Field Notes

While some years are lighter on smoke than others, the increase in wildfire season length adds to the prevalence of smoke felt throughout the summer.

I marvel at the tiny birds I see during our long winters, flitting about the backyard feeder or perched like little puffballs on brittle aspen branches. Sure, I admire the big birds of winter, too—the trumpeter swans, bald eagles, great gray owls … But there’s just something about the more petite birds that captures a lopsided share of my respect. They’re like little survival heroes. 

For thousands of years the llama has been carrying the load. And today, more people are using the sturdy pack animal known for its gentle and calm personality along paths in the Tetons to earn deeper access to the celebrated wildlands of the Rocky Mountains.

Teton Valley is a birding haven, with a variety of raptors, falcons, and other birds filling the skies and valley each season. “We recorded thirteen raptors on the 2021 Teton Valley Christmas Bird Count,” reports naturalist Colin Boeh, who, along with his wife, Mary Chris Boeh, organizes the annual event and administers the Teton Area Birding Society’s Facebook page.

Few things are more satisfying on a frigid winter’s eve in Teton Valley than cozying up to a wood-burning stove, watching the flames do their dance … and listening to the pops and crackles of steam pockets bursting open (although excessive crackling and popping are signs of insufficient firewood seasoning … read on).