This past fall’s migration was fairly uneventful in terms of local birders finding unusual passerines. The big exception was southwest Montana’s first Golden-crowned Sparrow that Dalton Spencer found foraging with some White-crowned Sparrows in Gardiner on October 1st. Not quite so rare, but still exciting for this area was the Blackburnian Warbler first seen by Kevin Ellison on October 3rd, in his Bozeman yard near Sunset Hills Cemetery. Kevin and several other birders were able to relocate this normally elusive warbler again the next day.
Golden-crowned Sparrow by Ed Harper
There were several birds that made late season appearances locally. Broad-winged Hawks are always notable in western Montana, though in recent years the hawk watchers at Bridger Bowl have documented one to three dozen annually during the fall migration. Broad-winged hawks typically are one of earlier raptors to migrate along the Bridgers, with most having passed the site by the end of September. This year’s sighting of a Broad-winged Hawk on October 15th was a new late date for this area.
Other unusually late sightings included a Black-headed Grosbeak that Andrew Guttenberg saw along the Sourdough Nature Trail in Bozeman on October 13th. The Spotted Towhee that Sam Koenen and John Kingeter discovered in Logan on November 6th was about a month later than expected. Finally, and most surprising was the Swainson’s Thrush that Mary Keck saw in north Bozeman on November 5th.
While at the family cabin on the east side of the Bridger Mountains, Jo Newell heard a Western Screech Owl on October 2nd.
The stars of the late autumn migration are the ducks and other waterfowl. Two different Greater White-fronted Geese made appearances in the area this year. On October 16th Don Profota spotted a single Greater white-fronted Goose among the throngs of Canada Geese at Three Forks Ponds. This goose lingered for a week at the ponds, giving many people as opportunity to see it. More fleeting was the Greater White-fronted Goose that Don saw flying with a flock of 25 Snow Geese south of Bozeman on October 23rd.
Long-tailed Ducks by John Parker
For the first time in twenty years, Long-tailed Ducks made an appearance in Gallatin County, and it wasn’t a single misplaced bird, but a group of three females traveling together. On November 1st John Parker found the three Long-tailed Ducks on Hyalite Reservoir. A week earlier John spotted three Surf Scoters on Hyalite Reservoir, which remained at the lake for at least the next two weeks. Two White-winged Scoters were seen by Vic Fesolowitz at Harrison Reservoir on November 1st. Completing the triad of scoters seen in our area this fall, was the female Black Scoter found on Dailey Lake November 7th by Katherine Ochsman and Forrest Rowland.
That same day Kathrine and Forrest saw a Pacific Loon, also at Dailey Lake. On two separate trips (October 27 and November 6) to Ennis Lake, Vic Fesolowitz spotted a Pacific Loon off of the east shore of the lake. On the second trip to the lake Vic was able to share the sighting with Kim Obbink.
