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!