Sandhill Crane Update

The sandhill crane family that I mentioned in a previous post remains in the same area where the nesting took place. The 2 young colts hatched about 8-9 days ago after an incubation period of about 30 days. Since the colts hatched' I've been seeing the family in the grassy bottomland area surrounded by trees. This does not seem to me to be very typical brood rearing habitat - but time will tell if the young are raised successfully.

Only once in the past week have the cranes not protested my presence, so I assumed perhaps they had moved on . But then yesterday, they were present and very upset with my intrusion. When I saw them and they reacted so vociferously, I decided I had better vacate the premesis. But before doing so, I took this shot of one of the adults. It sure looked unhappy with me!!


This evening, I lead a group of 8 local birders through this same area. The cranes were not to be seen. Since it was rather windy and there were not many birds active, I decided to see if I could show the group the platform of old cattails where the cranes had incubated the eggs for a month. The fresh young cattails pretty much obscured the nest site but after a closer look, I spotted an adult crane on the nest site - with the 2 colts sitting on its back! A pretty neat sight for all to enjoy through my spotting scope. And the learing process continues for me. I was quite surprised to see this family return to the original nest site 8 or more days after hatching!

Sandhill Crane Nest Hatches!

We now have 2 new Sandhill Cranes in Helena! The nest I've been watching on the north edge of Helena since April 20th produced the young - called colts - on about May 20. When I first saw them on that date, they looked to be a day or two old. Apparently, the adults keep the young in the nest for several days after hatching. Actually, I had been seeing only one adult in the the area so was curious as to the where-a-bouts of the other adult, but it showed up a day or so later and now they are raising the young together.


It will be interesting now to follow the rearing of these young. The area surrounding the nesting site seems to be rather limiting for the rearing of young. An Interstate Highway borders one side, housing and other development another, and the open fields to the north don't look especially like good crane rearing habitat. And, it will be quite a few weeks until the colts can fly. Time will tell whether or not this was really a very good site for crane nesting, but it has certainly been interesting following the events!

The Odes are Here!!

This morning, I saw my first dragonfly - Ode - of the year! While I didn't get as good a look at it as I would have liked, I'm quite sure it was a Variegated Meadowhawk. Ode refers to the Order of insects to which dragonflies and damselflies belong - Order Odonata. This particular species is migratory so we may not have any Odes hatching yet here in Helena, but it shouldn't be long now with the warm weather we are having. Here is a Variegated Meadowhawk.


Last summer was my first real exposure to these insects and my interest in them has escalated since then. Thier appearance at this time of year presents a real dilemma for me. Do I keep my eyes focused at a distance to see what new migrating birds have arrived or do I look down and focus more closely to see what sort of Odes might be around?

While hiking near Seeley Lake, Montana, last July, looking to take pictures of spruce grouse which I did not yet have in my library of bird images, I was skirting a shallow mountain lake. As I passed by, I noticed that over the surface of the lake and surrounding vegetation, there were hundreds of dragonflies zooming around. Looking a little more closely, I saw that many of these interesting looking "bugs" would occasionally rest on shoreline vegetation. So I got my macro lens out for my camera and began stalking some of these interesting looking dragonflies for photo opportunities. At that point in time, I had no idea what species I was looking at but that episode sparked my interest is these unique insects so I continued pursuing them with my camera the remainder of the summer. Most of the ponds and lakes in the vicinity of Helena had a good supply and variety of them. Over the past winter, my interest continued to grow so I have been anticipating their arrival and emergence as spring and warm weather approached . Here is a Chalk-fronted Corporal that posed for me that day last July!


So the next month may be tough on me. Spring migrant birds have dominated my interest for the past decade or so and that will be tough to change. By mid June, all of our breeding birds will be here so it will be easier to shift my attention to Odes. In the mean time, I'll just have to adjust my time so that I can accommodate both interests. But come mid-July when we begin to get some bird species moving south again, the dilemma will again raise its head. Will it be possible to pursue both interest without slighting either - or sacrificing my happy home??

Montana Audubon Annual Festival - David Sibley!

Each year, Montana Audubon sponsors a birding festival at a different city/town in MT. This year's festival is shaping up to be one of the best ever - with a tremendous variety and scope of birding field trips to choose from. The festival will be on June 5-7 at the Holiday Inn in Gt. Falls and will be co-hosted by the Upper Missouri River Audubon Society. As a very special treat, David Sibley will be the guest speaker at the luncheon on Saturday. His is a renowned artist and the author of a number of birding books, including the very popular "The Sibley Guide to Birds". Registration for this event is available thru the Montana Audubon Web site.

The weekend following the Montana Audubon Festival, Mountain Bluebird Trails of Montana will be celebrating their 35th Anniversary, also in Gt. Falls. They also have an excellent program lineup with speakers from around the country - including one of my favorite bloggers Julie Zickefoose and her husband Bill Thompson, III, editor of Bird Watcher's Digest.

Both of these events will provide a great opportunity to participate in great field trips and meet some of the "Movers and Shakers" in the world of Birding! Plan to attend!!

The Big Push Begins!

Spring migration begins earlier in Montana than most might expect. Generally, in late February and early March, we begin to see some species such as gulls and waterfowl begin to filter back into the state. And this parade of newcomers continues at a variable pace into May. But then by the 10th or so of May, the push of smaller migrants - mainly the Passerines - begins in earnest. West of the divide, migration is a little earlier than here in the Helena area. And certain parts of the state such as the northeastern corner generally get a greater species richness - with many birds passing thru that area to breed in Canada and perhaps Alaska.

The big push has now begun! Almost every successive day now should bring new birds into our area. Some will be just passing through to breeding grounds farther north and some will remain here to begin their annual breeding ritual. This morning, I found my first yellow warbler of the spring. What a great bird!




Also new for the year were house wren and common yellowthroat.

After finding these birds, I headed over to Mt. Helena where there are several species I can usually locate easily if they have arrived here. And one of these is a quite interesting story.

I began keeping pretty good records of my birding exploits in 2001. That year, I found a calliope hummingbird on Mt. Helena along one of the trails that leads from the main parking lot toward the south. Since then, I have looked in this same place each May. The first year I found this hummer, he was sitting on a dead branch of a mountain maple tree adjacent to the east side of the trail. And each year since that initial sighting, I have found a male calliope sitting on that exact same branch. Pretty consistent, I'd say! Given the number of years covered, it is quite unlikely that this is the same bird. What it likely demonstrates is the habit of males of this species finding a nice high spot from which to observe their territory. It could be a learned behavior but male hummers often leave the area before young are fledged from their nest. At any rate, it will be interesting to follow this story in the insuing years. Here is a nice male calliope sitting on a bitterbrush plant nearby.

Westby On My Mind!

About 8 or 9 years ago, shortly after I morphed from a casual birder into the compulsive one I now am, I occasionally heard others with my affliction talk about a place in NE Montana - Westby - that they referred to as a mecca for birds, especially during migration periods. It was especially renowned for the warblers that could often be found there that rarely showed up anywhere else in Montana. As I found out later, this colorful family of birds was only one of many avian wonders that this area possessed.

Before I get into my love affair with this wondrous birding hot spot, I'd like to share some history of the town and how it got its name with you. This is taken from the Website you will visit by clicking on the highlighted Westby above. "The second part of our story had to do with a group of Danes in the northwestern corner of North Dakota, who decided to start a town in 1909. An application was made for a post office to be called Westby. This name was chosen because "By" in Dane means "town", and it would be the most westerly town in North Dakota; thus, it was named West Town or Westby.The first lumber yard and bank were started by Harold Borg. Jacob Freund ran a feedbarn, and thus the town of Westby was situated until the rumor that the Soo Line would probably extend their rails westward from Ambrose to the North Dakota-Montana border. This caused a furor of excitement, and when the railroad was assured, the town was picked up and moved to the North Dakota line ("a city on a railroad") to await the long dreamed of rail. REMEMBER! This was during the days of Prohibition in North Dakota, so the saloons were located on Montana soil. This, as one narrator put it, "split the town with the business 'improper' on one side of the line and the business 'proper' on the other side."When the railroad did plot a town, however, the town on the North Dakota line was ignored. It seems that railroad rates for Montana were higher than those in North Dakota, and so with typical financial acumen, the officials placed the new town on the Montana side of the line. Thus the business section thereupon abandoned the North Dakota site, and in 1914 the town was moved into Montana."

As I recall, it was in early September 2000 when I first made my way to this small farming community - on the North Dakota border and only several miles from Canada. I found the city park easily and began wandering around looking for whatever migrant or resident birds might be present. And present they were! Precise figures don't come to mind, but the variety was amazing for a Montana location. Not having much previous experience with many of the species I saw - in fall plumage, I struggled with the identity of a number of them. After a while, another birder showed up in the park and walked over to me to introduce himself. It was Ted Nordhagen - a Westby native who had begun birding here as a teenager, and who was responsible for identifying many of the rarer bird species that put this town on the list of "must visit" places for Montana birders. He immediately began pointing out to me what to look for in those fall warblers.

Since that initial visit, I make the drive to Westby every spring and fall migration period, save for perhaps one fall. Ted and I have become friends and I credit him teaching me more about birds and bird ID than any other individual I have ever birded with. What a great mentor he has been to me! Birds like this magnolia warbler I photographed in Westby in May2007 just can't be found around Helena.

One thing I must stress here is that is area is more than just about warblers and other neotropical migrants. The rolling farmlands, grasslands, and especially the potholes and lakes that adorn this region of Montana provide habitat for many other species of migrant and breeding birds that are absent or at least very difficult to find in other parts of the state. Some of these species are: Baird's sparrow, Le Conte's sparrow, Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow, sedge wren, piping plover, and a large number and variety of shorebirds.

One of the most memorable Montana birding experiences I've ever enjoyed involved this last group. During spring 2007, I was with Ted and some friends one evening when we decided to drive a short distance north of town to look at the large numbers shorebirds that had been frequenting an alkaline pothole. When we pulled up to the shoreline, large masses of birds were noted in several locations -likely totaling more than 10,000 individuals. As we were looking on in awe, several of the groups took to the air and began twisting and turning in an amorphous mass looking like a fast moving amoeba. And then as one of the groups parted in half, we could see a peregrine falcon diving at tremendous speed looking for dinner. A few minutes later, another peregrine joined the chase. What a sight that was! Concentrations such as this are not the norm, but are an indication of what you may find occasionally. How many shorebirds would you estimate in this flock?
Over the years, my interests in this area have shifted from the warblers to the other specialities like the sparrows and the piping plovers.

This spring, I will be heading over that way a little later than usual so that I can perhaps get some photos of a few species that have avoided my camera over the years.

Oh yes, there is one other Westby attraction I forgot to mention. Don't forget to venture into the local cafe for some great food and chatter with the local residents!

Saturday Morning Bird Walks and Field Trips

Every Saturday morning, from late April until late October, there are a number of opportunities for birders to join others in walks around Helena and field trips lead by members of Last Chance Audubon and by Birds and Beasleys, our local birding supply and Montana Artisan store. The Audubon walks and field trips are listed on their website, and Birds and Beasleys walks scheduled for every Saturday morning at 7:30am leaving from the store. These activities provide excellent opportunities for birders - beginners or long time - to share their enthusiasm with others and hone their birding skills with the help of experts.

Yesterday morning, I joined a small group at Birds and Beasleys lead by Coburn Currier, a local birding expert, to some local birding hotspots including the Fairgrounds Pond area and Spring Meadow Lake State Park. The weather was great and the birding was good with 42 species noted in several hours. Five of these species were First-of-Year(FOY) for me so migrants continue to arrive in the area. One of my favorite local shorebirds - the spotted sandpiper - was present for the first time this year on the shores of Spring Meadow lake. This is a bird that just can't sit still, with its rump seemingly never ceasing to stop bobbing up and down.
Other FOY birds included orange-crowned warbler, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, and chipping sparrow. Also of note for their presence so late in the spring were 2 Bohemian waxwings, which have usually departed for their breeding ranges farther north by this time of year.
We are into the best time of year now to see an excellent diversity of birds, most in breeding plumage, so get out there and take of advantage the the opportunities that surround us.

Welcome to BirdManBob's first Blog!

Welcome to my initial entry into the world of Blogs! For the past year or so, I've been contemplating initiating a blog primarily focused on Birding with occasional forays into other subjects such as dragonflies, plants and plant phenology, photography, family and whatever else might be of interest to readers. But NO politics!

Birding in the Helena, Montana area will no doubt predominate this blog. But in the past year, I have become quite enamored with Odonates - Dragonflies and Damselflies - so during the summer months, I will occasionally post dialogues of these very interesting species in the hope of getting others interested in their pursuit. Also, I travel fairly often to other parts of Montana, the US, and other continents for family vacations or to pursue birds, so epistles describing these jaunts will appear rather frequently.

Because I do not consider my literary talents to be especially colorful or flowery, I will be liberally sprinkling my blogs with various photo images either directly relating to the immediate subject or borrowed from my ever growing library of digital images. This lovely blue flower caught my eye several minutes ago as I retrived the daily mail so I thought it would be nice to share with you!

As is normal, spring has had a difficult time getting traction in Montana this year, but these occasional glimpses of color bolster the spirit.

Now for just a few Helena area birding tidbits. At the Lake Helena Causeway, there is presently a Black Swan which is an Australian species that has become popular as an ornamental bird on other continents. This bird is highly likely to be an escapee from someone's private collection. My guess is that it will stay in the area for a while.

Other birds of note now making their way into and through the Helena area are Lincoln's sparrows, savannah sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, and yellow-rumped warblers. The following is an image of a yellow-rumped warbler - sometimes referred to as a "butterbutt" - that I took in eastern MT last spring.

In the weeks to come, we should be expecting more warbler species top arrive along with some vireos and flycatchers. Common nighthawks are often the last species to arrive.