I have finally finished editing the pictures taken on the trip my wife and I took to Montana in May and have posted them on pbase.
(link below)

Most of the photos are from two areas, Bowdoin NWR near Malta, and Medicine Lake NWR and the nearby town of Westby.

In a campground in Malta (the one with the shower) we stepped out of the camper to the sound of Common Grackles and Baltimore Oriole, lifebirds, as well as the little more familiar Gray Catbird.

At Bowdoin NWR we drove the 15 mile auto tour route twice, once in the evening and again in the morning. There is also a short trail around a pond near the visitor center that we hated to leave because of the birds calling and singing everywhere. On that trail we saw both male and female Baltimore Oriole, close-up Whistling Vireo and Yellow Warbler, a quick look at a thrush Swainson's or Hermit, and a robin harassing a Great Horned Owl. The sounds indicated other species but I couldn't lay eyes on them. The auto route was not as lively and took a lot of looking because of the vastness of the area. I was particularly looking for the Baird's Sparrow, and did see at least one there, but was always finding Grasshopper Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Vesper Sparrow or Savannah Sparrow instead. There were a couple of nice plumaged Long-billed Curlew, lots of American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts and the most abundant bird on the trip, Wilson's Phalaropes. A non-breeding plumage (in transition?) Lark Bunting was a life bird even if it wasn't so pretty, and a Short-eared Owl in the sage were nice events also.

Arriving at Medicine Lake NWR just before they closed for the weekend, I was able to get information on current conditions. I was very interested in seeing the Piping Plover and more Baird's Sparrow as well as Sprague's Pipit. They told me that because of the high water left from a long cold winter and spring the plover wasn't there on the public part of the refuge and I should go to the area in and around the nearby town of Westby. The town has a small park where a local birder has encouraged conditions that attract a large number of warblers amongst other birds. Just north of town are some nesting plovers and the sparrows and pipits. Mouth watering, I went! It's all true. At the park we spent the night. (Free camping!) While there we met Ted, the aforementioned birder, and he was most helpful in telling us where to find our target birds. While at the park I was tired and couldn't react fast enough to get any pictures but Ted said most of the warblers weren't there yet this year anyway. Out north of town the next morning we found Baird's Sparrows and an abundance of Clay-colored Sparrows, the Sprague's Pipit could be heard but never seen, and as advertised the Piping Plover. Also in that area and seen by others but not us, were Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Le Conte's Sparrow. Looking back, I really wish we would have spent another day there. As we ate lunch at the park I was able to get a ho-hum photo of a Brown Thrasher, another life bird. The Ted stopped by and told us of a Little Blue Heron seen at Medicine Lake NWR. On our way there I was momentarily distracted by a field with a number of Bobolink but did get to the refuge and was able to get a couple quick pictures of the little blue before he went to the far side of the water. A shy bird, this one. We checked out the American White Pelican nesting site and while watching them was able to pick up a photo of a breeding Sanderling, a bird I usually see in black and white.

On our way home we stopped at Benton Lake NWR near Great Falls. We arrived in the evening just as the wind died down and were greeted by Mosquitoes in such numbers as to create a whine to rival a jet airplane. Slathering ourselves with repellant we made the 5 mile auto tour, my wife driving while I tried to see something to photograph through the veil of mosquitoes. After a discussion about her failure to hear my instructions due to plugging her ears against the whine of the mosquitoes, it was decided a campground with a shower and a good nights sleep were in order before starting the long drive home.

http://www.pbase.com/jvhigbee/montana09

Joseph Higbee
Spanaway, WA (usually)
Mailto: jvhigbee at hotmail.com