On 11 Jan 2003, MaryK wrote:

> Hey, has anybody out there in Tweeterland birded in NE Montana, near
> Malta and/or the Bowdoin NWR?? I'm thinking about a trip over there
> in late May/early June, and would be interested in hearing anything
> you'd want to tell me about the birds and/or the area (private e-mail
> is fine). Have inquired re bird checklists w/the NWR and MT Audubon,
> but haven't rec'd the info yet.

I was at Bowdoin NWR in May 1999 and again in June 2001. In 1999 it
was a delight. The big hits were Eared Grebe, American White Pelican,
a large variety of waterfowl spp., large numbers of Black-necked
Stilt and American Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope, Franklin's Gull,
Western & Eastern Kingbird, Sedge Wren, Brown Thrasher, Lark Bunting,
and Common Grackle.

June 2001 was another story due to the devastating drought -- the
birds were still nearly as diverse, but not as numerous, and the
afternoon winds whipped up some pretty impressive alkali dust clouds.
I wound up heading south to the C.M. Russell NWR on the Missouri
River -- the drought had less effect down there.

At Bowdoin I camped at a poorly signed Bureau of Land Management
campground on Nelson Reservoir just NE of the Sleeping Buffalo resort
(DeLorme 91 C 7). At C.M. Russell NWR I camped at James Kipp
Recreation Area on the Missouri off US 191 (DeLorme 71 C/D 1).

If you head over there, also consider Beaver Creek County Park south
of Havre (DeLorme 88/89 C/D 5).

Bird checklists for Bowdoin and CM Russell are available on-line at
the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center's Bird Checklists of
the United States web site (nation-wide) at
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/chekbird/chekbird.htm

I have found Terry McEneaney's "Birding Montana" to be reliable.

Have a good trip!


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Douglas Canning
Olympia, Washington
dcanning at nisquallyestuary.org
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