Sacajawea Audubon Society

2026 Birding Classes - Sparrows
2026-06-10 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 W. Graf St, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, United States
Deepen your connections with birds this season with a class or two with our local educator, Ashley Martens. Contact her at truenatureed@gmail.com with questions.

Sparrows – Learn about and delight in these little brown birds’ subtle beauty and differences by focusing on plumage, habitat, and songs and calls. One classroom session and one field trip included.

Register HERE

June 13th Field Trip - Shields Valley Driving Tour
2026-06-13 07:30 - 17:00 | Montana
Leaders: George and Valerie Nixon 406-219-6169 or 406-219-6170 hawkowl526@gmail.com

Options for half to full day

The Shields Valley is home to some impressive bird diversity. When we leave Clyde Park, we will check some backroads and the riparian corridor along Highway 89 for nesting species as well as any migrants passing through. They should be out in force. We will also visit two separate marshes on the tour in search of Marsh Wren, Virginia Rail, and Sora. One of the highlights will be the visit to Cottonwood Reservoir which can host an impressive variety of migrant shorebirds and waterfowl including displaying Western and Eared Grebes. The nearby sagebrush environs are a good chance to study Brewer’s Sparrow and Sage Thrashers. Finally, we will head up the Shields River Valley drainage to explore some coniferous and montane riparian habitats to round out the experience!

Meet at the Clyde Park Post Office parking lot, at 7:30 AM for car-pooling. 4 vehicle and 12-person limit. Please contact the trip leader to register.

Eared Grebes

June 14th Field Trip - Bridger Foothills
2026-06-14 06:45 - 12:00 | Montana
Leader: Vicki Saab 406-581-7829 • victoriaannsaab@gmail.com

1/2-day trip; easy to moderate off trail walking

We will spend the morning exploring the burn within the 2020 Bridger Foothills Fire perimeter. This is an opportunity to visit a recent burn and learn about post-fire ecology, including bird responses and relationships to forest fires and burned landscapes. Notably, Black-backed Woodpeckers and other woodpeckers are known to rapidly return to recent burns to feast on the insect life unique to this fascinating change in the ecosystem. Join us to find out what other pioneering birds and plant life can be found in such a recently burned forest.

Meet at Story Mill Community Park, 698 Bridger Dr. Bozeman at 6:45 AM 10-person limit. Please contact trip leader to register.

Bridger Foothills

2026 Birding Classes - Bird Kinship
2026-06-16 17:30 - 19:00 | Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 W. Graf St, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, United States
Deepen your connections with birds this season with a class or two with our local educator, Ashley Martens. Contact her at truenatureed@gmail.com with questions.

Bird Kinship – Settle into a deeper relationship with birds in this session. We’ll learn the ancient and wise skill of listening for “Bird Language” and spend time appreciating birds without (necessarily) having to identify them. You’ll develop a sensitive, grounding, and relaxing practice to take with you anywhere you go. Two field trips included.

Register HERE

June 20th Field Trip - Mission Creek
2026-06-20 07:30 - 14:30 | Montana
Leader: Robin Wolcott 406-581-5418 • pajaros@wewolcotts.com (email preferred)

Until mid-late afternoon; mostly driving, light walking on roads

In the rolling prairie just east of Livingston we will seek McCown’s Longspur and Long-billed Curlew. Along Little Mission Creek we will watch for riparian species, then search for residents of the spruce/fir forest. On our return along Mission Creek, we could find a Cordilleran Flycatcher or a Golden Eagle. Over 130 species have been seen along this route including Sprague’s Pipit, Upland Sandpiper, and Green-tailed Towhee. Spectacular views, abundant wildflowers, and wildlife make the trip through the northern foothills of the Absaroka Mountains a trip to remember.

After leaving Bozeman, we will reconvene at Albertson’s parking lot in Livingston at 7:30 AM and then leave from there at 7:45 AM Car-pooling is essential. 4 vehicle and 10-person limit. Please contact trip leader to register.

June 21st Field Trip - Jackson Creek
2026-06-21 06:45 - 12:30 | Montana
Leader: Lou Ann Harris406-600-3585 • montlou311@gmail.com

4-5 hour trip; moderately strenuous walking on forest road 4 miles

Located near Bozeman Pass, this area features a surprising mix of habitats and birds. We will begin this walk by passing through wet meadows and grasslands, and then follow Jackson Creek into higher elevation conifer forests. This is the beginning of peak breeding season, so most of the birds should be singing and displaying at their best. Over 40 species of birds can be found along this short run of the creek, beginning with cranes and swallows in the open country. As you work your way up the creek several species of warblers inhabit the willows on one side of the road, while on the dry slopes an entirely different set of birds can be found. Once in the upper forest, some higher elevation birds will begin to make their presence known.

Meet at Museum of the Rockies at 6:45 AM 8-person limit. Please contact trip leader to register.

2026 Birding Classes - Birding By Ear
2026-06-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 W. Graf St, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, United States
Deepen your connections with birds this season with a class or two with our local educator, Ashley Martens. Contact her at truenatureed@gmail.com with questions.

Birding By Ear – Cultivate presence and listening skills. Learn a variety of techniques to help you identify the bird soundscapes around you.One classroom session and one field trip included.

Register HERE

June 24th - Raptor Presentation
2026-06-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Montana
Revel in Raptors! Celebrate the various raptor species that nest and migrate through Southwest Montana with Steve Hoffman, the co-founder of Hawkwatch International. Steve has been on the leading edge of raptor research for decades, and his passion for raptors entertains and enlightens.

June 28th Field Trip - SAS Bluebird Trail
2026-06-28 08:00 - 12:00 | Montana
June 28 Sunday: Rocky Mountain Rd. Bluebird Trail

Leader: Lou Ann Harris 406-600-3585 montlou311@gmail.com

Half day – all driving

Get up close and personal with Mountain Bluebirds. Join blue-birder and bander Lou Ann Harris, as she checks bluebird nest boxes and bands adults and nestlings along Rocky Mountain Road. This is a rare opportunity to get an inside look at the lives of these amazing birds, including nest building, egg laying and raising young.

Meet at 8:30 AM, at the north end of the Target parking lot. Due to the sensitive nature of the work, we are limiting this field trip to 8 participants. Please contact trip leader to register.

July 1st Field Trip - Beaver Ponds Trail, YNP
2026-07-01 06:30 - 18:30 | Montana
Leader: John Parker 406-586-5863 • conundrumjp@gmail.com

Full day trip -12 hours; moderately strenuous hiking

Once we arrive in Mammoth, we will be hiking the 5-mile Beaver Ponds Trail. The diversity of habitats along the Beaver Ponds Trail is unmatched by any other trail of such short length in Yellowstone. The Beaver Ponds Trail features a wide variety of birdlife including grouse, woodpeckers, and many sparrows as it passes through open forests, sagelands, and skirts several small ponds. If time allows, we will cover other locations on the northern range that are close to Mammoth.

Meet at the Museum of the Rockies at 6:15 AM. 8-person limit. Please contact trip leader to register.

Habitat Restoration & Birding Tour
2026-07-11 08:30 - 12:30 | Montana
This tour is on rural land east of Bozeman off Jackson Creek Rd. Marlena Renwyck has used her botanist skills to restore degraded habitat on 40 acres of land by planting over 1,500 native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. We will take a birding walk as we learn about her restoration work. Expect a 1 mile walk on uneven terrain. We will be gone most of the morning. Carpooling from town available. To register or get more information contact either Vicki Saab, victoriaannsaab@gmail.com or Paulette Epple, conservation@sacajaweaaudubon.org. Tour has a 20 person limit.

Bird Friendly Garden Tour
2026-08-05 18:30 - 20:00 | Montana
We will tour Mary and Tom Keck’s yard in Bozeman where a mature landscape of trees, bird-attracting shrubs, vines, berries, gardens, perennials, and ground covers combine to create the multi-layered, dense habitat so valuable to birds.

To register or get more information contact either Vicki Saab, victoriaannsaab@gmail.com or Paulette Epple, conservation@sacajaweaaudubon.org. Tour has a 20 person limit.

Next Program - Sept. 14th
2026-09-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 W. Graf St, Bozeman, Montana, 59718, United States
SAS programs are on summer break. We will start a new season on Sept. 14th at Hope Lutheran Church. Check back in August for more details. Have a bird-filled summer! Sign up for one of our many field trips. Go to SAS Field Trips for more information.
