Category Archives: Songbirds

Flycatchers Made Easy: a Review of Field Guide to North American Flycatchers, Empidonax and Pewees

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Field guides are an essential part of improving our bird identification skills, and today Braden reviews an outstanding guide to what may be North America’s toughest group of birds. Enjoy, and remember that FSB is written by REAL PEOPLE. Please continue to support the many people who create meaningful—and real—content in our world.

I’ve been birding a lot this fall, and consider myself pretty adept at identifying any bird that lands in front of me. Or at least that would be the case if not for one particularly notorious group of songbirds: the Empidonax flycatchers (or “empids” for short). During spring and summer, these extremely lookalike birds will often sing or call, aiding in their identification. In fall, though, the birds are mostly silent, and I’ll often shrug at the sky when I see one. “Who knows what that could be?”

Cin-Ty Lee’s Field Guide to North American Flycatchers, Empidonax and Pewees (University of Princeton Press, Ilustrated by Andrew Birch) has been a major step forward in “solving” the identification of what may be North America’s toughest group of birds.

In 2026, though, something changed: my dad received a review copy of Cin-Ty Lee’s Field Guide to North American Flycatchers—Empidonax and Pewees (Princeton University Press). So on September 14th, when an empid landed in front of me at a local favorite birding spot, instead of shrugging, I snapped as many photos as I could. When I returned home later that morning, I uploaded the photos to my computer, then whipped out the flycatcher guide. I knew already that my bird wasn’t a Willow or Western Flycatcher, and that it fell firmly into a particularly tough group of similar birds that included Dusky, Hammond’s and Least Flycatchers. The first half of the guide gave a page to each major field mark, including lower mandible color, primary projection and wing panel contrast, and I noted what my bird showed, then cross-referenced that with the guide. Most of the field marks I was noticing on the empid I’d photographed were consistent with what the guide showed for Dusky Flycatcher, so I settled on that identification for the bird. Thanks to the flycatcher guide, I’d successfully identified a silent Empidonax!

Cin-Ty Lee’s flycatcher guide allowed me (Braden) to ID this almost-impossible-to-identify bird to a Dusky Flycatcher!

Field Guide to North American Flycatchers almost makes the identification of this incredibly tough group of birds seem easy, with its intuitive layout, detailed illustrations (kudos to Andrew Birch!) and the wealth of information packed into its slim volume. It focuses on a “holistic approach” to flycatcher identification, emphasizing that observers should take into account as many visual field marks as possible on each flycatcher they see, as well as behavior, molt, vocalizations, habitat (including microhabitat selected during migration), distribution, and time of year. Each of these factors gets its own page or two of detailed analysis, following an in-depth review of every single visual field mark that birders can use to identify these birds, and which species show them.

This “visual similarity map” provides a quick gestalt for how similar different flycatchers are to each other.

For example, the first field mark Lee and Birch tackle is “crown shape”, which they divide into four categories: round, flattish, peaked and crested. Illustrations are paired with a list of species that can show each specific crown shape, and this is repeated for every major field mark. At the end of this section, for convenience, the book provides a “field mark matrix” that birders can quickly reference while they’re out in the field. “Oh, my bird has a round crown, medium forehead angle, short bill, medium tail, short primary projection and strong wing panel contrast? It’s probably a Least Flycatcher!” An easily-understandable visual similarity map is also provided showing which species are the most and least similar to each other. 

The Field Mark Matrix provides a quick reference for those observing Empids and Pewees in the field.

The latter half of the book is devoted to species accounts. Every Empidonax and Contopus (the pewees), plus Tufted Flycatcher, is covered. Each account gives readers general identification tips, and information on voice, range and habitat, and similar species that can be confused with it. Multiple illustrations are provided of each bird from different angles, with key field marks labelled, and often illustrations of similar species are placed right next to them for direct comparison. Spectrograms, or visual representations of what the birds sound like, are also included, as well as beautiful maps that show the route the birds take during spring and fall migration and what time they arrive and depart in each part of their range. 

As you would expect, species accounts include a wealth of detailed information about each flycatcher species.

Especially similar species are lumped together, which includes the pewees and the Traill’s Flycatcher complex (which is composed of Willow and Alder Flycatcher), and the last section of the book is completely devoted to comparing and identifying that group I mentioned at the beginning of this post: Dusky, Hammond’s, Least and Gray Flycatchers.

The author does a fantastic job presenting often confusing species side by side for quick comparison.

The way that the author and illustrator present such a large amount of complex information in such a simple, easy-to-understand way is impressive, and it brings hope to many birders like me who used to look at empids and throw their hands up in despair. Don’t just take it from me! I recently visited a bird banding station at MPG Ranch, a conservation-oriented property south of Missoula, where the biologists and field techs had a well-used copy of the book on the table for all to see. Even the pros are using it! The only gripe I have with the book is a small one—it could have used one final proofread before going to press, as there are a fair number of typos and small errors. It isn’t enough to inhibit using it, though, and I would recommend anyone interested in flycatchers to buy this book (and its companion focused on Myiarchus flycatchers and kingbirds!). I’ll leave you with a quote from the intro of the book:

“Of course, not all flycatchers will be identifiable, but we hope this guide will help you see and hear all birds in a new way and make you a better birder.”

To order Field Guide to North American Flycatchers—Empidonax and Pewees CLICK HERE. Also consider the author’s other outstanding flycatcher guide, Field Guide to North American Flycatchers—Kingbirds and Myiarchus.

Review copy and images courtesy of Princeton University Press. Except for noted images, content copyright FatherSonBirding.com.

The Vortex Veil 400 Thermal Monocular: When Birding Meets James Bond (FSB Equipment Review)

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Braden and I have had an incredibly busy fall so far with Braden birding up a storm and I going back to college! We are pleased to take a break to present a review of what I can only describe as a mind-blowing new technology for outdoor enthusiasts and scientists. Do check it out, along with our many other posts! Remember, FatherSonBirding is written and produced by REAL PEOPLE, and we appreciate your support.

Even since Braden and I leaped into the world’s greatest activity fourteen years ago, technology has revolutionized birding. eBird has brought millions into the hobby by simplifying the process of record keeping and making vast quantities of information available to all. Technologies such as Motus have given scientists and conservationists critical new tools for learning about, tracking, and protecting birds and their habitats. For people such as myself who have hearing deficits, Merlin’s SoundID has made it possible to detect birds even when we can’t hear them. All of this made me especially excited to test out Vortex’s new thermal imaging monocular, the Veil 400 Thermal Monocular.

The Veil 400 brings “spy technology” to everyday birders. Despite its sophistication, we found the Veil lightweight, comfortable to hold, and easy to use—great features when you’re on a Top Secret birding mission!

Anyone who has watched a modern thriller or crime drama is familiar with the concept of thermal imaging. Instead of detecting electromagnetic radiation solely in the human visual spectrum (what we see as colors), thermal imaging devices detect infrared radiation that humans normally sense as heat. These devices then translate those infrared wavelengths into colors that we can see on a screen.

The Veil primarily caters to hunters pursuing their quarry at night. The availability of such a device, however, immediately raises the question: can it be useful for birders, too? To find out, Braden and I ran it through several trials.

Not surprisingly, our first thought was to use the Veil to find owls, so we drove to a nearby park at dusk. Almost immediately, the Veil’s screen picked up a bat flying overhead along with the heat signatures of several moths. After an hour, though, we found nary a bird, despite stopping frequently to scan the trees and brush around us. The lesson? If birds aren’t there, or are hidden in a hole or behind tree trunks, even a sophisticated device such as the Veil ain’t going to show ‘em to you!

Our main problem, we realized, was that it was September, when nocturnal bird activity has generally fallen off. That did make us eager to try again next spring when pointing the Veil into the sky would undoubtedly pick up nighthawks, swifts, and other crepuscular insectivores. Who knows? More owls might be around, too.

Even on that first outing, however, the Veil proved an eye-opener for understanding the environment around us. Most surprising to me were the different heat signatures given off by both living and nonliving objects. The Veil allows one to select four different thermal detection color palettes: White Hot, Black Hot, Red Hot, and Multicolor. My favorite is Red Hot, which reveals warmer images as scarlet red against black, white, and gray backgrounds.

The Veil allows you to select four different color schemes for distinguishing heat signatures. My favorite, and I think the easiest to distinguish, was the “red” option.

On this setting, Braden and I were astonished to see how tree trunks, leaves, and rocks gave off different heat signatures. That raised all kinds of questions about how other animals see the world, and why detecting heat evolved in, say, certain reptiles, amphibians, and insects, but not in mammals. Or did it? Vampire bats, in fact, can detect heat—but my guess is that the vast majority of mammals have never been tested for this ability.

Undeterred by our nighttime outing, Braden and I again tested the Veil on an overcast morning. Because we were in the heart of fall migration, we visited our local cemetery where we’d often found migrating songbirds. As soon as we stepped out of our trusty minivan, Braden pointed into a tree. “There’s a Swainson’s thrush.”

An overcast day at our nearby cemetery proved an ideal day to compare binoculars with the Veil. (Photo by Sneed B. Collard III)

I couldn’t see it, so I pointed the Veil up into the foliage and, sure enough, a bright red shape glowed back at me! “You gotta see this,” I said, handing the device to my son.

We walked to another group of trees and with his sharp ears, Braden began picking up pine siskins, Swainson’s thrushes, and yellow-rumped and Wilson’s warblers. Most of the birds stayed well-hidden in the branches, so I again raised the Veil to my eye and saw dozens of moving objects! At first I thought all were birds—but then realized that many were insects. Scanning the trees, however, I quickly got onto unmistakable moving red shapes that were birds. “Wow, Braden, there are a lot more warblers than we think up in those trees!” With the help of the Veil, in fact, we counted more migrating Wilson’s warblers than we’d ever seen in Missoula in one place—sixteen in all.

A couple of mornings later, I took the Veil out at dawn for yet another test—and had my best time yet. I heard a chirp in a tree and immediately zeroed in on the heat signature of a House Sparrow. I also had leisurely views of an eight-point buck in a field. Upon returning to my neighborhood, I followed chickadees flitting through trees, and then detected movement in a buffaloberry bush. With my binoculars, I IDed it as a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but the bird was hardly visible deep within the branches. I raised the Veil to my eye, however, and could follow its movements with ease.

I, unfortunately, was unable to download the bird images I took, but this photo of mammals shows how clearly heat signatures show up on the Veil’s screen.

There’s no doubt that the Veil is an impressive device, but birders will ask themselves, “Is it worth a $1,500 investment?” I have several answers to this. For someone with extra resources who is fascinated with the world and would like to understand bird movements and behavior better, the Veil makes a welcome addition to your birding arsenal. For the average birder on a budget, though, the Veil is a piece of equipment that you might want to borrow or rent occasionally instead of purchasing.

Vortex has wisely kept the controls simple on the Veil, using three buttons to control a variety of features including three well-chosen magnification options.

To me, the real utility of the Veil may lie in conducting scientific studies and bird surveys. Braden and I vividly imagined being at Cape May during fall migration watching thousands of nighttime migrants streaming by—or using the Veil to help detect migrating raptors at a hawkwatch site. One of the powerful things about the Veil, as we discovered, is that it is just as useful during the daytime as at night—maybe even moreso. Only when air temperatures reach eighty degrees or so, do heat differences start to wash out.

Conveniently, the Veil can capture both still and video images. These can be downloaded onto a non-Apple computer at present—but unfortunately not on a Mac, which is why I couldn’t show you any here. However, the built-in camera got me imagining a number of different scenarios for using the device to enhance or inspire new studies of birds and other animals. If any of the above possibilities intrigue you, I encourage you to “test drive” a Veil at your local sporting goods store. Whether or not you decide to buy one, it will definitely broaden your perspective on how we and other animals perceive our incredible world. Oh, and you’ll have a lot of fun, too!

Review equipment and images provided by Vortex. Text copyright Sneed B. Collard III and FatherSonBirding.com.

2026 Southeast Arizona Birding Festival Recap

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Due to frantic late summer activity, our blog posts slow down in August. Fortunately, the pace of birding does not! And today we report on one of the summer’s highlights, Sneed’s participation in the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival. This is one of the country’s top festivals and is put on by the Tucson Bird Alliance. This year’s festival attracted 960 registrants and offered 151 field trips. A total of 241 species of birds were found—including one discovered by the FSB team that had never before been observed at the festival! To learn about this—and why you should consider signing up for next year’s fest, read on!

Birding Arizona in August??? That is exactly what the SE Arizona Birding Festival offers—and lucky attendees are happy that it does.

I was fortunate to be invited to speak at and co-lead field trips at this year’s festival, which ran from August 12 to the 16th, and my first thought was “Why would anyone choose the hottest month of the year to bird in the desert?” However, Luke Safford, the festival’s dynamic engagement director, explained to me that a) June and July are actually hotter than August and b) when the weather gods cooperate, monsoon rains can lead to a flurry of August bird activity. “Why not give it a try?” I thought. To make it even more fun, I asked my friend and FSB guest contributor Roger Kohn (see, for instance, Cock-of-the-Rock Extravaganza—with Video!) to join me.

Luke Safford, the festival’s dynamic emcee and one of the chief organizers, helped set an enthusiastic tone for this year’s festival.

As many attendees do, Roger and I decided to head south several days early. Arizona has a well-earned reputation for being one of the best birding states in the country, and both of us felt eager to learn more about its spectacular bird life (see, for example, our post Arizona 2022, Part 3: Trogons and Border Walls). For our first three nights, we made our base camp in Sierra Vista, a spectacular birding location, and one I’ll probably write about in another post. For now, though, let’s focus on this year’s festival.

The festival headquarters was at the Doubletree Hotel just east of downtown Tucson, and kicked off with a party sponsored by Vortex Optics in the exhibition hall. I was thrilled to attend this because it was my first chance to personally meet several people I’d been fortunate enough to work with the past few years, including Donald Ditzenburger of Vortex and BWD Editor Jessica Vaughan. Both of them were just as charming and friendly as I imagined and put me in a great frame of mind for the rest of the event—which for Roger and me kicked off promptly at 5:30 a.m. the next morning, Thursday.

One of the highlights of this year’s festival was getting to meet my BWD (Bird Watcher’s Digest) editor, Jessica Vaughn!

When one is invited to a birding festival, the understanding is generally that one will both give a presentation and be a “celebrity leader” on several field trips. The real field trip leaders, however, were the local experts and for our first trip, Rog and I were lucky enough to accompany Adam Dudley on an extensive tour of riparian habitat on the Santa Cruz River and then up to world-famous Madera Canyon. Besides being as friendly as he could be, Adam had excellent ears that allowed us to detect way more birds than half-deaf birders such as myself. Along the river, we observed and heard 45 species, and got great looks at Inca Doves, Yellow-breasted Chats, Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Kingbirds, and Summer Tanagers. For Adam, the coolest find was a local subspecies of Willow Flycatcher that has become increasingly rare. For many of the rest of us, the top score was probably a Rufous-winged Sparrow, another Arizona specialty.

Our Thursday group, led by the amazing Adam Dudley.
A Yellow-breasted Chat trying to flee the attentions of its appreciative birding audience.

Madera Canyon offered fewer species—but birds Roger and I had especially hoped to see since we wouldn’t be ascending Mt. Lemmon for high-altitude species. I was delighted to find both Yellow-eyed Juncos and Red-faced Warblers, along with Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, Arizona Woodpeckers, and an absolute stunner of a Hepatic Tanager. Alas, despite a pretty tough three-mile hike, we did not find the day’s number one goal, Coppery-tailed (formerly Elegant) Trogon. Honestly, I didn’t mind a bit since we’d seen so many other great birds.

Roger and I were especially thrilled to espy a Yellow-eyed Junco in Madera Canyon since it would be our only chance to see these beautiful, higher altitude birds!

Even better, Adam made a quick pit-stop in between our two destinations so we could see Botteri’s Sparrow—another Arizona specialty and a lifer pour moi.

My fourth lifer sparrow of the trip, Botteri’s Sparrow put on a nice show for us among the ocotillo forest near the base of Madera Canyon.

Friday was the day of my talk, so Luke booked us for a half-day field trip with Rob Rutledge, a very knowledgable guide who took us almost to the Mexican border for a tour of Peña Blanca Lake and a couple of riparian spots along the famed Anza Trail along the Santa Cruz River. I was amazed at how verdant the desert looked in the wake of the monsoon rains, which apparently have been excellent this year. We also saw a nice variety of birds including Varied Buntings and Gray Hawks—both adults and juveniles. This was my first real experience with the latter in the US, though Braden and I had recently enjoyed their company in Costa Rica. That night, after a nap and a shower, I delivered my talk to a fun audience of bird enthusiasts, most of whom laughed at my jokes. Can it get better than that?

Always a crowd favorite, Vermillion Flycatchers put in daily appearances on our festival outings.

On our final full day of the festival, I drove the trip van ninety minutes to another iconic Arizona birding destination, Ramsey Canyon. Once there, our terrific guide Kristy Gallo first walked us around Brown Canyon Ranch, where we got outstanding views of Blue Grosbeaks and a surprise Olive-sided Flycatcher—in migration, no doubt. As a bonus, I made out the silhouette of a Loggerhead Shrike on a distant tree, backlit by the rising sun.

Blue-headed Grosbeaks were downright abundant in SE Arizona during the festival—and who can get enough of them? Not me!

Ramsey Canyon itself got off to a slow start, with the birds staying fairly quiet and out of sight for the first hour. As the day warmed up, so did the birds. We enjoyed wonderful, leisurely views of Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, Hutton’s Vireos, and the always dazzling Painted Redstarts. Afterward, we picked up seven species of hummers including Rivoli’s and Berylline, which elicited Oohs and Ahs from the crowd. We finished our regular schedule with a brief visit to the Ash Canyon Bird Observatory, watching more hummers as an impressive storm enveloped the Huachuca Mountains. However, upon re-entering Tucson, we got lost on a little side road when suddenly, a familiar shape scurried across the road—a Greater Roadrunner! In the heart of Tucson! It was Roger’s first GRRO of the trip and a lifer for several people in our group!

Getting a photo of this year’s festival mascot, Painted Redstart, is never easy—but Roger managed this terrific shot in Ramsey Canyon. (Photo courtesy of Roger Kohn.)

Much to our amazement, our birding discoveries continued after we returned home from the festival. I was going through my photos when I encountered a quick snap of a distant bird I had assumed to be a Western Wood-Pewee. Upon closer inspection, however, I realized “That’s no pewee!” I had a hunch about what it was, but asked Braden to take a look, too. “That’s a Lewis’s Woodpecker!” he exclaimed. I emailed Luke Safford about the find, along with the photo, and it turned out to be the first Lewis’s ever spotted during the festival! Maybe I’ll take more photos from now on!

Before I photographed this one in Ramsey Canyon, Lewis’s Woodpeckers had been seen there only once or twice in February and March—and never in summer. This was a first find for the festival, too!

The Southeast Arizona Birding Festival was by far the largest festival I had ever attended and, really, I can’t recommend it enough. The organizers do an incredible job putting on the event and with more than 150 field trips on offer, it caters to almost every birder interest. It is much more than a place to see birds, however. As Luke expressed on opening night, it is really a celebration of birds and a force for bird conservation. Every day offered a variety of talks, and I spent a couple of hours in the exhibit hall talking to vendors, conservation groups, and birding guides from many different countries.

Part of the fun of the SE Arizona Birding Festival is visiting the lively exhibit hall—including surprise encounters with a variety of raptors such as this Western Screech-Owl!

“But what about that heat?” you may be asking. Well, it is something to consider. This year we actually caught a break as temperatures hovered only in the nineties. The year before, however, the mercury had exploded through the top of the thermometer, setting not-to-be-celebrated records. Then again, the early field trip departure times guarantee at least two or three hours of comfortable birding each day. Many of the trips are also at higher elevations, where temperatures are decidedly cooler. In other words, if you keep drinking plenty of water, you’ll probably do fine unless you have a serious health condition.

If you do go—and I hope you do—you may want to keep a few things in mind:

* Make sure you get a room with reliable AC. Our room at the Doubletree barely kept us cool enough to sleep, so call ahead to make sure. There’s plenty of free parking at the festival venue, so you can also consider staying at an Airbnb or perhaps another, nearby hotel.

* Get a room with a fridge. None of the restaurants open by 5 a.m. and you’ll want to have some good protein available before you start your day. The fest does provide snacks, but Roger and I were glad we had some protein bars with us, too. Eggs or yoghurt, though, would be even better.

* Bring plenty of sunscreen and insect repellent. Especially along the rivers, chiggers can really put a dent in your day.

* Make sure you have a good full-brim hat and drink lots of water and/or energy drinks throughout the day—even when you don’t feel thirsty. This will ensure you don’t have any problems with heat and sun.

Most of all, bring a good attitude. We were blessed with delightful people on every one of our trips, including many younger birders. That, more than anything, created a superlative experience for everyone. I can think of no other part of the world that offers the kinds of habitats found in Arizona, nor the selection of birds to go along with them. Why not take the plunge? I’m confident it will end up being one of your most memorable birding adventures ever.

Learn more about the festival HERE!

I have to close out this post with a shot of one of my favorite Arizona birds, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, which we were fortunate enough to see in both Madera and Ramsey Canyons!

Montana Mid-Summer Birding Break

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This summer’s been a busy one for the FatherSonBirding team. I (Sneed) have been buried under a book revision for my next book, Birding the Great Wide Open, due out from Mountaineers Books in Fall, 2027. Meanwhile, Braden has been working hard at an internship with Montana Outdoors magazine while also embarking on his very first jobs as a professional bird guide! (If you’re interested in engaging his services, you can contact him directly at bgcoll2121@gmail.com.) All of this made us especially anxious to just get out and see what the birds are doing, especially down in sagebrush country, and especially before some of the early migrants start to depart. Here is Braden’s excellent account of our intense, two-day adventure!

July marks a time when Montana birding calms down a bit. March brings with it the first waves of waterfowl migration, and after that, each week brings new birds arriving on territory. Birdsong ramps up exponentially in April and May, and after migration ends in the first week of June, there are plenty of birds to catch up with on their traditional breeding haunts. By July, though, the birds begin to get quieter, with many of them settling down onto nests and trying to attract little attention to themselves. Sure, early shorebird migrants start to trickle in, but the latter half of the month, especially, feels like a break. This is compounded by the ever-hotter summers we’ve been experiencing: in recent years, July has brought uncomfortably high temperatures that make being out past 11 a.m. not fun.

And yet, the last few years have proven to me and my dad that July should still be taken seriously as far as birding goes. There may be no better example of that than the ten (!) Burrowing Owls we found on Bench Road last week.

Burrowing Owls were one of the top enticements of heading to Montana sagebrush country in July—and the owls did not disappoint!

One reason my dad wanted to take a mid-July trip is because, well, June had been crazy and autumn was ramping up to be crazier still, meaning that July, the last full month before the bulk of our breeding birds depart, would have to be our chance to head out east. While I had visited many parts of the state earlier in summer, showing my east coast friends around, my dad hadn’t gotten a chance to visit the prairie or the sagebrush, so his target list covered many birds found in those habitats: Sagebrush Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Ferruginous Hawk, Sage Thrasher. And of course, Burrowing Owl—often a tricky target in Montana, but reliably seen on a road through a dry swath of agricultural land south of the town of Three Forks. So, our first stop on our eventual loop through the southwestern corner of the state took us there.

Before even arriving at the Burrowing Owl spot, we checked out the freshwater marsh at the entrance to Bench Road and glimpsed a Short-eared Owl relocating from one patch of cattails to another. What a great way to start the trip! As we continued, my dad pointed out a pair of hawks perched on nearby hay bales—Swainson’s. “There’s more up ahead!” I pointed through the windshield at four more riding thermals above us. Either this was a family group, or these raptors were beginning to think about heading south.

Swainson’s Hawks were out in force on the trip, including this one posing artistically amongst haybales south of Three Forks.

Our car flushed a variety of sparrows from the roadside as we drove, and we stopped periodically to get looks and photos of them. We were delighted to find that the majority of them were Grasshopper Sparrows! Many were adults, but a big chunk of them were babies, too, in a beautiful plumage we’d never seen before. Who knew that these tiny sparrows go through a life stage where their feathers resemble the spotted fur of a leopard! We also got great views at Lark Buntings, never a guarantee this far west, in a small group hopping from fence post to fence post.

A big bonus to birding in July is that we got to see the young of many species, including a wonderful bunch of Grasshopper Sparrows, one of our favorite grassland species.

We drove all the way out to a distant homestead and got out to scope a mound of dirt that my dad was sure would hold a Burrowing Owl. No luck. On our way back to Three Forks, though, I yelled “Stop!” and my dad screeched the Toyota to a halt. Out in a random field stood not one, not two, but SIX Burrowing Owls, all glaring directly at us from their mound (as these owls tend to do). We got out to scope them, noting that at least five were young, including one that fearlessly chased grasshoppers around in the grass right in front of us. Happy with our haul, we continued backtracking, running into a woman who pointed out another Burrowing Owl and told us the location of two more. By the time we got back to the highway, we’d seen ten in total—by far the most either of us had ever witnessed in a day let alone one spot!

It was great to see Burrowing Owls again here on Bench Road—in almost the exact spot we had seen our lifer BUOWs with Nick Ramsey years before.

From Three Forks, we headed south for the sagebrush country of Beaverhead County. Along the way we pulled over a few times to check out wetlands, raptors on telephone poles, and even picked up a Great-tailed Grackle in the Safeway parking lot in Dillon. This species used to be quite rare in our state but has been expanding in recent years, and a population has established itself in town.

We met up with Jeff Marks at a local bar to watch part of a World Cup game, then continued on to Clark Canyon Reservoir to search for shorebirds before heading back to the sagebrush for the evening. After scouring the entire northern side of the reservoir we finally located one migratory shorebird—a Long-billed Dowitcher—as well as a few breeding shorbs like Willets, Killdeer and Spotted Sandpipers.

After seeing the Safeway parking lot birds in Dillon, we saw another Great-tailed Grackle at Clark Canyon Reservoir—more evidence of how this species is moving into southwestern Montana.

We saw our first Prairie Falcon of the year on a pole along Bannack Bench Road, a bird I’d been pessimistic about finding on the trip, then continued along a dirt two-track through the sagebrush. Though there were plenty of Brewer’s Sparrows and Sage Thrashers about, we couldn’t spot any Sagebrush Sparrows, and Nate Kohler, Jeff’s field assistant, hypothesized that they may already had left. These are one of the first passerines to arrive every year, so an early departure date would make sense.

We met up with Jeff Marks and Nate Kohler at the comfortable cabin they rent every year and they showed us where we would be sleeping—a rustic room with bunk beds, a kitchen and a couch. I’d never met Jeff before today and hadn’t seen Nate since December, so it was really good to talk to them, discussing all manner of things from birds and habitats to life adventures and politics. It was also my first time at “Flycatcher Camp”, though my dad had been a couple of times, and I was excited to see the work Jeff and Nate were doing with Gray Flycatchers—one of Montana’s only GRFL populations. After dinner and card games we all started getting ready for bed, and my dad and I watched the sunset from the porch. Montana’s sunsets never cease to amaze me, and this one was particularly special—we got to watch the resident nighthawks take off from their not-so-secret day roosts (open fence posts) as Wilson’s Snipes displayed all around us. A couple Soras sounded off from the creek nearby, and we even heard distant Sandhill Cranes.

My dad calls this “Sunrise Over Cows”, a photo that perfectly captures the incredible beauty of southwest Montana.

The next morning we rose early and packed up the car. Jeff rode with us while Nate followed with Jeff’s girlfriend in their truck. The road had some fairly deep ruts, but my dad expertly handled them, and soon we were all out in the sagebrush, looking for Gray Flycatchers. Our first surprise of the morning came not from a bird, but from a mammal—a Pygmy Rabbit! My dad and I had never seen one before, and we all enjoyed watching it race through the sage ahead of us. This species is fairly widespread throughout the Interior West, but has a small population in Montana and is of special conservation concern. Thankfully, it gave us great looks!

Not the best shot, but our lifer Pygmy Rabbit gave us surprisingly good looks as we searched the sagebrush for Gray Flycatcher nests. Note that Pygmy Rabbits have brown tails that distinguish them from the run-of-the-rabbit cottontails.

The flycatchers weren’t hard to find. Soon, we had two males singing on either side of us, returning over and over to the same perches which allowed us great views. Jeff and Nate really wanted to find the nest of the female that lived here, so we all split up, bushwhacking around. A summer storm had killed all of the flycatcher nestlings in June, but many birds had re-nested, and they believed that this female was one of those. Jeff showed me her old nest, not far off the trail in a large sagebrush near the bottom of a wash—a prime nesting habitat for the species, which avoids building nests out in the driest, flattest parts of the sagebrush country. Nate also showed me a Brewer’s Sparrow nest and a double-decker Sage Thrasher nest, one built right on top of the other. (For more on Jeff’s and Nate’s work, check out last year’s post “Gray Flycatcher Science”.)

Jeff Marks fills me in on his studies as our Gray Flycatcher crew begins its search for nests—Amy and Nate in the background. (See last year’s post “Gray Flycatcher Science” to learn more!)

“There were a ton of thrashers here last week, so we know these ones fledged. It’s been a great year for thrashers,” he said.

It was always good to hear that a species was having a successful year, with so many birds declining year by year.

We couldn’t locate the flycatcher nest within an hour or so of searching, and my dad and I had a few more places we wanted to bird on the way home, so we said goodbye to Jeff, Nate and Amy and headed back to Clark Canyon Reservoir, visions of shorebirds dancing in our heads. Again, no luck with any Arctic shorebirds, but we did find nearly 200 American Avocets mixed in with some other fun breeding species! 

Avocets taking a break at Clark Canyon Reservoir on their way south.

After lunch at a taco truck in Dillon, we stopped along Birch Creek Road on our way back north, the furthest west location for Thick-billed Longspurs in the state. Nate Kohler actually passed us on his way home, and spotted a single longspur on a telephone wire above the road. As we got out to look at it, a snowy-white raptor cruised overhead: a Ferruginous Hawk, one of my dad’s final remaining targets for the trip! We high-fived, ecstatic at our good luck, then continued on our way. After one more quick stop in Madison County, where we picked up a calling Veery, we drove the rest of the way home. What a great midsummer trip!

To learn more about Jeff’s and Nate’s scientific work with Gray Flycatchers, or make a donation, check out the website of Montana Bird Advocacy at https://www.montanabirdadvocacy.org/.

We couldn’t finish up this post without an in-flight shot of a Common Nighthawk. As they have before, they put on a great show during our trip and were birds we could have watched for hours on end.

Wings Across the Big Sky 2026 (FSB Festival Recap)

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It’s been a furious month for the Collard Clan. Last week, Braden wrapped up two solid weeks of escorting birding friends around western and central Montana. Before that, we did a Birdathon fundraiser with our good friends Susan and Eli to raise money for Five Valleys Audubon. Then, Friday, Braden and I took off to lead trips at Wings Across the Big Sky 2026.

One special thing about WABS is that it moves to different locations in Montana every year, and this year Kalispell played host. Our very first WABS actually was in Kalispell eight years ago, when we got our lifer Harlequin Ducks in Glacier National Park. Since then, I’ve keynoted the festival and, most recently, Braden and I both attended the event in Helena two years ago. This year, one of the festival’s organizers, Darcy Thomas, asked if we would lead field trips to Tally Lake and the CSKT Bison Range. We, of course, said yes and decided to use the drive up on Friday for a bit ‘o exploration.

We began Friday by hitting one of our favorite refuges, Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. We didn’t see as many birds as we expected, but did find the most photogenic Short-eared Owl in the history of the universe!

Could a Short-eared Owl strike a better pose? Not likely!

We followed that up by checking out a nearby road that supposedly had Bobolinks. Before finding them, however, we stopped at a delightful little forest spot with both Red-eyed and (Western) Warbling Vireos. It’s rare to get a really good look at the former, so we stood oohing and ahing when one came out onto a branch for a full minute of posing. Just down the road, we were treated to at least five Bobolinks and later found more near the town of Creston—along with the most adorable family of baby skunks ever!

Like Short-eared Owls, Bobolinks require a mandatory stop for photos—and just to appreciate these beautiful, lively songbirds.

Braden and I felt especially excited to lead the trip to Tally Lake on Saturday because it was a place we had never been. I couldn’t have done the place justice without Braden, because it was a heavy “ear birding” location, full of warblers, vireos, sparrows, and other secretive songbirds. Still, most of the species put in at least one appearance and our friendly birding group ate it up. Braden helped everyone “get on” the various songs and calls, too, so it was a real learning experience.

We had plenty of time after birding Tally Lake, so our group decided to head out to Kalispell’s West Valley Ponds for some waterfowl fun.

Top Tally Lake honors went to Rufous Hummingbirds, who struck exceptional poses out in the open with the sun glinting off of their stunning orange-brown feathers. I didn’t realize how fierce these guys look until I studied my photos later. Other crowd favorites included a Common Loon, Willow Flycatcher, and for me especially, a Fox Sparrow.

Rufous Hummingbirds grabbed top honors at Tally Lake for best bird views. I didn’t realize how fierce these birds can look till I took this photo!

Exhausted from two straight mornings of rising at 3:30 a.m., Braden and I skipped Saturday evening’s workshops to spend with our friends Erica and Larry Wirtala, who hosted us and are also members of Flathead Audubon—the hosts of this year’s festival. We needed the break since Sunday promised another marathon day!

Our trip to the CSKT Bison Range began with a two-hour drive south from Kalispell, during which our caravan enjoyed stunning scenery along Flathead Lake and in the Mission Valley—and I narrowly missed colliding with a deer. Braden and I really didn’t know what to expect bird-wise at the Bison Range because it had been years since we’d birded it, but we’re so glad we got to lead this trip!

We began our exploration by taking the group to the riparian area just below the visitor’s center. There, we were treated to our best Willow Flycatcher experience ever. These plain-looking “empids” seemed to vocalize from every perch with their quick FITZ-pew songs. The group also got a welcome look at Pileated Woodpeckers and raucous Yellow-headed Blackbirds, too—but it was up on the long, two-hour driving loop that we got our biggest surprises.

At the CSKT Bison Range, Willow Flycatchers especially put on an audio showcase with their almost nonstop FITZ-pew songs!

I remembered the loop as mostly very dry grasslands topped by conifer forests, so imagine our delight to discover an excellent riparian zone early on in the drive. Here, we got our group onto Bullock’s Orioles, Lazuli Buntings, and even a Lewis’s Woodpecker. At one point a Golden Eagle gave us an outstanding look while flying right over the car.

Higher up we caught a glimpse of a mama black bear and cub on a ridge before stopping at the #5 marker. Surprises continued as we scooped up another Pileated, a juvie Hairy Woodpecker, Cassin’s Finches, and a Common Nighthawk that was calling while perched in a tree—something we’d never experienced.

Is there anything more adorable than a juvenile Hairy Woodpecker? Maybe a baby bison? Keep reading to compare.

We ate lunch at the summit overlooking the spectacular Mission Valley. Our group got excellent looks at Lewis’s Woodpeckers, Red Crossbills, and Pine Siskins, but traffic had begun to build, so we began making our way down the far side of the mountain. All this time, we asked ourselves, “Where are the bison?” Supposedly hundreds of the animals occupied the reserve, but we’d only seen three or four far down below us.

Finally, on the last stretch of road at the end of the road, we encountered a dozen or so adult bison with their bright tan calves. We, of course, pulled over to admire these remarkable critters—even if they were mammals.

So what do you think? Woodpecker fledgling or bison? Don’t let your mammalian bias influence you!

As before, Braden and I felt grateful we got to participate in Wings Across the Big Sky, and we highly recommend it to those of you who have always longed to bird in Montana. The trips are always fantastic, and are punctuated by informative workshops and keynotes. This year’s keynote was given Steve Hoffman, founder of HawkWatch International, who opened our eyes to the amazing raptor migrations and counting efforts taking place in the West. (We also felt honored to have Steve on our Tally Lake trip.) Next year’s festival will be in Billings and promises to be a good one. Not only does the Billings area offer outstanding grassland and sagebrush birding, but excellent riparian zones as well. I don’t know about you, but I am already trying to figure out how to attend!

Our Tally Lake eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S356850809

Our Bison Range eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S357543551

Our Bison Range crew hopes you will be at next year’s Wings Across Big Sky fest in Billings!