Posts from — April 2008

MONTANA SNOTEL Snow Water Equivalent Update Graph

As of WEDNESDAY: APRIL 23 , 2008

Basin	Snow Water Equivalent Percent of Average
KOOTENAI RIVER BASIN	123%
FLATHEAD RIVER BASIN	116%
UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN	105%
BITTERROOT RIVER BASIN	135%
LOWER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN	130%
JEFFERSON RIVER BASIN	106%
MADISON RIVER BASIN	112%
GALLATIN RIVER BASIN	109%
MISSOURI HEADWATERS	110%
HEADWATERS MISSOURI MAINSTEM	100%
SMITH, JUDITH, AND MUSSELSHELL RIVER BASINS	111%
SUN, TETON AND MARIAS RIVER BASINS	114%
MISSOURI MAINSTEM RIVER BASIN	111%
ST MARY AND MILK RIVER BASINS	121%
UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN	109%
WIND RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	97%
SHOSHONE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	101%
BIGHORN RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	102%
TONGUE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	108%
POWDER RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	109%
LOWER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN	101%

70-90%

91-110%

111-130%

130%

* = Data are not available or data may not provide a valid measure
of conditions for over half of the sites within the basin.

The weather here in northwest Montana continues to suck, actually it blows. And blows, and blows… anyway I was enjoying a ride to town today through “rain, sleet, snow, and gloom of night” on a local farm road when the heavens parted and beams shone down as I drove up on this little raptor perched on a fence beside the road. I nearly kept right on going except, he didn’t move. Usually these little birds fly right away and I’m starting to think that this is one of those “mystical” moments when the universe is about to tell me something so I’d better start listening. I slowly stop, the bird continues to sit there like its perfectly normal for me to come whizzing up in my truck and suddenly stop to see whats up. We watch each other for a few moments and then he goes back to looking at everything else, probably just like he was before I showed up.

Now- I am waiting for the lightning bolt, somethings about to snap, this birds going to start talking to me, but nothing happens. Finally, after a couple minutes of waiting for the crack in the cosmos to appear, I give into trying to figure out what kind of bird he is. At first I thought he was a Kestrel, he may be a Kestrel, but he is missing marks on his head but because I know so little about his kind, I give up. He’s now a UFO, or at this moment a USO. Unidentified Sitting Object.

The bird seems to have figured me out immediately as I am getting no more consideration from him than if I were a large rock suddenly added to the scene by the great painter himself. Fine, I will blast this scene into oblivion by reaching for my camera, but the bird still doesn’t fly. The camera comes up, and he continues to sit there showing no sign that the huge metallic object that flew into his world means anything more to him than the fence he sitting on. Click, he’s still there. Click, again and again and again. I am watching him through the lens- and it occurs to me that he’s let me in. And that was what it was all about. As I drive off I’m wondering which one of us is really the UFO.

The biggest Golden Eagle I have seen was between Garrison and Elliston, Montana. He came over a ridge about a half mile from me and I had to slow way down to figure out what the heck I was seeing. This was a bird alright, but it was enormous. I’ve seen lots of Bald Eagles and they grow to be good size but this bird was significantly bigger. As I watched the bird glide on the updraft I knew from the coloration and wingspan, which I am guessing was an easy six feet, that I was watching a Golden.

Over the years I have seen several of these birds and they are truly inspiring to watch. I have seen them in power dives going at rocket like speeds and gliding at wingtip off the edge of rimrock at almost a standstill while hunting rodents. Once while climbing in Glacier National Park, near the summit of the Garden Wall (Mt. Gould) I noticed an Eagle rising on the drafts below. All along the mountainside one could hear the whistling etc. of Marmots. As the Eagle rose up the mountain the Marmot chorus quieted and the animals ducked into the rocks till he passed by us. Once the coast was clear the Marmots returned to their rock perches for more talk.

Golden Eagles are still little studied and researchers need more information on how to manage them. Rob Domenech, founder of Raptor View Research Institute in Missoula is trying to learn more about the habits and migrations of these majestic birds. Last fall he was able to trap two Golden’s, a male and female, on Roger’s Pass, Montana. Both were outfitted with transmitters so that they could monitor their travel. The birds were heading south for the winter, the female arriving in west Texas 14 days and 1600 miles after being fitted with the transmitter. The male spent the winter to the north in New Mexico. He has since returned to the north, leaving New Mexico March 15th. In one day the bird left the north end of the Wind River Range, flew across Yellowstone and on up to Rogers Pass, 260 miles. He is now in Canada, west of Banff Provincial Park. The female so far not moved and the researcher fears the worst. Read more on the travels and see a map here.

Last weekend we were in the mid 70’s and nice and toasty, thinking spring like thoughts and running around in T shirts. With the cool weather we have had this spring I should have known the weather gods would conspire to screw with my aging metabolism and send me back to the freezer at least one more time.

The one single consolation, more snow in the mountains now means more water in the river in July. Anyone having fantasies about fishing the Blackfeet Rez lakes should bag it for a week or so at least. They are supposed to get hammered by the weather this weekend. The Flathead was pretty well cleared out by the end of the week.

Go where?