Fall Birding Down Under

Tuesday, October 8, 2024                                                                                                                  Montana Wild, 2668 Broadwater Ave.                                                                                              Free-All Are Welcome

Join Dan Ellison for a virtual birding tour of Nelson, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia. In late February 2024 Dan and his spouse, Jane Fournier, traveled “down under” to visit Jane’s family. In both locations Dan was able to find days to visit birding hotspots with local experts. His primary interests in Nelson were endemic species in the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary, and the mud flats on Boulder Bank favored by wintering terns, waterfowl, and shorebirds such as the Bar-tailed Godwit. Across the Tasman Sea in the greater Sydney area, he visited national parks on three sides of the city offering diverse habitats for both resident and migratory bird species. New Zealand and Australia provided Dan with birding experiences far from Montana, and in addition, he found photo opportunities with unusual wildlife such as bats, marsupials, and reptiles.

Dan Ellison grew up in the Bitterroot Valley, graduated from the Naval Academy, and served on active duty for 26 years as a Navy pilot and staff officer. He returned to Montana in 1999 and settled in Helena where he worked for several years in state government including as Chief Financial Officer for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. In 2009 he was elected to the Helena City Commission and was re-elected in 2013. He divides personal time between managing the family ranch near Stevensville, bird watching, wildlife photography, fly fishing, and other outdoor pursuits with his botanical artist and spouse Jane Fournier.