Last Chance Audubon Society
Promoting understanding, respect, and enjoyment of birds and the natural world
through education, habitat protection and environment advocacy.

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FIELD TRIPS

The Last Chance Audubon Society offers birding trips lead by experienced birders to local areas around the Helena valley. Trips are free and open to members and nonmembers. Participants at any level of skill and experience are encouraged to attend. Trip leaders provide information on bird identification, natural history and conservation. Bird trips are most commonly scheduled between March and June.

Trips are a half day or longer depending on the area visited and usually involve car pooling among trip participants.

Each trip participants needs to have binoculars. Bring snacks or lunch if appropriate, water, and dress for the weather. A bird identification field guide is useful.

Trip Schedule:

Please call the leaders to make a reservation for their walk. Bring snacks and water, and dress for the weather.

April 17, Saturday – Missouri River below Hauser Dam. Leave it to Sara Toubman to come up with a unique walk to begin our season. She will lead you on one of her two favorite hikes in the Helena area, the trail below Hauser Dam. There will be birds to be sure---bald eagles, belted kingfishers, dippers, other species and perhaps some otters, but this is primarily a spectacular walk---deep in the Missouri River Canyon; a chance to see the Missouri in that area without a dam. Meet Sara in the southeast corner of the K-Mart parking lot at 8:00 a.m., return around noon. Call Sara at 442-1271.

April 24, Saturday – Warm Springs Ponds. Warm up to spring by meeting Brian Shovers and Jo Lace at the northwest end of the Lundy Center parking lot, next to Ben Franklin, for a journey to these rewarding ponds. They will be joined this year by Gary Swant, an experienced birder and resident of the Deer Lodge Valley. Look forward to lots of waterfowl and a variety of other species. There are often unexpected avian surprises on this walk. Bring a lunch, and a scope if you have one. Return mid-afternoon. Call Brian or Jo at 443-6640.

April 29, Thursday evening - LCAS Beginning Birding Workshop. Call Jo Lace at 443-6640 to sign up. May 1, Saturday - LCAS Beginning Birding Workshop Field Trip May 6, Thursday evening - LCAS Beginning Birding Workshop May 8, Saturday - LCAS Beginning Birding Workshop Field Trip

May 8 through September 4 - “Birds and Beasley’s Saturday Birding Soirees” Sandy Shull and Jane Beasley are again sponsoring their popular two hour morning birding adventures every Saturday from May 8 through Sept. 4. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at 70 S. Park, in front of Birds and Beasleys. Trips to local birding sites will be led by a B&B staff person and destinations will vary throughout the summer, subject to group members’ input. Call 449-0904.

May 15, Saturday - McClellan Creek. This trip will be a loop from Montana City to East Helena, exploring a variety of habitats in the McClellan Creek area. Expect to see birds inhabiting both mountain riparian habitats, mountain grassland habitats and the areas in between. Meet at the south Montana Department of Transportation parking lot at 7:00 a.m. Call Don Skaar at 442-3254.

June 4-6, Friday through Sunday - Montana Audubon Bird Festival. This weekend is the state Audubon Birding Festival in Missoula. There will be no Helena area trips scheduled. To register, go to www.mtaudubon.org/birdwatching/festival or call the Montana Audubon office at 406-443-3949. There are an abundance of enticing trips planned for the festival this year---peruse them in the most recent Montana Audubon newsletter.

June 12, Saturday – Beaver Creek (near Winston) and environs. Join Jim Greene, Martha Vogt and Jerry Bodmer for a trip to a new area! With Jerry as our guide we will explore the several diverse habitats on the Bodmer’s property along and adjacent to historic Beaver Creek. Jerry is ready to share the history of the area, near which was a campsite for William Clark on Sunday, July 21, 1805. Bring a lunch. We will meet at the Pizza Hut parking lot by Wal-Mart at 7:30 a.m. Call Jim or Martha at 495-9270 or greenevogt@imt.net to make a reservation.

Other Bird Trips:

Birds & Beasleys Saturday Morning Birdwalks - A birdwalk every Saturday from May through September. Meet trip leaders at 7:30 am at Birds & Beasleys, 70 S. Park Ave. Bring binoculars if you have them and dress for the weather. Walks will be about 2 hours in length and destinations will be to local birding areas, i.e., Helena Reservoir, Spring Meadow, Lake Helena, etc. Location of the week’s walk will be known by Thursday, so call Birds and Beasleys at 449-0940 to learn the location, or just show up Saturday morning ready to have fun.