Beavertail Hill State Park

11/11/2021

We'd like to wish a happy Veterans Day to all of our military veterans! Thank you for your service ❤️

Public Domain image, found on Pixabay.

11/10/2021

For this , we’re highlighting one of the most iconic animals in the world: the gray wolf (Canis lupus) 🐺

Gray wolves are the largest wild canids, or dogs, currently in existence (although there were larger canids in the past). In Montana, male gray wolves usually weigh between 80-110 pounds, whereas females are typically between 75-90 pounds.

Ecologically speaking, wolves and other top predators are often “keystone species,” because their presence can alter ecosystems in significant ways.

For example, the health of some of Yellowstone National Park’s river corridors increased after wolves were reintroduced to the park. Some researchers believe that this was partially because wolves put pressure on Yellowstone’s elk herds, which had previously been overgrazing the vegetation near riverbanks, and forced the elk to become more mobile.

This contributed to a cascade of effects that, ultimately, created healthier rivers in Yellowstone National Park 🏞️

Thus, while gray wolves aren’t always easy to live with, they’re important for the health of Montana’s natural spaces, and their presence here is one of “The Treasure State’s” distinguishing features.

Do you have any cool wolf stories? If so, please share them in the comments! 😁

📷: Gray Wolf - Canis lupus by Gregory Smith. CC BY-SA 2.0, found on .

11/09/2021

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have reintroduced sharp-tail grouse to western Montana! Watch the video to learn more.

Wildlife biologists resurrect this native grouse in western Montana.

10/27/2021

For this , we're talking about another one of western Montana's most charismatic creatures: the Northern River Otter! 🦦🦦

Northern River Otters (Lontra canadensis) inhabit rivers, lakes, and other freshwater ecosystems throughout western Montana. Adults usually weigh around 20 pounds and reach 47 inches in length, with a long tail that helps for swimming.

Apart from their long tails, Northern River Otters have other adaptations that aid their semiaquatic lifestyles. They have webbed feet that act like flippers, and special fur coats that trap air to help keep them warm. Northern River Otters can also dive up to 45 feet down.

Northern River Otters primarily feed on fish, crayfish, frogs, and other freshwater critters.

River Otters are also fun to watch, since they don't sit still for long, and can be quite playful.

As always, please share your River Otter stories in the comments!

📷: Northern river otter on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge by USFWS Mountain-Prairie, found on Flickr. CC BY 2.0

10/20/2021

On this , we’re talking about a remarkable bird: the Common Raven (Corvus corax).

The Common Raven is the largest of all songbirds, and a well-known resident of Western Montana. Ravens appear similar to crows, except they’re much larger (almost as big as Red-Tailed Hawks), and usually travel in smaller numbers.

Common Ravens are remarkable for two main reasons: their intelligence and their adaptability.

Concerning their smarts, Raven intelligence approaches that of dolphins and chimpanzees. Scientific studies have shown that Common Ravens have superb problem-solving skills, that they use gestures to communicate, that ravens remember humans who’ve slighted them, and more.

Regarding their adaptability, Common Ravens can survive in a dizzying array of habitats: from Arctic tundra to deserts, from deep forests to towns, and more.

Common Ravens are, in essence, ‘cool,’ and we’ve barely touched on the reasons why (like the fact that one Raven was recording flying upside-down for half-a-mile, seemingly just because).

As always, we’d love to hear any fascinating raven stories you have! Feel free to share them in the comments.

📷: Common Raven by Canyonlands National Park. Public Domain.

10/13/2021

Sorry we missed last week! This week we’re back and focused on one of the coolest birds in Montana: the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 🦉

Great Horned Owls are the prototypical North American owl: large ear tufts, big eyes, and an echoing "Whoo-whoo" call that can be heard from far away.

Great Horned Owls are also remarkably adaptable, evidenced in both their diet breadth and wide geographic range.

Concerning the former, Great Horned Owls will hunt animals like skunks, hares, scorpions, and even raptors such as ospreys and peregrine falcons! 😮

As for their range, Great Horned Owls inhabit a dizzying array of habitats across nearly all of North America, except for North of the Arctic tree line.

Do you have any neat stories involving Great Horned Owls? If so, share them below!

Image Credits: Great Horned Owl by Andrew Nicholson. CC BY-NC 2.0. Found on Flickr.

09/29/2021

This week’s featured resident of western Montana is the American badger (Taxidea taxus)! 🦡

American badgers are members of the weasel family. Like other species of weasel, badgers have short limbs and long, powerful bodies that make them excellent tunnellers. Badgers use these adaptations to hunt their main prey: burrowing rodents like prairie dogs and ground squirrels.

American badgers dwell throughout the western and central United States and Canada. This wide range and healthy population mean that American badgers aren’t considered to be threatened, although their numbers are decreasing.

Habitat loss is the primary threat to American badgers, as the open lands they prefer are being increasingly developed by humans. Badgers also suffer from the persecution of their prey (e.g. prairie dogs), collisions with vehicles, and direct persecution.

Have you ever seen a badger in the wild? If so, tell us about it in the comments!

📷: James Perdue, found on Flickr. CC BY 2.0

09/24/2021

We were walking along our nature trail yesterday (doing crucial work, of course) when we saw this female common merganser! 🦆🦆

Common mergansers are fish-eating ducks that dive underwater to catch their prey. They have thin, serrated bills, which helps to distinguish them from other species of ducks.

If you're visiting Beavertail Hill State Park, look for them in the Clark Fork River! 🏞️

09/22/2021

It’s ! This week we’re focusing on the moose (Alces alces).

Moose are extraordinary creatures. Males can weigh up to 1,200 pounds, making them the largest deer in the world. They also love water, and can hold their breath for up to one minute. This means that moose can access and eat aquatic plants, and it’s not unusual to find them in marshy areas.

Moose live in northern regions around the world, including Europe, northern Asia, and North America.

Moose have been seen at Beavertail Hill State Park, so keep your eyes open while at the park! If you see a moose, please keep your distance, since they can be aggressive.

📷: USFWS Mountain-Prairie. CC-BY-2.0, found on .

09/15/2021

It's time for another ! This week we're focusing on the elk, or Wapiti.

The elk (Cervus canadensis) is one of Montana’s most iconic creatures. As the second largest deer in North America, male elk can weigh as much as 1,000 lbs., whereas females typically weigh between 500-600 lbs.

Elk are herd animals, and it’s possible to see them in large numbers around Beavertail Hill State Park during the right times of year. Elk typically spend their summers at higher elevations, and winter lower down.

: Elk don’t just live in North America, but also in Central Asia. If you’re on a trip to Mongolia, for example, and you think you see elk, you might be right!

📷: Yellowstone National Park. Public Domain image.

09/11/2021

'Tis the season for rose hips! 🌹🌹

These red-orange balls, which contain the seeds of wild roses, are edible. In fact, they contain a high amount of Vitamin C, which is crucial for the human body.

You can eat rose hips raw - carefully nibbling around the seeds in the center - or make tea by placing them in boiling water.

Have you ever eaten rose hips, or made tea out of them? What did you think of the taste? Let us know in the comments below!

09/10/2021

Here's a great video about the benefits of getting outside! 🏞️

Getting outside can do wonders for our health.