stepping on to the road. He wouldn't cross to my window though. He walked down the street like he owned it and disappeared in the woods once more.

pete :wink:

The video is 1:30 and be ready a few minutes after this is posted


PS:
A raven just showed up under the window. Too late for a pic since moving the curtains even slightly will spook all the crows and the raven.
Two ravens were here yesterday :) I'll set up camera and get some good shots another day. The one raven was pretty clever. I tossed an entire 11 oz suet cake out in the snow yesterday. He/she tried to fly holding the entire cake. No luck. So he hammered it until he broke it in half, stacked one half on top of the other, opened his bill wide and flew off holding both halves. Ravens are powerful birds. The suet cake weighed approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of his body weight :shock:


It was just after 8AM when these were taken. Still pretty dark out as well as light snow falling.
The doe under the window and the buck just as he leaves the woods into the street.


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This is a nice buck for around town. Typical 4x4 (4 point Western count). It's hard to see in these pics but he looks to be a mature buck. His antlers are not "spindly" like most younger bucks; they have a little mass to them. He is cautious like most bucks but wasn't skittish or nervous.
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"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by Sue Z »

Handsome and dignified.
Sue Z
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by teapot57 »

Beautiful! So much activity outside your window!
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

Thanks all!
Yeah,winter here in the city doesn't have to be dull and lifeless :)
As it happens, that buck is a real "Man About Town" :mrgreen:
So say a couple folks I showed the video to. Tonight's WF runner lives ~ 1/2 mile across the tracks from me. She sees him over there.
Another friend has seen him down here by the Moose Club, Wave, and the "cop shop" on the hill.
So he gets around. Beautiful animal. I love a whitetail's winter coat.
I get a good close look at the does and their now big fawnsthat feed under my window---their coats are so dense, thick, luxurious.
Well fed deer are able to endure very cold weather.

I enjoy eating breakfast watching the birds, crows and magpies mostly.
It's really comical watching them hopping around in fresh snow searching for kibbles and peanuts.
The small birds, finches, sparrows, chickadees, occasional blue jay and flickers come to the suet cake by the window.
There is a pair of ravens who came yesterday.
And I'm pretty sure when just one raven shows, it's one of this pair.
They like to perch mornings on the tall radio antenna at the Whitefish train station, and...
If I can see them up there, there's no doubt in my mind they can see me and all the activity around my window---in fine detail too. 8)
I hear that familiar "krrronking" most every morning--and in all but the worst weather.

And so I'm lucky to live on a quiet street where I can enjoy watching a little nature.

Thanks

pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

30 seconds of lame video of the December 13th 2016 "Supermoon"---and it did appear pretty bright.
Taken about 930PM. Temp was -7F. :shock:
30 seconds was enough time out there for me 8)



pete:)
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

Hey all:

I put this woodpecker suet feeder out a couple weeks ago.
I've seen the crows try it a few times. This pileated woodpecker is the first woodpecker I've seen on it.
Although I refer to this bird as "he", it may be a female. I couldn't see its throat from the back.
I may alter the position of the feeder to get a better angle for pics.
Males have a red stripe from bill down to throat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_woodpecker

Pileated woodpeckers are pretty common around here. I frequently hear and see them while hiking in the park.
Pileated woodpeckers are sometimes called "hammerheads". Their bill is an excellent "wood chisel" and combined with their large size and strong neck muscles, they can make a large hole in a dead tree in no time. They prefer standing dead trees.
I've watched them make their big vertical "rectangular" holes many times while sitting in my tree stand bowhunting

Woodpecker suet feeders have that wooden paddle on the bottom so that woodpeckers can brace their tails against it.
These large crow size birds can hang upside down, but bracing their tails like this one does makes it much more comfortable for them to feed on it.

2 minute video



pete :wink:

Image
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

Hey Doug:

That was funny how that whitetail kept on chewing on that plant.
Deer don't have upper teeth and only 6 incisor type lower teeth, so she couldn't cut that leaf stalk off very easily!
She finally got it down though LOL!

There was an enormous doe under my window the other night. Weighs 200+ pound if she weighs an oz.
Ever since I hazed her in the mornings, she comes at night now to scarf around for anything the crows and magpies missed.
Good luck to her because they don't miss much. 8)

These two videos are actually one long one I split for those that get bored quickly watching this sort of thing.
Christmas morning I tried an "experiment" by rubber banding two suet cakes together. I wanted to see how the raven would handle it.
I have a question for those that watch the video.
Why does the raven keep digging in the snow?

Warning: This video will bore "non bird" people to tears. 8)

part 1-- 12 minutes


part 2-- 7 minutes

pete :wink:
Last edited by PeteE on Mon Dec 26, 2016 10:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by MarxMN »

At times it looks as though he is digging a hole to bury the suet cakes - perhaps to eat later. However, after watching him for a while I don't have much basis for that suggestion either.
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Re: Flathead Photos 2016

Post by PeteE »

dpratt wrote:I'd love to be able to ask that raven what it was doing, or looking for. It was intrigued enough by the cakes to be close to them, yet dug in the snow next to them. Weird. Although maybe there was a very good reason and we humans are too dumb to figure it out. :D
MarxMN wrote:At times it looks as though he is digging a hole to bury the suet cakes - perhaps to eat later. However, after watching him for a while I don't have much basis for that suggestion either.
Yeah, I have no idea what all that digging means either. At times it appears he wants to dig a space under it, but most of the time the digging doesn't seem to have much to do with the suet cake at all.
Maybe the raven equivalent of "head scratching"? ....pondering what/how to deal with what is a BIG hunk of prime nutrition for a raven.

I went out and separated the two cakes after the video above.(didn't want to leave rubber bands out there) I left one cake and headed for the park.
That cake was nibbled on a bit leaving what you see in the video below.
This video, taken the next morning at first light, begins about 1 minute after tossing out the kibbles. The raven was watching from the utility pole close by.
It is possible that this raven is a different bird, but I doubt it. There is a "resident pair" who nest nearby along the WF river.
Both have been here a couple times.
It's highly unlikely they would allow other ravens near my window and a prime food source without a fight. 8)
He picks the cake up early on, then fiddles around with more digging before suddenly picking the whole thing up, and flying off with seemingly no effort.
Go figure. Maybe the "rubber bands" spooked him---"unnatural substance"?

Should be up about 15minutes after time of posting
4:37


pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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