MONTANA 28 May–12 June 2008 Leader: Jeff Marks and Peter Basterfield

Montana, also known as Big Sky Country, combines the breathtaking peaks of the Rockies with the wide open spaces of the Great Plains into a scenic splendour that is unsurpassed in the lower 48 states. Grizzly Bears and Gray Wolves roam the country much as they did when Lewis and Clark visited 200 years ago. The bird life is every bit as spectacular as the scenery, with some 415 species known for the state. Travelling mostly on paved roads off the beaten path, we will visit every major habitat including the alpine zone in Glacier National Park, the desert scrub in the Pryor Mountains near Wyoming, and the sagebrush steppe and shortgrass prairie east of the Continental Divide. Spruce Grouse, Mountain Plover, Great Gray Owl, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and McCown’s Longspur are among the specialities we will seek.

Day 1 Flight from London to Missoula. If time permits, we will bird within walking distance of our hotel in Missoula, our home for the first three nights.

Day 2 We will search a variety of habitats near Missoula for Lewis’s Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Vaux’s Swift, Calliope Hummingbird, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Pygmy Nuthatch, Nashville Warbler, American Redstart, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Bullock’s Oriole. American Dippers nest under a bridge along Rattlesnake Creek, and with luck we may find a Western Screech-owl or Pileated Woodpecker.

Day 3 We will get an early start and head east through the Blackfoot Valley, stopping for diving ducks and Black Terns at a pond 50 miles from Missoula. Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallow and Western Bluebird are regularly seen along this route. We will have breakfast in Lincoln and then cross the Continental Divide at Rogers Pass, headed for two of Montana’s premier prairie wetlands: Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area. These sites support a high diversity of ducks, gulls, waders and grassland species. Franklin’s Gulls are common and we will have good chances at Clark’s Grebe, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Upland Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit, Golden Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Burrowing Owl and Chestnut-collared Longspur.

Day 4 In the morning, we will visit a burn inhabited by Black-backed and American Three-toed Woodpeckers and other forest species such as Cassin’s Vireo, Townsend’s Solitaire, Western Tanager, and Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler. Northern Pygmy-owl is also possible. We then head south through the Bitterroot Valley, stopping at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge for Wood Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, and Marsh Wren. Leaving the refuge, we rise in elevation to Chief Joseph Pass, which straddles the Continental Divide at 7264 feet. The surrounding forest of spruce, fir and pine is home to Boreal Owl, Steller’s Jay, Pine Grosbeak, and Cassin’s Finch. Northern Waterthrush, Wilson’s Warbler and Lincoln’s Sparrow occupy the willows that border a beautiful stream here. We will spend the night at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge, where you can soak in a natural artesian hot pool.

Day 5 After an early breakfast, we will continue through the Big Hole Valley headed for Bannack, the first territorial capital of Montana. Our goal will be Greater Sage-grouse, which have a lek nearby. A vast sea of sagebrush surrounds us and the songs of Sage Thrashers, Brewer’s Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, and Western Meadowlarks will come from all directions. We will also stop at the only site in Montana to find Sage Sparrow. Other species to look for include Loggerhead Shrike, Mountain Bluebird, and Horned Lark. After lunch in Dillon, we continue south to Clark Canyon Reservoir, where we may find Western Grebe, Canvasback, Redhead, and late migrant waders. We continue on to Bannack Pass, which at 7681 feet is surrounded by spruce-fir forest where Gray Jays and other high-elevation residents can be found. Night in Lima.

Day 6 We will visit Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley, which is bordered on the south by mountains that rise to 10,000 feet. Here we will look for Trumpeter Swans in the marshes and Great Gray Owls at the forest edge. Sandhill Cranes, Swainson’s Hawks, Buffleheads, Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Ring-necked Ducks are common. We then cross into Idaho briefly and enter Yellowstone National Park from the west. Time will not permit us to do much more than drive through the park, scanning for Elk, Moose and Grizzly Bear. After exiting the northeastern corner of the park, we climb to Beartooth Pass, which at 10,947 feet will be cloaked in snow. This is the summer home of American Pipits and Black Rosy-finches, which will have already arrived if the snow is not too deep. We then descend to Red Lodge on the edge of the magnificent Beartooth Range for a two-night stay.

Day 7 We will spend the first hour after breakfast searching bird feeders in town for Broad-tailed Hummingbird and Black Rosy-finch. Then we head for Bear Canyon, Jeff’s favorite birding locale in Montana. In the rain shadow of the Beartooths, it is one of the driest places in the state, averaging less than 6 inches of precipitation a year. This is the only place in Montana to see Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Black-throated Gray Warbler, and it is a great spot for Cooper’s Hawk, White-throated Swift, Dusky Flycatcher, Say’s Phoebe, Rock and Canyon Wrens, Yellow-breasted Chat, Loggerhead Shrike and Green-tailed Towhee. An isolated canyon nearby contains Indian petroglyphs, and we will also stop at an abandoned White-tailed Prairie Dog town where Mountain Plovers nest. We will take a late lunch in Bridger, a 25-mile drive from Bear Canyon. Having stocked up on cold drinks and snacks for the afternoon, we will take a jaunt into the Pryor Mountains to look for Cordilleran Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush, and other birds of the coniferous forest. As the sun sets we return to Bear Canyon for Common Poorwill, which is fairly easy to find here.

Day 8 Today we embark on a drive of some 275 miles that will take us through gorgeous grasslands and riparian areas. We will cut across the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations, keeping an eye out for Lark Buntings and Lark Sparrows by the roadside. Our primary target for the day, Cassin’s Kingbird, has a very restricted distribution in Montana but is easily found in the pine forest near Ashland. Western Kingbirds are quite common in the grasslands below the pine forest. Other species to look for include Common Nighthawk, Plumbeous Vireo, Pinyon Jay and Red Crossbill. Night in Miles City on the Yellowstone River.

Day 9 Heading down the Yellowstone River, we will be on the lookout for Least Tern, 'Yellow-shafted' (Northern) Flicker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Chimney Swift, and Dickcissel. The cottonwoods along the Yellowstone should be full of Red-eyed Vireos, Yellow-breasted Chats, Gray Catbirds and up to three species of orioles. This part of the state is seldom birded, and surprises are always possible. Heading north from Sidney, we will stop at the bridge over the Missouri River for another try at Least Terns, which often roost on a sandbar here. Continuing north, we will stop at Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge for waterbirds that can be seen near the highway. We then continue north to Plentywood for two nights.

Day 10 The tiny town of Westby on the North Dakota border is a birding mecca for Montanans. In late summer, many species of birds normally associated with the eastern US migrate through here from Canada. But we are here for the handful of hard-to-find breeders that barely get into Montana: Sedge Wren, LeConte’s Sparrow, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Yellow Rail. We will also expect Piping Plover, Sprague’s Pipit and Baird’s Sparrow. With luck, we will find lingering waders that might include White-rumped and Stilt Sandpipers.

Day 11 Heading west after an early breakfast, we will visit a Black-tailed Prairie Dog town for Mountain Plovers if we have not found them already. Our next stop, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, has wonderful wetlands and prairies. American White Pelican, White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, Virginia Rail and Eastern Screech-owl are among the nesting species and the diversity of waterbirds is phenomenal. We will also get additional looks at Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow and McCown’s Longspur. Night in Malta.

Day 12 Another long drive of 275 miles will take us across Montana’s 'Highline' along the Milk River. Without stopping we can make this trip in 5 hours or less, but no doubt we will be stopping for various raptors and grassland species we encounter along the way. We will spend the night in East Glacier on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation very close to the border of Glacier National Park.

Day 13 We will cross Glacier National Park via the spectacular Going-to-the-Sun highway and Logan Pass. Mountain Goats, Bighorn Sheep and a variety of new birds will compete for our attention with the incomparable scenery. Although the alpine meadows atop Logan Pass will have snow, we will have fair chances of White-tailed Ptarmigan, American Pipit, Gray-crowned Rosy-finch and White-winged Crossbill. This is one of the best places in the lower 48 states to find Wolverines. Lower down on the west side of the Continental Divide, we should find Harlequin Duck, Black Swift, Varied Thrush, Winter Wren, Townsend’s Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Fox Sparrow. This will be our best chance for Grizzly Bears as we scan avalanche shoots above McDonald Creek. On the western edge of the park we will be on the lookout for Ruffed, Blue, and Spruce Grouse. Night in West Glacier.

Day 14 If we still need a grouse species or two we can re-visit the park. Exiting Glacier Park in late morning, we will head south past Flathead Lake to the Mission Valley, with a stop at Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge for more waterbirds. Heading on to Missoula, we will have closed a loop of nearly 2000 miles in our quest for roughly half of the bird species recorded in the state. We have the late afternoon to look for any local breeders we may have missed upon our arrival before settling in at a motel on the banks of the Clark Fork River for our last night in Big Sky Country.

Day 15 Morning birding before we return to the airport for the overnight flight to the UK arriving on day 16.

General Information The climate can vary from very cold in the mountains to quite hot in the grasslands. There will be a moderate amount of walking, mainly on good trails, but at altitude this can be tiring. There are no special medical requirements and insects are not a major problem. Visas are not required. Distances are quite long but the roads are good and driving is relaxed, with plenty of opportunities to stop for food and drink. Accommodation standards are good with all motel rooms being spacious and having en-suite, air conditioning and TV. Food is relatively cheap, and we will take breakfasts and evening meals together at restaurants at the discretion of the leader. Food is excluded from the tour cost; allow about $25 per day (depending on your requirements).

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 9 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.

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