Nesting Diaries
I have not gotten to come back to this nest this fall. It is my hope that all went well and the family has begun to hit the airways for the fall migrations. I will not get back until spring of 2015. Wishing this family well.
7/19/2014 returned to the nest to photograph and to see if bailing twine had been cut away. Only one chick was seen on the nest with mom. Chick was seen wingersizing and mom was flying about very protective of nest while we photographed from a distance, flew right over our heads in warning to move on. Pop was a few electric poles east of the nest sitting on the cross bars. Bailing twine still drooping from nest and all electric poles in the area. It is a hi wind area, many poles not just the ones with nest have lots of twine flying from them. I hope this pair returns next year. Our goal is to mark all the area nests along the Big Hole River off Hiway 43 and surrounding area in the next year or two.
Have seen this nest in the past few years empty, this year there has been a pair there, but with the large amount of bailing twine have not seen any chicks. Mom did look stressed, but could have been barking at our vehicle. My guess not much traffic out there, so she would not be used to seeing it. We stopped to notify the ranchers near the nest but no one was home. Left messages. We get by that nest a couple of times during the season. Will be back in two weeks to see if to twine has been removed. We will try to get photos as the first round did not turn out.