In Focus: Observing to Help Conserve
Professional ornithologist Craig Hohenberger conducts weekly bird surveys along Fennon Slough
By Greg Lindstrom
Common Yellowthroat. Willow Flycatcher. Eastern Kingbird. European Starling.
Standing in a field overlooking Fennon Slough along the Flathead River, Craig Hohenberger ticks off birdcalls as effortlessly as a child recites the ABCs.
“It’s just being close to nature,” says Hohenberger. “I get a tremendous amount of pleasure out of watching and listening to birds. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
Hohenberger spent the morning with his friend and fellow birder, Bob Ross, conducting a survey on Owen Sowerwine’s farm near the north shore of Flathead Lake. The pair listened and watched for birds, recording the various species as they toured the riparian zone along the property. The 157-acre plot is part of a conservation easement held by the Flathead Land Trust, which ensures the land will not be developed or subdivided.
Through the weekly surveys of the Sowerwine farm, Hohenberger aims to gain an understanding of what types of species live in the area. He has already identified six birds that are new to the county during his three years living in the area.
“It’s very important to save this habitat and make people aware of how important it is,” says Hohenberger. “We don’t know what we have until we lose it.”
