![Prairie Wanderers - Photo Credit: Kathy Ross](https://i0.wp.com/www.flatheadaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Birders-at-Bowdoin-Kathy-Ross-300x225.jpg?resize=459%2C344)
By Kathy Ross.
The American Prairie Reserve field trip scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 20-22, was rerouted because of weather. The trip turned into a fantastic birding exploration of Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge for eleven prairie wanderers.
Incredible lightening and rain-filled thunderstorms in the evenings discouraged travel on the Reserve, but not on other magnificant landscapes of Eastern Montana. 15 miles, 9 hours, perfect birding weather, and 80+ species created a perfect Saturday on the Bowdoin Refuge.
![Birding on Bowdoin - Photo Credit: Debra Reeves](https://i0.wp.com/www.flatheadaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Bowdoin-Group-Debra-Reeves-200x200.jpg?resize=200%2C200)
Sunday we were joined by Mark Sullivan and Heather Harris from the Glasgow office of Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. They, along with Bowdoin biologist Jessica Larson, led us on a walk into the prairie grasses to look for Burrowing Owls. We found the Prairie Dog town but the Owls were elusive this day.
![American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt - Photo Credit: Debra Reeves](https://i0.wp.com/www.flatheadaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Black-necked-stilt-and-avocet-cropd-Debra-Reeves-200x200.jpg?resize=200%2C200)
But it was worth the journey into the big sky, rolling prairie landscape. We heard Sprague’s Pipits and we got great looks at Baird’s and Grasshopper Sparrows plus 8 other sparrow species, and hundreds of shorebirds and water fowl. To top it off at the end of the day, we encountered a Redheaded Woodpecker and a Blackpoll Warbler.
Dinner with a fabulous group of bird-crazied friends at the Great Northern while a wild prairie thunderstorm blew through outside, ended that perfect day in eastern Montana.
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![Apres Birding - Sketch by Clancy Cone](https://i0.wp.com/www.flatheadaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/20160526_180708-1024x576.jpg?resize=980%2C551)
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