We only have one day to explore Ninepipes National Wildlife Refuge. The weather is not too promising, but such is spring in Montana. Over the course of the day we may see sun, then rain, then sun, then clouds. An ever-changing landscape, but the birds are consistent. Waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors alike are nesting and beginning to raise their next generation.
We are 18 miles south of Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi in the lower 48 states, with over 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline. The refuge sits in the Mission Valley with the Mission Mountains east and the Salish Mountains west, but the center of our attention is the 1,672 acre lake in the middle of the refuge surrounded by many smaller ponds.
Entrance to Ninepipes is right across the road from the Lodge. You can see a bit of light above the grass line which is the lobby/restaurant entrance. Let’s explore a while before breakfast. It is a bit before 6am and the birds are calling as the sky brightens. Let’s see what surprises we find at sunrise!
Ninepipes, named after Chief Joseph Ninepipes, a Bitterroot Salish Chief, is on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks manages the land, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes manage the fish and wildlife, and the National Wildlife Refuge, overseeing the waterfowl, was established on the existing Flathead irrigation reservoir managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition private land owners have committed to preserving the wetlands. All these groups working together? What a concept and it seems to be working!
This small pond near the closest Ninepipes parking area has a number of ducks feeding. Here are a pair of Northern Shovelers. You can see by their bills why they are called shovelers.
Handsome!
With the sun rising and lots of clouds, we have beautiful colors to the west. The Salish Mountains are named after the Native Americans who called this area home. The first white men called them the Flathead Indians, but the native peoples called themselves Salish meaning “the people”. The highest peak in the range is just under 7,000 feet and most of the range is just under 3,600 feet with mostly rounded tree-covered summits. Although a lesser known range of the Rockies, it covers about 4,125 square miles. Certainly a lovely western border for the refuge.
Spring flowers add color to the landscape. Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) is a widespread member of the sunflower family. The pink additions are Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum), a member of the rose family, also called Old Man’s Wiskers or three-flowered avens.
Balsamroot are composite flowers. The flower is actually made up of many flowers–inflorescences–masquerading as a single flower. Daisies, chrysanthemums, dandelions, and zinnias are other examples. Look closely. The large petals have many smaller flowers at their base.
Prairie Smoke flowers nod down but after pollination they stand erect and open becoming seeds with two-inch long feathery plumes that look like blowing smoke. We will not see the seed heads until later in the season, but right now the pink in the landscape is glorious.
Across a pond is a Bald Eagle and I’m thinking there is a nest nearby. Bald Eagles’ primary diet is fish, but will eat pretty much anything available including carrion, small mammals, amphibians, and other birds. Of course Bald Eagles are not bald, but have white feathers on their heads and their tails making identification easy. We’ll look for their nest once we begin our drive around the refuge.
Across this far end of the lake Canada Geese are caring for their young and keeping an eye on the eagle as well.
A Great Blue Heron hunts for breakfast, but has no luck in this spot.
Back to the smaller ponds, there are more ducks coming for breakfast. The Cinnamon Teal just left his nest in the reeds, but I don’t see the female.
I’ve seen Lesser Scaup in Yellowstone and around home, but I believe these are Greater Scaups. The two are very similar except for the shape of the head. I’m adding the Greater Scaup to my bird list. Scaups are diving ducks, disappearing from the surface now and again to hunt underwater.
Mr. and Mrs. Gadwall arrive. As with most of the ducks we have seen today, the Gadwall is a dabbling duck feeding on the surface or dabbling–tipping forward, tail in the air–to eat aquatic vegetation. Gadwalls also steal food from diving ducks as they surface, especially the much smaller American Coots. Seems a bit rude, then again nature is about survival.
A marsh regular, the Red-winged Backbird probably has a nest nearby.
His lady seems upset with us so I can guarantee their nest is nearby.
Along the lake’s shore are two different long-legged waders. The American Avocet has a long, upturned bill which is swept side to side through shallow water to catch invertebrates. Interestingly, their chicks leave the nest within 24 hours and day-old chicks can swim, walk, and dive to escape predators.
The Black-necked Stilt wades the shallow water on their thin red legs. In proportion to their body, they have the second longest legs of any bird except the much larger flamingo.
Watching all these birds feeding, not to mention my stomach growling, it is time for breakfast. The restaurant has large windows to enjoy the Mission Mountains and . . .
. . . a pond with lots of Painted Turtles enjoying the mid-morning sun.
Back in the refuge, the clouds are rolling in and I felt a few rain drops. There is something going on in the trees straight ahead on the other side of the lake. Let’s take a closer look.
Oh my, nesting Double-crested Cormorants. Let’s drive to the other side of the lake to see if we can get a better view.
Wait, the swans are here. Trumpeter Swans are the heaviest flying bird in North American weighing up to 26 pounds. To get into the air with that much weight they need at least a 300 foot “runway” of open water. They run across the surface to get enough speed for take off.
Surveying the lake for more swans there are three not too far away. The clouds are rolling in, but what’s a little rain among friends!
Oh my, I can’t believe it. My first-ever Tundra Swan swimming in front of a pair of Trumpeter swans. How can you tell the difference? Where the bill meets the eye is key. The Tundra has a yellow dot, but the Trumpeter has a connected V-shape to the eye. Tundras are smaller than the Trumpeters but are also only seen here in winter or migrating north in spring. We are lucky today!
Driving to the other side of the lake we get a bit closer to the cormorants, but not enough to see them any better. Too marshy to get any closer.
Unexpected nesting site of Ring-billed Gulls. They nest in colonies as here, and the nests are on the ground in the open. They line a scrape in the ground with twigs, leaves, mosses and such. Sometimes they barely add any lining to the nest. I can’t see any in this picture, but we are some distance away.
Driving around the lake we travel through some wooded areas along private land. There are a few small ponds and marshes along the way. Lots of balsamroot in bloom here.
Turning the corner, surprise! Wild Turkeys are only in a few places in Montana, and obviously this is one of them.
The Ring-necked Pheasant, however, is across much of Montana.
Here’s another a few miles away making a racket. Must be unhappy about something or looking for company perhaps.
We found the nest!
Bald Eagles build some of the largest nests of any bird. Typically it is five to six feet in diameter and two to four feet tall. The shape depends on the type and shape of the supporting tree. The nests may be reused and built larger year after year.
After a brief hunt, one of the eagles returns to the nest. Looks like they have only one chick this year. Eagles have only one brood a year of one to three chicks. Eagles do not feed their chicks equally. Usually the largest, strongest gets most of the food. Obviously, survival of all chicks is not guaranteed.
This eaglet will take its first flight (fledge) after 10-14 weeks, but the parents will continue to care for the youngster for a short time after. Eagles usually mate for life, but they will not seek a mate until they are ready to breed at four to five years old.
That was wonderful, but time to get back to the Lodge. It is getting late and we have to pack to head home in the morning–after dinner that is.
Getting dark and overcast, few drops of rain so the pictures could be better, but another first for me! A Redhead with his mate. In the upper right corner is a Ruddy Duck with his bright baby-blue bill. Perhaps we see the Redhead near the Ruddy Duck because the female Redhead is tops in the strategy known as brood parasitism. She lays her eggs in nests of other ducks leaving the raising of her young to others. I knew Cowbirds use this strategy, but never knew any ducks did. Learning something new every day.
Last look at Ninepipes this evening. Regardless of the rain clouds we have a gorgeous sunset. That is so typical in Montana and who can complain about such beauty? A brilliant end to a glorious day.
Until next time . . .
