We did it again – scheduled a great sounding field trip (3 days and 2 nights in yurts along the Judith River near its junction with the Missouri River) on a weekend when the forecast became cold and wet.  The trip was cancelled and made a back-up plan to head west toward the front and stay on solid roads.  Sunday May 19th looked like the best option.  3 of us decided to make a go of it.  It was well worth going.  It was cloudy; we had a brief period of rain, conveniently timed for a lunch break, and later in the afternoon the wind picked up.  It was really good weather for finding birds.  We started at Freezout Lake – it took us 3 hours of looking before we headed toward Choteau.  Stops included the garage site, vault toilet stops, tour route, the dike between pond 1 and 2, and Priest Butte Lake.  We could have spent the whole day observing.  We observed a Great Horned Owl on her nest with 2 fuzzy owls.  At the same site we were seeing Lark, White-crowned and Chipping Sparrows.  A dark headed small bird was flitting about a building.  The tail flipped over the back and at first we thought “house wren” but when we were able to see it more clearly as it explored the building for an opening the dark head, plain wings, light chest all pointed to an Eastern Phoebe.  Historically this was a spot for a Say’s Phoebe – it was clearly not a Say’s Phoebe.  A highlight was the Short-eared Owl that was doing a mating flight – so high, almost out of sight, and then he would swoop down and “clap” his wings.  None of us had seen that before.  Candace could even hear the low frequency “whoooooot-whooooot”.  At that time there was no wind.  While we were standing there at the vault toilet (what a unique observation point) the swallows were buzzing around us – Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows.  Ducks, Killdeer, Pelicans, Geese, Cormorants – quite a list could be made from an unexpected spot.  Tour route highlights included a single Marbled Godwit, many, many Western Grebes that were “neck dancing” with their mates.  None seemed to want to perform a ballet for us, many Black-necked Stilts and just a few American Avocets, and great looks at Marsh Wrens.  Surprising was the hundreds (seemed like hundreds) of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the sagebrush.  When we could get a close look they all had a white throat – Myrtle Warblers.  From the dike between pond 1 and 2 we could see many of the swallows were Cliff Swallows – not many cliffs close by.  Of interest was one Bonaparte’s Gull, a first winter plumage individual.  Although we could not find any White-faced Ibis hiding we did see one Black-crowned Night Heron take off.  It started raining by the time we got to Priest Butte Lake – that didn’t stop the Great Blue Herons from stalking something.  There was actually 3 in one small reed bed near us.  There were also many more swallows.  We made lunch in Choteau while watching Chipping Sparrows, House Sparrows and Eurasian Collared Doves.  The rain stopped so off we went up the Teton Canyon Road.  Eureka Reservoir was thick with swallows.  The roadside around the reservoir was thick with Chipping Sparrows and more Myrtle Warblers – again it seemed like hundreds.  And then we got to the Mountain Bluebirds.  Some were claiming nest boxes; others were just in flocks – flocks of blue flitting through the air.  They were brilliant.  As we crossed onto Forest Service Road three large “headless” birds came soaring into view (Turkey Vultures), and the habitat changed – here we saw Audubon’s Warblers, more Chipping Sparrows, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a road that was slick, rutty and rocky.  It seemed like a good place to turn around. 

For some reason I thought we should stop by Garden Home Park to watch the Barrows Goldeneyes.  We got out and suddenly they started flying past....about 50.  They are so good looking.  Velda picked up on the head shape difference between the Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes pretty quick. There were some geese swimming up along the Bank and one was about 30% smaller and had a short stubby bill, I asked if they could see one that looked different.  Yes!  It was a Cackling Goose.  Then as we were about ready to leave there was another small goose coming into view, but wait....it was a Greater White-fronted Goose and it even stood up and flapped, we could see the breast markings.  Sweet.  It was a life bird for both Velda and Laura. And easy to photograph!  Later, as we were heading down the river road below Ulm we saw a small bird.... it looked like it was carrying something grasped in its feet.  It landed in the stubble... a Shrike!  It then came closer as it landed on the fence wire, but left the prey behind.  Again, we had good looks for a minute.  It finally flew off, but without the mouse/vole.  It was another life bird for Laura.  How often can you introduce several life birds to two people in one day?  We saw at least 20 species including 3 Wild Turkeys, 8 Rough-legged Hawks, the first two were very dark, one Red-tailed Hawk, several Bald Eagles, two distant Golden Eagles, a Merlin, and a couple thousand geese.
  Beth Hill

UMBA booked the Judith Ranger Station June 29, 2018 for an overnight field trip.

The ranger station and surrounding area is special to UMBA as Jean Setter, UMBA founding member, lived nearby on her parent's homestead.  Jean walked over to the ranger station for piano lessons and was a key reference to restore the ranger station and get in placed on the National Register.

While the weather was cool driving in and we experienced a couple of rain showers, the birds and the wildflowers were showy and abundant.
We spotted:
Swainson’s Hawk
Gold Finch
Bluebird
Cedar Waxwing
Spotted Sandpiper
Red Wing Blackbird
Eastern Kingbird
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Snipe
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Red Tail Hawk
Western Tanager
Night Hawk

We walked up north to Jean Setter's homestead and enjoyed the sounds of 15 horses on a pack ride.
A June trip is sure to have plenty of wildflowers, with the hillsides pink with color!
We took a hike up Hay Canyon and enjoyed the shady flowers including clematis and columbine.

​The Judith Basin in June is special and we hope to visit again.

             Thirteen lucky individuals participated in this year's Raptor class, eager to improve their hawk and eagle identification skills. About 1/3 of the group was taking the class for their second time because they enjoyed the first round so much, and we quickly discovered we were in for a real treat. Attendees from as far as Seattle and Billings gathered at FWP in Great Falls Friday night for a slideshow presentation and Saturday field trip. Our enthusiastic guide Steve Hoffman, the Bozeman-based former director of Montana Audubon and walking encyclopedia of hawk and eagle knowledge, dazzled us "fledglings" with many wonderful photographs and helpful ID tips.
            After two hours of drinking from Steve's fire hose, we knew our dihedral (upward angled wings from horizontal, Golden Eagles have a little bit of it especially at the wing tips while Bald's wings stay flat in flight) from our diurnal (active during the day, opposite of nocturnal) and a veritable feast of diagnostic hawk characteristics. We also learned many interesting facts about the various raptor migration patterns, habitat needs, and survival strategies. Who knew male Northern Harriers are polygynous -as in polygamy- they mate with multiple females and they hunt for and provide food to their multiple ladies! Also, even though Shrikes (Northern in MT in winter, Loggerhead in MT in Summer) kill and eat meat they are not part of the raptor family. Raptors, it turns out, are distinguished from all other birds by their powerful talon tipped feet. Also fascinating were the human impacts on raptor habitat from oil and gas development and emerging conservation efforts in Mexico and South America.
            The class spent Saturday on the pastoral back roads south of Great Falls, looping from Eden bridge and lunch on the banks of the Smith River, to Cascade and Ulm. With the short grass prairie in its vivid "full green" our group marveled at sightings of Osprey with fish, Swainson's and Cooper's hawks, Kestrel, well over a dozen Bald and Golden eagles, Short eared owls, and even side by side male and female Northern Harriers. Curlews, Sandhill cranes, and Snipes graced our presence; yes, snipes exist and are super cute! Mother Nature also provided stunning views of the largest and rarest hawk in North America, the magnificent Ferruginous. For ID think light/light/light: light head, light chest/body, light tail with rusty red top of wings.* There is a dark morph as well but less than 10% of the population.
            A few of the many additional sightings included "all the Teals", Lark buntings, Upland sandpiper, Phalaropes, Godwit, Sandhill Cranes, Turkeys, Redheads, Pintail, Gadwall, Turkey Vultures, Yellow Warbler, and Black Angus beef on the hoof. This driving loop really showcases the stunning bird and raptor habitat that is our central MT backyard.
            We would like to acknowledge Beth Hill and Candace Beery for making this class happen, and for providing close up views with Beth's new spotting scope. Thanks also to Montana FWP for their continued support of UMBA allowing us the use of their facility. Finally, a huge thank you to Steve Hoffman for coming up to Great Falls for the weekend to help us learn our raptors, and for his lifetime commitment to our feather friends.   - UMBA Raptor Class of 2018
            Lastly, Drew Marsh is leading a group trip to the Duck Pass - Golden Eagle Migration Survey (GEMS) observation site 20 miles West of White Sulfur in the Big Belt Mountains in early October. Surveyors count 2,000-3,000 golden eagles each Fall, with peak single day counts of 200-300! Stay tuned to UMBA for more details coming out in August.
            P.S. Steve Hoffman now owns/leads birding tours throughout Central and South America year round. Check out upcoming trips at https://merlinbirding.com. I can't think of a better guide for the international trip of a lifetime!

The monthly program this month will be Monday, February 12th at 7 pm in the conference room at FWP on Giant Springs Road.  The program is free and open to the public.  Who would have thought a hawkwatch could be in Cut Bank, Montana?  Well, come find out.
         
One blustery spring day in 2016, Kate Atkins walked out of the grocery store in Cut Bank and noticed a Red-tailed Hawk cruising north over the parking lot - followed by another, and another, and another. In a mere 20 minutes, 17 Red-tails had streamed overhead. Due to that fateful grocery run, the Cut Bank Hawkwatch has been casually counted by raptor biologists living in the area during the fall of 2016, spring 2017, and again in the fall of 2017 - and the raptor research community has taken notice. The location is unconventional, the species are varied and heavily weighted to the plains raptors we all know well along the Rocky Mountain Front. Kate Atkins and Tom Magarian are pursuing a relationship with Hawkwatch International to hire a counter for the fall of 2018, and they need our help. On February 12, they'll present on the unique aspects of the watch, and what the future may hold. Kate and Tom are biologists living in Cut Bank, employed by the wind farms, have shown what a varied bird community surrounds Cut Bank, if they aren't working observing birds they are observing birds on their time off (or fishing - you can do both at the same time).

Mark your calendars, set your watches, and get a good night’s sleep to be ready for the 2017 UMBA Christmas Bird Count (CBC). CBC counts are held nationwide and around the world from December 14 - January 5. It has become the world’s largest and longest running survey run by citizen-scientists. The counts take place in the same 15-mile diameter circle each year to ensure consistency. The results have been important in a variety of studies by conservation groups and government agencies to help guide conservation activities. The survey results can show early indications of environmental changes.

UMBA invites anyone interested in this year’s census to come to the December 11 chapter meeting, 7:00 PM at the FWP Regional Headquarters building (4600 Giant Springs Road). Beginners to seasoned birders are welcome to help. We’ll hone our skills by reviewing bird species which we may see on the count. Club organizers will assign participants to one of 10 area teams with experienced team leaders. Beginning birders can serve as the team scribe while learning to identify the birds. The leader packets will be given out at the meeting.

On count day – Saturday, Dec. 16 - dress WARMLY, bring a thermos with a hot drink and a lunch, binoculars, field guide and scope (if you have one), AND a sense of adventure. Most teams begin their count around 8:00 AM. Depending on the weather and size of their count area teams may finish in the early afternoon or others continue until sunset (it's dark at 5 PM). If you can only participate for part of the day, let us know and we’ll find you a spot!

If you cannot go outdoors to count this year, we also need yard/ feeder watchers to report birds in their yard. If you are within the Great Falls circle, you can count those House Finches and House Sparrows as well as the Chickadees, Blue Jays, and Sharp-shin Hawks. Anything and everything you see on  the day of the count, December 16th. You can email UMBA at umbaudubon@gmail.com your yard /feeder count tally and address.  Easy to participate even if you aren't outdoors December 16th.

At 5:00 PM, participants and other interested folks may join UMBA for the wrap-up session that includes a salad and pizza dinner at the FWP Regional Headquarters building (4600 Giant Springs Road). It’s the same room where we have our monthly meetings. Bring some holiday treats to share, if you wish. We’ll have hot water for coffee, tea and cocoa available (non alcoholic beverages only). Each area leader will report the number of species and birds seen that day and then give highlights of that area’s sightings. UMBA will pay for CBC participants’ dinners. The dinner cost for other attendees is $7.00, payable that evening. To make a dinner reservation, please let us know ahead of time by emailing umbaudubon@gmail.com  by Wednesday, DECEMBER 13 at the latest. 

Thank you for participating in Christmas Bird Count 2017!

​UMBA’s trip to the Musselshell combined birding, touring the Bair Museum & soaking in hot springs.
 
The snow and evergreen trees were a festive sight as we made our way East to the Bair Museum. Although Lake Sutherlin and the Bair Reservoir on Highway 12 were already frozen for winter, a Roughleg Hawk was moving through the creek bottom.  Two golden eagles were spotted at the Bair Reservoir dam.  While watching the eagles soaring above, over 30 Bohemian Waxwings were spotted in the trees below.  A spotting scope brings out the fine colors—making it easier to distinguish between the Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings.
 
The sun arrived just in time for the walk along the South Fork of the Musselshell River.  We saw one red-breasted nuthatch, black-capped chickadees, a Red-tail Hawk, a Northern Flicker, and many ravens and magpies.  The most unusual sighting was a porcupine right on the trail.  While we all got a good look, by the time of our return, it was tucked away in a sunny spot for the afternoon. 
 
As we made our way back to the highway, Nick Taylor, FW&P Warden from Harlowton, was there to greet us.  Since it was deer hunting season, he was checking on permits.  A quick glance on the group revealed plenty of hunter orange clothing, no rifles, but smiles all around.
 
Touring the Bair Museum was a treat, as the museum opened up for a behind-the-scenes tour of the downstairs home and the upstairs private quarters of one of Montana’s greatest philanthropic families.  We all enjoyed the finely tailored clothing and the formal dining table set for fine entertaining.  It was a special treat talking with noted artist, Harold Schlotzhauer.  His solo exhibit: "Above and Beyond, Paintings as Kites, was eye catching and perfect for windy Central Montana.
 
Enroute to White Sulphur Springs, one bald eagle and several hundred deer were spotted.  Some of the group enjoyed soaking in the hot springs, and a leisurely return to Great Falls.  Although we were hoping to see more fall migrants passing through the Snowy and the Big Belt Mountains, everyone enjoyed the Bair, the birds and the relaxing hot springs.  We are hoping to explore other parts of the Bair ranch next year.

October 15, 2017
The bird list might seem short, but the day was long in fun.  The day couldn't have been much nicer for October 15th in central Montana.  The sky was clear, the wind skipped over us for the most part and the temperature was pleasant.  There were 11 on the trip - Carolyn, Candace, Velda, Kay, Aubrey, Emma, Sandy, Abby, Mike, Wayne and Beth.  The group arrived at the guard station before 10 am and quickly assembled to head up the MIddle Fork of the Judith River to do some exploring.  Wayne Phillips had put together a pretty good history of the cabin and the area - between the information provided by the Forest Service about the cabin and a personal oral history from Jean Setter.  Jean has been a member of UMBA since 1981.  She was born and raised on a homestead that eventually became part of the Judith Wildlife Management Area (WMA).  As a child she took piano lessons from the wife of Ranger Myers at the guard station.  She walked the 2 miles between the Setter homestead and the guard station.  But more about that later.
Our walk up the river was punctuated by the calls of numerous Clark's Nutcrackers.  There were either several dozen about or the same ones making circuits.  There would be as many as 8 at one time.  The Mountain Chickadees were more heard than seen.  They were very active.  Mike spotted a probably Hairy Woodpecker on our way upstream.  On the return trip he scouted ahead of the group and found it on the same log.  Everyone got a good look at it as it was grooming on a downed tree.  Several Red-breasted Nuthatches were heard and seen.  A nice look at a Townsend's Solitaire rounded out the observations.  Common Ravens were heard as well as unidentified chips/tweets.  Wayne and Abby both showed us how to identify a white spruce vs Engleman spruce, Douglas fir, snowberry vs wolfberry, willow vs birch and more.  There were little surprises like several old wooden benches placed along the trail, an upside down rusted out vehicle, a coffer dam that had wooden slats (it apparently fed the ditch that led to a hay pasture next to the guard station).  Somehow it was after 1:30 pm before we returned to the cabin and broke out the lunches. 
We explored the cabin (3 bedrooms up, sitting room, office and kitchen down), ate then Wayne shared what he had learned about the cabin and Jean Setter.  The cabin was built in 1908 from a forest service "kit".  Even the box was used in construction - the lintel over one bedroom doorway had the shipping address - "Forest Service, Myers, Windham, Mont".  The ranger paid for the front porch addition out of his own pocket.  It was not a standard issue item.  Apparently he had a choice - to purchase the porch materials or a level.  The cabin has a porch.  A barn had been built the year before and car garage was added later.  Jean was quite involved in the restoration - sharing her knowledge of what it looked like when she knew the family and came over for piano lessons. 
The willows along the river were checked out after lunch, but only more Mountain Chickadees were found.  Instead of heading back at that point (it was already 3 pm - our planned departure time) we wanted to head over to see if we could find the route that Jean took to the station from the homestead and perhaps the homestead site itself.  Our first attempt to find the homestead was still of forest service land and didn't look quite right.  Another examination of the maps suggested trying a pretty rutted track that headed over to the WMA.  It meant more walking.  After we said good-bye to half the group - Wayne, Candace, Emma, Aubrey and Beth continued on.  As we walked up the faint road some birds calling in the tree tops were suggestive of Crossbills - but couldn't be seen (darn).  More Clark's Nutcrackers.  Things kept looking better and better as we came to the property line of the WMA.  A BIG open field that was surrounded by encroaching Ponderosa could easily have been a homestead that was running cattle.  The grasses in areas were the non-native hay that would have been cut for horses and cattle.  But where would you put a homestead?  Candace spotted a faint road that curved around to an area that looked like it would have a water source and be somewhat out of the wind.  We knew that the only thing left was the root cellar.  Sure enough - root cellar, capped well head and probably an outhouse location were found.  Perhaps the rocks that seemed out of place were part of the foundation or porch?  Caragana planted in rows would have served as a wind break.  Confident  that we had found the old homestead site we took pictures to share with Jean and headed back to the car.  Wayne was curious about the route to the guard station so Wayne, Emma and Beth headed down a draw that had been described by Jean.  Sure enough - there was even a worn path all the way (game prints suggested that it wasn't used only by humans).  She said it was about a 2 mile walk - which seemed about right - from homestead to guard station cabin.
Time to head home.  Emma was staying the night - to enjoy the silence and starry night.  It was already 5:45 pm.  As we were buckling seatbelts Candace looked over at a fence post and asked "is that another nutcracker?".  Beth put the binoculars on it and surprised everyone when she said - "No - that is a Blue Jay!"  It was about the last bird we expected to find.  All got a look at it.  Behind schedule but satisfied with the day - everyone thought - "I'd like to come back again."