Distinctly Montana Magazine

Chris Mart The Common Goldeneye is named for its yellow iris. These diving ducks are typically the last duck species to migrate south in fall. It often winters as far north as open water permits. T he following popular birding destinations buzz with the commotion created by tens, even hundreds of thousands of migrating birds that stop to rest and refuel during their northern and southern migrations. Grab your binoculars and bird book and head to the avian oasis nearest you! Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area This 11,350-acre Refuge is perhaps Montana's best-known birding site. Despite the variety of migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, and passerines, Freezout is renowned for a single event: the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of migrating Snow Geese. Habitats: Grasslands, shelterbelts, wetlands. Best Birding Months: Mid-March through June. Highlight Species: Snow Geese. Location: Four miles north of Fairfield Franklin's Gull chick songbirds flutter over contiguous blocks of grasslands. Raptors dip and soar above gullies and undulating hills. Waterfowl and shorebirds congregate in the rich mosaic of wetlands and alkali flats. An avian oasis like this one in a water-limited region is a matter of survival for migrating birds. In fact, 70 percent of migrating species use wetlands during migration. The multitude of species and sheer numbers of birds found at Manning Lake led the Sioux and Assiniboine Tribes to nominate, and Montana Audubon Society to designate, the bird-rich site as an Important Bird Area (IBA). According to Montana Audubon, an IBA provides "essential habitat to one or more species of breeding, wintering, and/or migrating birds." "To date we've officially documented 67 bird species," Spaur says. "Our prime bird time is mid-May through mid-July." Brimming with enthusiasm, she adds, "In the spring, the lake is full of birds. It's a noisy place." Spaur is confident the nascent list of species will grow, given the Refuge's diverse habitat and expanse of it. Many birders would be thrilled to spot these shorebirds feeding along the Manning Lake shoreline: Wilson's Snipe, American Avocet, Willett, and Black-crowned Nightheron. They might also observe Marbled Godwit, White-faced Ibis, Wilson's Phalarope and American Bittern — all of which Montana Audubon considers "Species of Concern." Unfortunately, study after study shows shorebird numbers are declining dramatically. Canada Goose, Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Mallard, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Common Goldeneye, and Northern Pintail are the abundant waterfowl species. While Northern Pintails are plentiful at Manning Lake, population numbers for these ducks plummeted an alarming 71 percent in the past 40 years, even as populations of other duck species that nest in the same habitat have increased. Not surprisingly, the pintail is a Species of Concern. w w w. d i s t i n c t ly mo nt a na .co m on U.S 89. Phone: 406-454-3411. Web site: www.fwp.mt.gov/fishAnd- Wildlife/wma Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge The 2,062-acre Refuge and adjoining 3,880-acre Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area offers relatively easy birding, thanks to a network of roads bisecting a variety of habitats. Birders have a good chance of observing Short-eared Owls or colonial nesters such as Double-crested Cormorants and Great Blue Herons. In the evening, look skyward for Black Swifts feeding on insects. Habitats: Wetlands, shelterbelts, grasslands, reservoir. Best Birding Months: April-June; September-October. Location: Five miles south of Ronan on U.S. 93. Highlights: Black Swift. Phone: 406-644-2211. Web site: www.fws.gov/bisonrange/ ninepipe 15

• Cover