Category Archives: Adventure

For Birders, Every Year is a Big Year

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At 8:00 a.m. we pulled into the parking lot of the now-defunct Uncle Buck’s Bar in Warm Springs, Montana. The mercury read -4 degrees and we’d just braved 100 miles of icy highway to get here, but we couldn’t be more excited. Why? Because in addition to this being our third and final Christmas Bird Count of the season, it was January 1—the date when Year Counts are reset to zero and all birders begin their lives anew.

How often do Bald Eagles almost outnumber cows? It’s a scene you won’t find in just any part of the country.

We were not alone in our enthusiasm. In addition to Braden, our birding friend Nick Ramsey, and myself, at least twenty other birders stood around sipping coffee and stomping their feet. We turned out in great part because of Gary Swant, a Montana birding legend who led our Christmas Bird Count in Deer Lodge twelve days earlier. Warm Springs was Gary’s main turf as he did bird counts here for a living, monitoring species in the wake of the vast superfund cleanup conducted around the Butte-Anaconda mining complex. What’s more, today Braden, Nick, and I hit the jackpot. After assigning sectors to other bird counters, Gary turned to us and said, “Why don’t you three ride with me?”

I can’t tell you exactly where Gary drove us or I would have to kill you, but suffice it to say that we had a very special day. We drove around a number of ponds used to settle out and inactivate toxic waste from Silver Bow Creek before it helps form the Clark Fork River. Most of the ponds had frozen over so we weren’t sure what we might see, but right away we scored two terrific birds.

“There’s a Townsend’s Solitaire,” Braden called out.

Gary took a look at the bird, perched above a stream. “I think that might be a Northern Shrike,” he said. Just then, the bird moved its head into a better position and we could all see the shrike’s distinct markings.

Our intrepid CBC leader, Gary Swant, tallies species after an exhilarating Christmas Bird Count.

Not ten minutes later, as we got out of the car for a brief stretch, a large fast raptor flew over.

“Northern Goshawk!” Nick, Braden, and Gary all shouted together.

SCORE! Three days after getting our Lifer Northern Goshawk at Maclay Flats, Braden and I got a great look at a second one—and in a brand new year!

For the next couple of hours, we racked up twenty other great species including Trumpeter Swans, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Rough-legged Hawks, and even some American Tree Sparrows.

After the count, the groups converged on the Anaconda Pizza Hut for debriefing. Our collective total came to 49 species and 4498 individual birds—not bad for winter in cold, wind-swept Montana. Nick, Braden, Gary, and I had landed 22 species, a great start to our 2019 Year Lists.

But our day was far from over.

Find the Snow Bunting! Not easy when you’ve got hundreds of Horned Larks to contend with, but there’s one in there!

Following a tip from one of the groups, five carloads of us headed out to a road just north of Warm Springs and we did NOT regret it. Soon, we came upon a flock of at least 600 Horned Larks feeding in a pasture. Our group broke out half a dozen spotting scopes hoping to find two other species among the larks. It wasn’t long before the calls came.

“I’ve got Snow Buntings!”

“I’ve got a Lapland Longspur!”

Our pulses raced and didn’t slow until we’d seen the birds ourselves. It took about ten minutes, but finally, I spotted the distinctive birds. Braden and I high-fived each other. Snow Buntings had been dogging us for the past five years and to add them and Lapland Longspurs to our Life Lists on the very same day felt like vindication. And if that wasn’t enough, just then, two Prairie Falcons swooped in to harrass the giant flock. Yet another Year Bird!

We climbed back into the minivan and began the drive back to Missoula feeling both exhausted and exhilarated. We hadn’t set out to do a Big Year in 2019, but we realized something: For birders, every year is a Big Year.

We can’t confirm this, but we believe that the American Birding Association paid this Snow Bunting to perch across the road from us so we could all get an up-close look at one!

Montana Christmas Bird Count #2: Deer Lodge Discoveries

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Unless a Northern Hawk-Owl or flock of Pine Grosbeaks lands in our backyard, this will most likely be our last post of the year. We thought we’d wish you a Happy Holidays and New Year by recounting, what else, our second Christmas Bird Count of the year! See you in 2019!

Only five days after participating in the Missoula Christmas Bird Count, Braden and I awoke at 5:45 a.m. on December 20 for our second bird count of the season: the Deer Lodge Valley count, near Butte. After making the 90-minute drive, we were delighted to see the parking lot full at our rendezvous point, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. Veteran birder and biologist Gary Swant headed up today’s count. Gary is well-known in Montana for doing bird monitoring related to the superfund cleanup of the Butte-Anaconda mining complex, but this was our first chance to meet Gary in person!

Braden and I were fortunate to be able to bird with Laura Swant and Shane Sater—even if we lost several digits to frostbite during our fruitless search of the Deer Lodge Golf Course!

Me and Braden, who was playing hooky from school, had two target species for the day: Snow Bunting and Gyrfalcon, both of which have foiled us throughout our four-year birding careers. Gary, though, paired us with his wife, Laura, and Carroll College Environmental Studies major Shane Sater to survey the area closest to where the Gyrfalcon had last been sighted, two weeks before.

We began our survey near Deer Lodge State Prison, slowly crawling along an icy road that bordered prison property and led toward spectacular forested mountains a few miles away. On the way, we stopped to observe Bald Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks, and frequent ravens and magpies. After turning around, however, a flock of smaller birds flew right at us. Laura identified Horned Larks, and Shane called out Snow Buntings—but neither Braden nor I got good enough looks to count them. Those sneaky, soul-scarring Snow Buntings!

Raptors proved the stars of our Deer Lodge CBC—including this Rough-legged Hawk contemplating the wisdom of going after a cow next to Deer Lodge State Prison.

Only a few minutes later, however, I spotted a group of nine Gray Partridges in a narrow draw—the second week in a row we’d seen these handsome, elusive critters. Not too long after that, an entirely humorless guard from the State Prison pulled over to inform us that we were not allowed to watch birds within site of the prison. And Merry Christmas to you, too, buddy!

We ventured a short walk around the Deer Valley Golf Course, but the stiff wind quickly drove us back to our cars with only a few more pigeons and ravens to show for our suffering. As we kept exploring our sector, we happened upon a flock of about a thousand mallards. We saw more Bald Eagles and Roughies. Then, I spotted a raven on a telephone pole up ahead. I rolled down my window to take a picture.

“That’s not a raven,” Shane exclaimed. “That’s a raptor.”

“What?” I asked, not believing him.

Though foiled in our quest to find a Gyrfalcon, our first look at a Harlan’s morph Red-tailed Hawk made up for it. Love these stunning black-and-white birds!

Sitting on the pole was Braden’s and my first ever Harlan’s hawk—an unusual black and white morph of the common Red-tailed. It was a stunning bird, and I got out to take a (poor) photo of it as it stared back at me with suspicious eyes.

After the count, we were treated to a scrumptious lunch of broccoli-cheddar soup and chicken salad crossant sandwiches provided by the Timber Eatery in Deer Lodge (do check them out—yummy!). As we polished off the last of the cookies, Gary did a quick check of the room to find that our combined species total reached 43 for the day. That wasn’t nearly as high as other parts of the state—Missoula had logged 86 species the week before—but the interesting terrain and great company more than compensated. After saying our farewells, Braden and I spent another hour searching for the Gyrfalcon and Snow Buntings, but the birds continued to scorn us. Maybe next year. Until then, Happy Holidays Everyone!

Though not as species-rich as other parts of the state, the Deer Lodge Valley offers stunning scenery and raptors galore!

Winter Birding at Brazos

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It was Saturday, November 17 and I have to admit I was feeling a bit down on myself. Before my work trip to Houston, Braden had set a goal for me of 100 species, something I thought I could easily achieve. My visits to Anahuac and Bolivar Flats, however, had left me only at 75 confirmed species—well short of my goal. With only one free half-day left of my trip, I searched the eBird hotspot map and asked myself, “Where could I score big and still get back to my last book signing on time?” My eyes landed on Brazos Bend State Park.

Alligators seem to be the main attractions at Brazos Bend, but the birds are far more interesting!

The official motto of Brazos State Park is “Come for the gators, stay for the birds.” Okay, I’m making that up—but it should be the motto because the birds are far more interesting. On the recommendation of the park attendant, I kicked off my visit with a counterclockwise circumambulation of 40 Acre Lake. The lake surface held far fewer species than I had predicted: coots, Common Gallinules, Pied-billed Grebes, and only two duck species—Blue-winged Teal and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Herons, Anhingas, Cormorants, and other water birds abounded, however, and as I walked, I started picking up some prized forest birds as well.

I first saw a Pine Warbler on Braden’s and my Texas trip in January, so seeing one again was like seeing an old friend.

Before my trip, I had hoped to see all three wintering warblers in the area: Yellow-rumped, Pine, and Orange-crowned but had only spotted the Yellow-rumped earlier. Within fifteen minutes, though, I happened upon a great mixed flock where I picked up my missing two warblers—and Golden-crowned Kinglets to boot! A little while later, I saw a pair of Vermillion Flycatchers—my first ever in Texas. It was a good start, but I wanted more!

Vermillion Flycatchers were a real surprise at Brazos, but I guess they shouldn’t have been.

Driving to Elm Lake, I decided to bushwack through some promising forest across from the parking lot. I could hear a variety of birds there, but needed to see them for the IDs. The birds made me work for them! First, I found the noisiest birds—a pair of Carolina Wrens. Then, I happened to see a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. I could see something else, but dang it, the bird just kept flitting out of my vision. I thrashed through the brush until I finally managed a decent ID shot with my camera. Slather me in BBQ sauce! It was a Lifer: Blue-headed Vireo! I was elated, and minutes later I scored a Year Bird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker!

I was tickled to ID this Blue-headed Vireo myself. I didn’t even realize it was a Lifer until Braden later pointed it out to me! Number 778!

Afterward, I hiked the two miles around Elm Lake, but except for some impressive gators, it was fairly unproductive. I didn’t mind. I was thrilled with my “birdservations” for the day. Which I’m sure is leaving you all wondering: did I reach my 100-bird goal? Alas, no. Five species short. But I had discovered a wonderful new birding location, a place I was sure to return.

The Land of 10,000 Birds—and Deep-fried Snickers Bars

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This year my daughter Tessa and I decided that for our daddy-daughter trip we should take Amtrak to the Land of 10,000 lakes. You got it. Minnesota! Our primary purpose was to visit my brother, his wife, and their two-year-old son, but we also timed our visit for an event I’d always wanted to see: the Minnesota State Fair.

For us Westerners, Red-bellied Woodpeckers are always a treat and I was glad to see a few during my week in Minnesota. (Photo by Sneed B. Collard III)

I must be clear: this was not a birding trip, but as always, birding opportunities presented themselves and I came prepared. Especially since it was fall migration, I arrived in Minneapolis hoping to see a slew of warblers and other songbirds not easily found in Montana. My first morning there, while Tessa slept in, I stole my brother’s car and headed to a promising eBird hotspot, Westwood Hills Nature Center. I arrived optimistically, a feeling that blossomed when I encountered a group of birders who reported that they’d just seen more than half a dozen warbler species including Chestnut-sided, Black-and-White, Bay-breasted and American Redstart. Unfortunately, as soon as I arrived, the warblers vanished. Argh! I did find a Northern Waterthrush skulking in an overgrown pond and managed a Lifer, Philadelphia Vireo, but departed asking myself what could have been.

Sharks, not birds, were the highlight of the Minnesota State Fair!

Still, we had the fair to look forward to, and despite an incredible thunderstorm, made the most of it. We devoured the most delicious cheese curds ever, along with an entire bucket of cookies. My daughter also won a giant four-ton stuffed shark that we would have to drag back home on the train. And that deep-fried Snickers? Well, I wish I hadn’t done that.

My birding adventures weren’t over, however. My brother and his family happened to live only two blocks from the Mississippi River and on a whim I headed over there early the next morning. There, I ran into yet another terrific group of birders. Again, all the best birds deserted as soon as I arrived. “What the heck is going on?” I grumbled.

This was only my third time seeing diminutive, but spectacular, Black-and-White Warblers, and they alone satisfied my bird cravings for the trip. (Photo by Sneed B. Collard III)

Undeterred, I returned to the same spot the next morning, and this time my birding stars aligned. Right away, I found a flock of chickadees and settled in to watch them. Soon, I made a thrilling discovery: a Black-and-White Warbler gleaning insects in an oak tree! Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers arrived along with Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos. Even better, I saw three more warbler species: American Redstart, Nashville, and Wilson’s. As I was leaving, I also happened to take a photo of a weird-looking sparrow, but didn’t think much of it. That night, I boarded the train, happy both with our daddy-daughter experiences and my birding observations.

And guess what? When I got home, I showed Braden that weird-looking sparrow.

“Daddy,” he said. “That’s an Indigo Bunting!”

Uff-da! Minnesota, we’ll be back!

This surprise, drab Indigo Bunting provided an exclamation mark to my Minnesota birding outings. (Photo by Sneed B. Collard III)

All About Alcids

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Braden here.

“Pigeon Guillem-wait, no that’s just a pigeon,” my dad said as we stood underneath the ferry dock in Anacortes, Washington, “I must have guillemots on the brain or something.”

Just then, a football-shaped bird shot out from underneath the platform we were on. It was jet black, with white wing patches and strawberry-red feet—an actual Pigeon Guillemot!

“Awesome!” I said as we high-fived, “It appeared just as you said it! Wait a minute…Marbled Murrelet.”

Unfortunately for us, a Marbled Murrelet did not shoot out from under the dock like the guillemot had, but we weren’t that disappointed. My dad hadn’t seen a guillemot since the year we started birding!

A Black Guillemot, identified from a Pigeon Guillemot by the lack of the black stripe across the wing patch.

The Pigeon Guillemot is a seabird belonging to a family of birds called Alcidae, or alcids. Alcids are the penguins of the north, and share many similarities: they both are much better in water than on land, they both(for the most part) live in the colder parts of oceans, and they even share the same coloring! Once upon a time, there was even an alcid that couldn’t fly, the Great Auk. Sadly, it went extinct in 1844 thanks to hunting and invasive species. Guess where the last individual lived? Iceland.

Iceland is a great place to start learning alcids. It has at least six fairly-regularly ocurring species: the Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Razorbill, Dovekie, and Black Guillemot, the last of which is the Arctic-dwelling cousin of the Pigeon Guillemots we saw in Washington.

When I was in Iceland, I saw all of these except the Dovekie, which, during the breeding season, only inhabits the pack ice of the high Arctic. Each one was under slightly different conditions. When it came to colonies, Puffins were the weakest of the bunch, digging burrows in dirt, while Razorbills nested in cracks and ledges on sheer rock cliffs. Unlike most birds, Razorbills actually lay lopsided eggs so that they will roll in a circle and not off the cliff. If not for seasickness and an angry ocean, I would’ve gotten to see Latrabjarg cliffs as we passed it, a huge expanse of rock in western Iceland home to 40% of the world’s nesting Razorbill population!

Razorbills are named for the white stripe that crosses their beaks.

We also saw Razorbills farther away from shore than the other alcids, some accompanying flightless chicks. Once the chicks are ready to leave the nest, one naturalist told me, it would jump straight off the cliff! The parent, and sometimes parents would then join it and undergo catastrophic molt—molting all of their feathers at the same time, meaning that for a few weeks, neither the adults or the chicks would be able to fly!

Not all alcids are as devoted parents, though. After a while, Atlantic Puffins just stop bringing food to the nest, forcing the starving chick to leave and fend for its own. And while this may be for many reasons, it is not for lack of food—using the spines on their bills, puffins can carry up to 20 fish at a time, unlike other alcids. The record for one bird is 80 fish!

Atlantic Puffins are declining in southern Iceland, as their main food supply, the sand eels, moves north. This also is affecting Arctic Terns.

Some alcids live all over the Northern Hemisphere, while others are much more localized For instance, while I saw Common Murres in both Iceland and Washington, every other species was unique to one of the locations. If you are looking for alcids, I suggest you start in Alaska, which is home to 17 species alone!