Birdathon

Birdathon is a major fund raiser for LCAS. Each spring in May and June, LCAS members join together in teams to locate as many different bird species as they can see in one day. LCAS members and other in the Helena community are asked to sponsor a team by contributing a monetary amount per species seen by their team. A typical team may see 80 to 150 species in their count day. Team sponsors will receive a team report detailing the team’s experiences during their count day and list of the bird species seen. This is great fun for the Birdathon team and highly informative for the sponsors. If you are not a gambler teams gladly accept a flat amount toward their count effort. Half of the amount raised is dedicated to projects at Montana Audubon.

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2024 BIRDATHON TEAM RESULTS!!

AUDUBON DOUBLE BIRDATHON

May 27, 2024

For me, it is a rare treat to go birding with EXPERT Birders – people who can ride with the window down and casually list the names of the birds they hear vocalizing as we bump along a dirt road. People who are able to go birding quite often throughout the year, keeping their finger on the pulse of local Birding Hot Spots enough to know which species can be found at what location come Birdathon season, saving the problematic, Birdathon team effort of, late-in-the-day frantic questions, “Where can we get a Sora or a Kestrel or a Western Wood-Pewee?”

And so it was, birding with long-time LCAS Board Members Sharon Dewart-Hansen and Coburn Currier. Early that Memorial Day morning, we stopped in front of a house up a canyon, known to have the rare Broad-tailed Hummingbird visit their front yard feeder. We sat in the car, engine quiet, listening and watching, until both Coburn and Sharon said, “I HEARD IT!” and jumped out of the car. They knew what I did not, that “the wings of the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird produce a high trill in flight, which is lower and more musical than other hummers,” (Sibley Birds app) and recognized it instantly as it flew near the car.  At a nearby campground, we hiked just a short distance on a trail through the pine forest and quickly heard the “song of explosive two-syllable phrases increasing in volume, chertee chertee cher TEE CHERTEE CHERTEE CHERTEE” (Sibley birds app.) of the Ovenbird. Sharon explained later that the Ovenbird tends to sing loudly from the tops of trees, and hunts for food on the forest floor, thus they are difficult to actually see or capture in a photo. We were lucky that on our Birdathon day the vocalist was flitting in the halfway up portion of the forest, and we could spy him just long enough to snap a few quick pictures. We had our disappointments as well. The day prior to our big day, Sharon had captured an outstanding image of a Yellow-breasted Chat. On Birdathon Day, we visited the exact same spot only to be disappointed that the Chat never vocalized or showed itself, no matter how long we waited. Prime birding time is the “Blue Hour”, the two-hours around sunrise, and/or the two-hours around sunset. We couldn’t help but notice the QUIET during the not-so-prime-time afternoon when the birding hot spots were not-so-hot, as the birds were resting during the 74-degree afternoon, and we were left driving the roads slowly, hoping to find one stirring, but found very few. (In the photos on Flickr, note how many species are snoozing.) By the last hour of our Audubon Double Birdathon – 6:00 p.m. – we had checked-off many of the birds on our list by visiting 15 well-known Birding Hot Spots over the course of 12-hours, that to find another and another – either by sight or by ear – was sheer joy, and we congratulated each other at finding yet another bird species to add to our list as a kind of BONUS, arriving at a total of 108-species.

The Bird List is below.

DONATE ONLINE in support of our Birdathon by hitting “DONATE NOW” on our Last Chance Audubon
Society website: https://www.lastchanceaudubon.org/
OR
DONATE by CHECK: Payable to: L.C.A.S. and sent to Janice Miller, 815 11 th Ave., Helena, MT
59601.

THANK YOU for your support!

Our team’s name, Audubon Double, is to CELEBRATE the fact that we have members from both our
local Audubon Chapter, LCAS, AND from our state-wide organization, Montana Audubon.

Thanks, again!
Sharon Dewart-Hansen
Coburn Currier
Lauren Smith, absent
Janice Miller

 

Audubon Double Birdathon

May 27, 2024

*Nature Park

1. Canada Goose
2. Mallard
3. Eurasian Collared-Dove
4. Killdeer
5. Spotted Sandpiper
6. Ring-billed Gull
7. California Gull
8. Downy Woodpecker
9. Least Flycatcher
10. Cassin’s Vireo
11. Warbling Vireo
12. Red-eyed Vireo
13. Black-billed Magpie
14. American Crow
15. Common Raven
16. Black-capped Chickadee
17. Tree Swallow
18. House Wren
19. European Starling
20. Gray Catbird
21. Swainson’s Thrush
22. Hermit Thrush
23. American Robin
24. House Sparrow
25. Evening Grosbeak
26. House Finch
27. Pine Siskin
28. American Goldfinch
29. Chipping Sparrow
30. Western Meadowlark
31. Red-winged Blackbird
32. Brown-headed Cowbird
33. Common Grackle
34. MacGillivray’s Warbler
35. Common Yellowthroat
36. Yellow Warbler
37. Wilson’s Warbler
38. Lazuli Bunting

*L&C Co. Fairgrounds

39. Wood Duck
40. Hooded Merganser
41. Rock Pigeon
42. Northern Flicker
43. Cedar Waxwing
44. Clay-colored Sparrow
45. Song Sparrow
46. Bullock’s Oriole

 

*Regulating Reservoir

47. Blue-winged Teal
48. Cinnamon Teal
49. Ruddy Duck
50. Red-necked Grebe
51. Eared Grebe
52. Western Grebe
53. Mourning Dove
54. Double-crested Cormorant
55. American White Pelican
56. Bald Eagle
57. Least Flycatcher
58. Eastern Kingbird
59. Horned Lark
60. Bank Swallow
61. Barn Swallow
62. Cliff Swallow
63. Gray Catbird
64. Vesper Sparrow
65. Savannah Sparrow
66. Brewer’s Blackbird

*York Bridge Pullout

67. Mountain Chickadee
68. Violet-green Swallow
69. Rock Wren
70. Spotted Towhee
71. Yellow-rumped Warbler
72. Western Tanager

*Lower York Road

73. White-throated Swift
74. Turkey Vulture
75. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

*York, Montana

76. Wild Turkey
77. Great Blue Heron
78. Red-tailed Hawk

*Vigilante Campground

79. Calliope Hummingbird
80. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
81. Sharp-shinned Hawk
82. Belted Kingfisher
83. Pileated Woodpecker
84. Hammond’s Flycatcher
85. Red-breasted Nuthatch
86. Ovenbird
87. Orange-crowned Warbler

*Lake Helena, East Shore

88. Lark Sparrow

*Lake Helena WMA

89. Northern Shoveler
90. Gadwall
91. American Coot
92. Sandhill Crane
93. Franklin’s Gull
94. Forster’s Tern
95. Northern Harrier
96. Marsh Wren
97. Yellow-headed Blackbird

*Chevallier Dr. – Sage Flats

98. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
99. Mountain Bluebird
100. Brewer’s Sparrow

 

*Duffy Lane

101. Bobolink

*Sieben Canyon

102. Osprey
103. Red-napped Sapsucker
104. Lewis’s Woodpecker

*Sperry Road

105. American Kestrel

*K-mart Ponds

106. Sora
107. Western Wood-Pewee
108. Western Kingbird

 

Photos of Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Bobolink and Ovenbird by Janice Miller

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BIGFOOT AND BALDY BIRDATHON

Let’s have an adventure!
June 3rd & 4th were the only days that would work for our birdathon, but the weather forecast was problematic: winds gusting to 80 mph and a high probability of isolated showers. To do or not to do, that was the question. But since we’re both extremely good-looking and not very bright, for our age, we went for it! Our plan was to bird our way up to Benton Lake, drive to the Highwood Mountains to camp, and then finish with some mountain birds the next morning (and continue with a hike before heading home). And that’s what we did. As befits our advanced ages, limited energy and degraded senses, our goals for these outings are to have fun and to cherish the moments that make them worthwhile: a song here, a sighting there, a little surprise, even a not-too challenging situation. Gone are the days of pushing for 100+ species lists. So we visited places that we really enjoy, that would be worthwhile even if the wind were howling and we failed to see a single bird: Chevalier flats & Little Prickly Pear canyon; Pelican Point, Little Muddy Creek and The Dunes fishing access sites; Benton Lake NWR; Giant Springs SP; and Thain Creek campground in the Highwoods. But the weather on Monday wasn’t that bad and we did see and hear a bunch of lovely birds. Highlights include:

* the Bobolinks along Duffy Lane (always a joy to see and hear)
* two mature Bald Eagles circling at Pelican Point (which was bereft of Pelicans for the second straight
year)
* multiple Canada Goose families, with at least 30 goslings, at Little Muddy Creek
* a Black-headed Grosbeak singing from a perch 10 feet above our heads, and a silent Olive-sided
Flycatcher, at The Dunes – both of which pale in the shadow of its enormous cottonwood tree.
* the welcoming committee at Benton Lake: an Upland Sandpiper in the middle of the road and two
Marbled Godwit off to the side.
* the boardwalk at Benton Lake where, amidst the thousands of Franklin’s Gulls, we enjoyed sightings of
Forster’s Terns, White-faced Ibis and a few Black-crowned Night-Herons, and, best of all, a marsh wren
adding cattail fluff to its nest.

By the time we left Benton Lake, the wind was howling. We could barely walk at Giant Springs, let alone look at birds. So we headed for the mountains. There are 19 miles of gravel road into Thain Creek camp, and every year the road, especially the last 4-5 miles, seems to get a little worse – more rocks, and especially more potholes. This year we also found extensive blowdown – large Douglas Fir trees that had been blown down across the road and, fortunately, sawed out a few weeks before. So while we slowly made our way to the campground in the howling wind, we were understandably a bit nervous about having to saw our way out the next day. Of course, I do carry a 19” folding Silky saw in the car, which in the hands of a real man is still no match for a two-foot Doug fir. Hmmmm. After choosing our campsite with care, a black bear with enormous ears ambled down the hill, looked right at us and, without pausing, continued its descent towards the creek. We wondered if she or he carried human spray. The wind howled all night, but then picked up in the morning. We heard the kinglet and yellow-rumped before we crawled out of the car, and, who knows? – we might have done better if we’d just stayed in bed. But these mountains are lovely and we really wanted to get out and hike a bit, so we did. By the time we left in early afternoon the wind had abated some and we escaped without incident –though we did have to pull some windthrow out of the county road to get by. All in all, it was a wonderful couple of days.
Cedron
I approve this message. Sara Toubman
Many thanks to all who supported Bigfoot and Baldy. Your donations help fund the state office and
various LCAS educational endeavors. Thanks so much. PLEASE SEND CHECK TO:

Bigfoot & Baldy’s 2024 Birdathon: June 3-4
(species observed, in chronological order)
9:10 AM initial driving
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Black-billed Magpie
European Starling
Osprey
Rock Pigeon
Cliff Swallow
Song Sparrow
Barn Swallow
American Robin
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer’s Sparrow
Mountain Bluebird
Vesper Sparrow
American Kestrel
Brown-headed Cowbird
Mourning Dove
Brewer’s Blackbird

9:40 AM Duffy Lane
Western Tanager
Common Yellowthroat
Bobolink
Eastern Kingbird
Sandhill Crane
Savannah Sparrow
Killdeer
* Wilson’s Snipe
Horned Lark
House Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Turkey Vulture
Warbling Vireo
Gray Catbird
American Goldfinch
Yellow Warbler
Bullock’s Oriole
Northern Flicker
* Ruffed Grouse
Chipping Sparrow
* Least Flycatcher
Common Raven
Northern Waterthrush

12: Noon Pelican Pt FAS
Bald Eagle
Western Kingbird
Tree Swallow
Western Wood-pewee
Common Grackle
Downy Woodpecker
Mallard
Western Grebe
* Sora
Northern Shoveler
Canada Goose
Swainson’s Thrush
Spotted Sandpiper
Violet-green Swallow
Redhead
Blue-winged Teal

2: PM The Dunes FAS
Swainson’s Hawk
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-headed Grosbeak
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Olive-sided Flycatcher
3:30 PM BentonLake NWR
Upland Sandpiper
Marbled Godwit
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Gadwall
Wilson’s Phalarope
Eared Grebe
American Coot
Forster’s Tern
Franklin’s Gull
White-faced Ibis
Canvasback
Ruddy Duck
Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
Black-crowned Night-heron
Northern Harrier
Marsh Wren
Willet
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull

6: PM Giant Spring SP
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
American Avocet
Long-billed Curlew
Ring-necked Pheasant
* Common Nighthawk

6: AM Thain Cr. Camp
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Mountain Chickadee
* Ruby-crowned Kinglet
* Veery
Red-naped Sapsucker
95 species
* = heard only

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GREENWINGS

Re:  2024 Birdathon for L&C Audubon
Team: Greenwings, Mike & Trudy Burke
Birdathon date: 06/08/24
Miles: 57.42
Species sited: 30
#	Species	Location
1	Robin	Helena, westside
2	Mourning Dove	Helena, westside
3	Black billed Magpie	Helena, westside
4	Swallow	Helena, westside
5	Mountain Chickadee	Helena, westside
6	Red Necked Grebe	Spring Meadow
7	Rock Dove	Spring Meadow
8	Prairie Warbler	Spring Meadow
9	Orange Crowned Warbler	Spring Meadow
10	Brewers Blackbird	Spring Meadow
11	Osprey	Spring Meadow
12	Great Horned Owl	Spring Meadow
13	Bald Eagle	Spring Meadow
14	Merlin Falcon	Spring Meadow
15	Swainsons Hawk	Spring Meadow
16	Common Grackle	Spring Meadow
17	Canadian Goose	Spring Meadow
18	Red Winged Blackbird	Spring Meadow
19	Hans McCaw	Spring Meadow
20	Merganzer Duck	Spring Meadow
21	Kildeer	Scratch Gravel
22	Western Meadowlark	Scratch Gravel
23	Mountain Bluebird	Chevalier Ranch
24	Golden Eagle	Chevalier Ranch
25	Crow	Chevalier Ranch
26	Mallard Duck	L&C Fairgrounds
27	Wood Duck	L&C Fairgrounds
28	Western Seagull	L&C Fairgrounds
29	Golden Eye Duck	L&C Fairgrounds
30	House Finch	Helena, westside

CHICK MAGNETS

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BIRDS OF A FEATHER

This past Memorial Day weekend we completed our first Last Chance Audubon Society (LCAS) Birdathon exceeding our goal of 75 for a final count of 98 species! It was great fun and challenging at the same time. We had twenty four hours to complete our count and we decided to do that in three eight-hour days. Attached is a list of all 98 species. Day one began with a hike up Mt Helena then a drive north to Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Benton Lake NWR is where we saw the majority of our species count. We were first greeted by a Marbled Godwit (photo) probing the mud with its long bi-colored bill for aquatic invertebrates We found Wilson’s Phalaropes (photo) throughout the wetlands watching them bob around on the surface of the water spinning around to bring up their food Highlights were: finding a secretive Black-crowned Night Heron (photo), and watching a Long Billed Curlew take a bath in a nearby shallow pond.
On the way out we spotted an Upland Sandpiper (photo), always a treat to see these birds!  On our way home we stopped at Giant Springs SP in Great Falls to spy on more birds including Yellow Warblers and Bullock’s Orioles.

Day two. Beginning with a hike up the McKelvey trail south of Helena where we spotted a Cassin’s Vireo. Next a drive to Warm Springs Ponds.- It’s estimated that over 300,00 birds a year use this area. It’s also home to an Eagle nest watch where you can view the nest from nearby. We can confirm two Eaglets! Near the nest viewing we walked down the trail and spotted a group of Western Tanagers (photo) busy foraging for food

Day three we stayed around the Helena Area Duffy Lane and Chevalier Drive northwest of Helena were first on the list. Duffy Lane is abundant with Bobolinks (photo) in the summer and this year was no exception. Chevalier Dr winds through the Sieben canyon alongside the Little Prickly Pear creek. Many bird species can be found along the route, including a couple Lazuli Bunting (photo) feeding in the grasses next to the creek. Next we headed over to the Gates of the Mountains looking for a Brewer’s Sparrow (photo) which you’re likely to hear before you see it. A nondescript brown gray sparrow, but with an incredibly long trilling song. Fun to just sit and listen to them!

 

May 25
Mount Helena
1 Spotted Towhee
2 Pine Siskin
3 Dark Eyed Junco
4 Chipping Sparrow
5 Mountain Chickadee
6 Rock Wren
7 Vesper’s Sparrow
8 Towndsend Solitaire
9 Swainson’s Thrush
10 Yellow-rumped Warbler
11 Dusky Flycatcher
12 White-breasted Nuthatch
13 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
14 Evening Grosbeak
15 Mourning Dove
16 American Robin
17 House Wren
18 European Starling
Benton Lake
19 Red-winged Blakbird
20 Western Meadowlark
21 Horned Lark
22 Marbled Gotwit
23 Wilson’s Phalarope
24 Brewer’s Blackbird
25 Brown-headed Cowbird
26 Northern Pintail
27 Tree Swallow
28 Savannah Sparrow
29 Mallard
30 Killdeer
31 Long-billed Curlew
32 Northern Shoveler
33 Yellow-headed Blackbird
34 Barn Swallow
35 Cinnamon Teal
36 American Coot
37 Ruddy Duck
38 Eared Grebe
39 Blue-winged Teal
40 Sora
41 Gadwall
42 White-faced Ibis
43 Lesser Scaup
44 Red-necked Phalarope
45 Franklin’s Gull
46 Canvasback
47 Western Grebe
48 American Widgeon
49 Canada Goose
50 Marsh Wren
51 Redhead
52 Sandhill Crane
53 Ring-billed Gull
54 Common Yellowthroat
55 Black-crowned Night Heron
56 Forster’s Tern
57 Upland Sandpiper
Giant Springs SP
58 Yellow Warbler
59 Least Flycatcher
60 Bullock’s Oriole
61 House Finch
62 Western Kingbird
63 Common Grackle
64 Eastern Kingbird
65 California Gull
66 Grey Catbird
67 Violet-green Swallow
68 American White Pelican
May 26
McKelvey Trail
69 Mountain Bluebird
70 Cassin’s Vireo
Racetrack Pond
71 Osprey
72 Spotted Sandpiper
73 Western Tananger
74 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Warm Springs Ponds
75 Great Blue Heron
76 Clay colored Sparrow
77 Ring-necked Duck
78 Red-necked Grebe
79 Bald Eagle
Beck Road
80 Northern Flicker
Frontier Town
81 Red-napped Sapsucker
82 Slellar’s Jay
May 27
Berta’s neighborhood
83 American Crow
84 European Collard Dove
85 Rock Pigeon
86 House Sparrow
87 Black-billed Magpie
Fairgrounds
88 Wood Duck
89 Hooded Merganser

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2024 BIRDATHON

We have some NEW Birdathon teams this year, which adds a lot to the “friendly competition” between teams, like: which team can find the most species of birds within 24-hours? Which team can raise the most money? Which team can present the most entertaining Report after the ‘thon? Funds go to our various LCAS projects, such as Grant money to PPLT for planting new trees at Sevenmile Creek, Scholarships for graduating high school seniors, the Bill Rainey Memorial Osprey-cam, and covering some of the costs involved in co-hosting the Bird Festival. Reach-out and support the team of your choice – or more than one! Know that every dollar counts!

TEAMS:

Audubon Double – Janice Miller, Sharon Dewart-Hansen, Coburn Currier, and MT Audubon’s Lauren Smith. – Jan2854@gmail.com
Big Foot & Baldy – Sara Toubman & Cedron Jones – cedronjones@hotmail.com
Birds of a Feather – Berta Nason & Rita Nason – bknason56@gmail.com
Brother Can You Sparrow Dime? Jo Lace, Brian Shovers, Don & Andrea Stierle – 406-443-6640
Chick Magnets – Jack Marshall, Dylan Yonce, Drew Hays, & Griffen Smith – jack.marshall.griz@gmail.com
Greenwings – Mike & Trudy Burke – miburke077@gmail.com

THANK YOU for your GENEROUS SUPPORT!

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HOW DO I PARTICIPATE IN THE BIRDATHON?

Birdathon requires a day long commitment to bird searching. In advance, teams are asked to contact family and friends or local businesses for sponsorship. this can be a set amount or a donation that is determined by the number of species seen during the count. On the day of the count teams set out on a 24 hour trek looking for birds to add to their “Big Day” list. Teams may also do half day counts or “feeder” counts. The idea is to list as many species as possible (wherever you count) and to raise funds for Last Chance Audubon.

To sponsor a Birdathon Team or to be a team, contact Jo Lace at 443-6640 or at sholace0848@gmail.com

Where do funds raised from Birdathon go?

Funds raised from the Birdathon effort support local habitat protection and conservation projects.

Recent projects that LCAS has supported:

• Grant to Helena Middle School to organize an Ornithology Club
• Purchase of Bird Field Guides for local school libraries
• Two $1000 college scholarship awards to graduating high school seniors interested in conservation or wildlife management/biology.
• Kessler School Bird Habitat project, 2 grants at $2,000 each
• Carroll College Native Plant Garden at $500
• Three contributions of $500 each for Montana Audubon’s Birds of Montana book (published June, 2016)
• A flight cage at Montana Wild for $500
• Donation of $700 to Montana FW&P for a bench overlooking Spring Meadow Lake
• Educational grant to Jennifer Stadum of $700 for grade school teacher’s materials
• A grant of $2,500 to assist in planning of Sixth Ward Urban Forest Garden project

Each year one-half of donations to our annual Birdathon go to Montana Audubon. Last year’s donation amounted to $1500 and previous donations topped $1,800.