- RBA
* Montana
* Montana RBA
* 04-08-2006
* MTMS0604.09
Birds Mentioned
Great Egret
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Tundra Swan (Bewick's Race)
Long-tailed Duck
White-winged Scoter
Gyrfalcon
Chukar
Sandhill Crane
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Curlew
Solitary Sandpiper
Snowy Owl
Burrowing Owl
Bewick's Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Swamp Sparrow
- Transcript
hotline: Montana
number: 406-721-9799
to report: Terry Toppins 406-549-6027 or _tertop@aol.com_
(mailto:tertop@aol.com)
coverage: entire state
This is Terry Toppins with the Montana Birding Hotline
sponsored by Birdwatcher's Country Store located at
the Orange Street Travel Center on Orange Street at the
Orange Street Exit off Interstate 90 and this is recorded
late Sunday April 9th, 2006.
Spring has arrived in many parts of Montana but SNOWY
OWLS continue to linger in several locations. There are
still Snowies being reported near the Pablo NWR between
Polson and Ronan and also between Somers and Big Fork.
In addition Barb Jaquith reported that she and 3 others saw
a SNOWY OWL on the Drycreek Road just east of Red
Lodge on April 2nd and on the same day George Mowat saw
one at Benton Lake NWR north of Great Falls.
Harriet Marble reported though that 2 BURROWING OWLS
had been seen south of Chester April 8th.
Chuck Carlson found a GREAT EGRET at Newton Pond
near Ft. Peck on April 6th.
Barb Jaquith found 2 CHUKARS between Bridger and the
Pryor Mountains April 6th.
Wayne Tree reported April 8th that there is a singing
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD in Darby. You could call
Wayne at 777-3159 for details.
While the white goose migration at Freezout WMA near
Choteau did not produce spectacular numbers of SNOW
GEESE this year (the weather north of Montana allowed
them to push north on a daily basis) there are still SNOW
GEESE and ROSS'S GEESE to be seen. Mike Schwitters
reports that there have been 15,000 to 45,000 white geese
daily in the morning, but by sunset most have moved north.
The birdwatchers who went to Freezout at the end of March
(the traditional date for the peak of migration) were rewarded
with other birds including a single BEWICK'S race of TUNDRA
SWAN, 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, a GYRFALCON,
and numerous EURASIAN WIGEONS. Mike reported that
there was also a flock of 70 AMERICAN AVOCETS at Freezout
on April 8th.
Other shorebirds showing up was an early SOLITARY SANDPIPER
seen near Decker by Brett Walker on March 24th, a LONG-BILLED
CURLEW seen by Wayne Tree on Three-Mile Creek in the Bitterroot
Valley on April 1st and a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS the
same day seen by Sam Koenen at Cottonwood Reservoir north of
Wilsall. A LESSER YELLOWLEGS was at Freezout WMA April
4th per Mike Schwitters.
Speaking of migrations, both Chuck Carlson and John Carlson
reported on the SANDHILL CRANE migration near Ft. Peck on
April 4th. John reported: "after 400 PM there were long strings of
Sandhills stretching from the horizon on the south to the horizon
on the north. Large flocks continued to head north until at least
600 PM..." Not a sight normally associated with Montana.
Chuck and John were in Great Falls April 1st and reported that
the 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER that
over-wintered were still present. Other LONG-TAILED DUCKS seen
recently was one at the Causeway on Lake Helena seen by Bob
Martinka April 8th and another by Dan Casey and group on Farm
Road northeast of Somers on the same day.
Bob Rost reported seeing a SWAMP SPARROW at the intersection
of Farm Road and Lower Valley Road on March 23rd.
Wayne Tree found a BEWICK'S WREN at Teller Refuge in
the Bitterroot Valley on March 6th, but could not get a picture
and was unable to relocate it later.
Saturday May 6th, Jim Brown will lead his annual all day field trip to
Brown's Lake (no relation). Meet in the middle of the UofM
Fieldhouse Parking Lot to carpool at 800 AM.
If you have sightings you would like to share please leave a message
or call Carole or Terry at 549-6027. Thanks and good birding.
HL-259.
- End Transcript
* Montana
* Montana RBA
* 04-08-2006
* MTMS0604.09
Birds Mentioned
Great Egret
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Tundra Swan (Bewick's Race)
Long-tailed Duck
White-winged Scoter
Gyrfalcon
Chukar
Sandhill Crane
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Curlew
Solitary Sandpiper
Snowy Owl
Burrowing Owl
Bewick's Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Swamp Sparrow
- Transcript
hotline: Montana
number: 406-721-9799
to report: Terry Toppins 406-549-6027 or _tertop@aol.com_
(mailto:tertop@aol.com)
coverage: entire state
This is Terry Toppins with the Montana Birding Hotline
sponsored by Birdwatcher's Country Store located at
the Orange Street Travel Center on Orange Street at the
Orange Street Exit off Interstate 90 and this is recorded
late Sunday April 9th, 2006.
Spring has arrived in many parts of Montana but SNOWY
OWLS continue to linger in several locations. There are
still Snowies being reported near the Pablo NWR between
Polson and Ronan and also between Somers and Big Fork.
In addition Barb Jaquith reported that she and 3 others saw
a SNOWY OWL on the Drycreek Road just east of Red
Lodge on April 2nd and on the same day George Mowat saw
one at Benton Lake NWR north of Great Falls.
Harriet Marble reported though that 2 BURROWING OWLS
had been seen south of Chester April 8th.
Chuck Carlson found a GREAT EGRET at Newton Pond
near Ft. Peck on April 6th.
Barb Jaquith found 2 CHUKARS between Bridger and the
Pryor Mountains April 6th.
Wayne Tree reported April 8th that there is a singing
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD in Darby. You could call
Wayne at 777-3159 for details.
While the white goose migration at Freezout WMA near
Choteau did not produce spectacular numbers of SNOW
GEESE this year (the weather north of Montana allowed
them to push north on a daily basis) there are still SNOW
GEESE and ROSS'S GEESE to be seen. Mike Schwitters
reports that there have been 15,000 to 45,000 white geese
daily in the morning, but by sunset most have moved north.
The birdwatchers who went to Freezout at the end of March
(the traditional date for the peak of migration) were rewarded
with other birds including a single BEWICK'S race of TUNDRA
SWAN, 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, a GYRFALCON,
and numerous EURASIAN WIGEONS. Mike reported that
there was also a flock of 70 AMERICAN AVOCETS at Freezout
on April 8th.
Other shorebirds showing up was an early SOLITARY SANDPIPER
seen near Decker by Brett Walker on March 24th, a LONG-BILLED
CURLEW seen by Wayne Tree on Three-Mile Creek in the Bitterroot
Valley on April 1st and a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS the
same day seen by Sam Koenen at Cottonwood Reservoir north of
Wilsall. A LESSER YELLOWLEGS was at Freezout WMA April
4th per Mike Schwitters.
Speaking of migrations, both Chuck Carlson and John Carlson
reported on the SANDHILL CRANE migration near Ft. Peck on
April 4th. John reported: "after 400 PM there were long strings of
Sandhills stretching from the horizon on the south to the horizon
on the north. Large flocks continued to head north until at least
600 PM..." Not a sight normally associated with Montana.
Chuck and John were in Great Falls April 1st and reported that
the 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER that
over-wintered were still present. Other LONG-TAILED DUCKS seen
recently was one at the Causeway on Lake Helena seen by Bob
Martinka April 8th and another by Dan Casey and group on Farm
Road northeast of Somers on the same day.
Bob Rost reported seeing a SWAMP SPARROW at the intersection
of Farm Road and Lower Valley Road on March 23rd.
Wayne Tree found a BEWICK'S WREN at Teller Refuge in
the Bitterroot Valley on March 6th, but could not get a picture
and was unable to relocate it later.
Saturday May 6th, Jim Brown will lead his annual all day field trip to
Brown's Lake (no relation). Meet in the middle of the UofM
Fieldhouse Parking Lot to carpool at 800 AM.
If you have sightings you would like to share please leave a message
or call Carole or Terry at 549-6027. Thanks and good birding.
HL-259.
- End Transcript