Searching the wilds of Montana for the elusive winged raptor

On a brisk Saturday morning wildlife biologist Brian Baxter and a group of avid bird watchers assembled at Beagle’s Bakery & Expresso in Thompson Falls.

Baxter, a longtime resident of Libby, explained what to expect during the Raptor Search & Birding Day and where the group will start their trek through Northwest Montana in search of raptors in the wild. Several class members traveled from as far away as Priest Lake, Idaho.

Baxter is a graduate of Penn State College in forest technology and North Carolina for fish and wildlife management technology. He moved to Montana and worked as a Forest Timber Cruiser and as a wildlife field researcher for mid-sized carnivore projects and as a raptor researcher studying northern goshawks, great gray, boreal and flammulated owls. 

He is also an outdoor writer and outdoor educational programs coordinator and instructor. His recent article, “Winter Raptor Ramblings" appeared in the winter 2024 issue of Sandpoint Magazine. 

“I have taught outdoor educational programs for a plethora of groups, schools, environmental organizations, wildlife photographers and private citizens,” he said. 

He started teaching outdoor educations programs in 2022 and taught animal tracking and sign interpretation in Glacier National Park.

“The classes are designed to help the participant develop our natural powers of observation while utilizing all of our basic senses and more," he said. "They are part science, part art, and are taught with the understanding that each group is a wildlife research team, and each person is coached according to their overall experience.”

The drive along the backroads of Montana quickly produced results when the group spotted trumpeter swans, common mergansers, barrows and goldeneye ducks. Baxter described his style of finding birds as, “stop and hop.” He is looking for a type of habitat for each type of bird species along rivers, riparian areas, foothills, benches and agricultural lands. 

The road took the group along a fall harvested field where four golden eagles were arguing over a carcass. Golden eagles can be found in open country, especially around mountains, hills and cliffs and ranch lands. They are usually found alone or in pairs. They find their prey by both soaring high above and low over the ground. Their meals of choice could be snow-shoe hares, ground squirrels, deer fawns, waterfowl, mountain goat kids, bighorn sheep lambs, coyotes, bobcats and have been recorded dining on an occasional wolf. 

Close by, the world’s fastest animal, the peregrine falcon, was patiently scanning the surrounding area for its next meal. The falcon’s cursing speed, while hunting, is 40 to 60 miles per hour. When prey is spotted from high above, speeds of 160 to 238 miles per hour have been recorded.

The day was filled with the occasional sighting of a Red-tail Hawk catching the thermals looking for their next meal, with the adult merlin sitting alone near an old ranch house. A northern harrier flying a few feet off the ground flying in what seemed like a choreographed dance in the sky with the never-ending search for its prey over the nearby wetlands. The burly northern shrike was seen sitting high in a tree, scanning for the always cautious field mouse.

The day was filled with many other species native to Western Montana including, bald eagles, dark phased great blue herons, ring-necked pheasants, rough legged hawks, and the always present magpie. 

As the days end approached, it was time to search for the dusk feeding short-eared owl, noted for their low flying, extremely quiet search for the elusive field mouse.

Class members counted around 146 birds during the class. 

Attendee Billie Knight said, “I learned so much today because I am not a real birder. I have seen so many that I have never seen in the book yet, so it makes me want to do more. I would do the class again with Brian. He’s funny, easy-going and knowledgeable.”  

Another class member, Marni Quist said, “It was a great day with beautiful birds. It was great company and learned a lot. This was her third class with Baxter." 

“Our goals today were to get into good habitats for raptors. We got a verity of raptors and were very fortunate to succeed in that,” Baxter added.

For those that would be interested in attending the classes, Baxter can be contacted by e-mail b_baxter53@yahoo.com or call at 406-291-2154. He is currently scheduling a series of Winter Ecology classes in animal tracking and sign interpretations, winter birding and forest botany.

    Class members Marni Quist and Billie Knoght with instructor Brian Baxter on a recent outing. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
  

    A juvenile bald eagle takes flight. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
  

    Adult and juvenile bald eagles. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)