Flathead Audubon

09/05/2026

Birds of Prey Festival 2026

It’s almost here! Come join us at the biannual 2026 Birds of Prey Festival at Lone Pine State Park will be held on Saturday, September 12, from 9am to 1pm. This free, family-friendly festival is a special opportunity for our community to connect with birds of prey and with the organizations in the Flathead Valley that protect them and their habitat. Through live bird presentations, educational booths and talks, and hands-on activities, the festival promotes conservation, awareness, and appreciation of birds of prey.

09/03/2026

What Are You Doing Here?!

By: Jake Bramante “I keep getting a Magnolia Warbler on Merlin,” said Evelina. Merlin, a bird identification app developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, tends to give false positives, so we didn’t think much of it. However, we were curious to find out what bird call was tripping up the app. A group of about ten of us were doing one of the morning strolls at Tally Lake during Warbler Weekend....

08/31/2026

September General Meeting: Just Watch

Join us at the September 14 meeting as we welcome Dick Walker for an engaging slide show about migrating birds, wildlife, and the farm crops that attract them to the West Valley. Dick will also share a glimpse of the farmers who tend the land, and of us, their neighbors, who are drawn to the area by the wildlife it attracts and its quiet, subtle beauty....

08/21/2026

Watch an Osprey couple build their nest, lay eggs, and raise two nestlings!

This spring, Flathead Audubon Society launched a new project: the Osprey Nest Monitoring Project. One of the project’s goals is to collect data on the presence of baling twine and other synthetic materials in Osprey nests throughout the Flathead Valley.

Synthetic materials can pose a serious entanglement risk to birds. By having volunteers monitor Osprey nests throughout the breeding season, we can document these materials and watch for any birds that may be at risk.

Thankfully, this season we did not encounter any Ospreys tangled in twine. Instead, our volunteers were able to witness the incredible journey of Osprey family life, from gathering sticks and building massive nests, to courtship and mating, incubating and turning eggs, and finally seeing tiny nestling heads pop up above the nest.

These photos were taken by volunteer Sue Brown at a nest in Creston, Montana. As you can see, this particular nest contains bright orange baling twine, making it especially vulnerable to entanglement. Sue visited the nest every two weeks to collect observations and help ensure that no birds became tangled.

A huge thank-you to Sue and all of our dedicated Osprey Nest Monitoring Project volunteers for helping us better understand and protect these incredible birds.

08/20/2026

Bigfork, thanks for showing up!! Another pop-up donation station for the Great Fish Community Challenge has been completed. This time, FAS got to hang out with friends from Glacier Institute and Flathead Land Trust, 2 organizations participating in the fundraiser.
To browse through the participating nonprofits and to donate, visit: https://whitefishcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list

As always, thank you Whitefish Community Foundation

08/18/2026

The first pop-up donation station for the Great Fish Community Challenge has been completed! Thanks to all those who showed their support through honking, cheering us on, and donating! 🦅

There are 89 incredible nonprofits involved in the challenge, and FAS is so lucky to be one of them.

To browse through the participating nonprofits and to donate, visit: https://whitefishcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list

As always, thank you Whitefish Community Foundation

08/17/2026

We’re almost a week into the Great Fish Community Challenge, so you may be wondering: How does your donation directly impact the Flathead Valley?

Flathead Audubon Society provides high-quality, exciting bird education programs throughout the school year, and now, during the summer too!

This summer, we’ve visited multiple camps in Lakeside, Whitefish, Kalispell, and Columbia Falls. Summer campers had the opportunity to birdwatch with Vortex binoculars, learn about adaptations through hands-on games, and design their own bird nests!

Your donation helps make these opportunities possible!

To support FAS and the other 88 incredible nonprofits participating in the challenge, visit: https://whitefishcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list

Thank you Whitefish Community Foundation :-)

08/13/2026

We had an amazing time celebrating the kickoff of this year’s Great Fish Community Challenge alongside 88 other incredible nonprofits at Glacier Bank Park!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, made a crafty bird, and has already donated to Flathead Audubon Society!

If you’ve been thinking about making a donation to FAS, now is the time! Your support helps inspire tomorrow’s conservation stewards by bringing our love of birds into classrooms from Whitefish to Bigfork. Donations also help fund important conservation efforts, including our Jewel Basin Hawk Watch, which kicks off later this month! 🦅

To donate to Flathead Audubon and the 88 other amazing nonprofits throughout the Flathead Valley participating in the Great Fish Community Challenge, click here: https://whitefishcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list

Every donation makes a difference!

08/10/2026

Join Flathead Audubon Society and 88 other non-profit organizations participating in the Great Fish Community Challenge tomorrow night at the launch party! Details below.

You're invited to the Great Fish Community Challenge Launch Party!

Join us Tuesday, August 11 from 5:00–7:30 p.m. at Glacier Bank Park (home of the Glacier Range Riders) for one of the Flathead Valley's biggest celebrations of local nonprofits!

Bring the whole family to this free event to:
✨ Meet 89 Flathead Valley nonprofits
🍔 Enjoy FREE food and beverages
🎯 Explore hands-on activities and interactive booths
💙 Discover new ways to support the causes you care about

Plus, everyone who attends will be entered to win one of five $1,000 grants for the participating nonprofit of their choice!

Whether you're passionate about animals, arts, education, conservation, health, youth, or helping neighbors in need, there's something for everyone. Come kick off the 2026 Great Fish Community Challenge with us! 🎉