By Dan Casey

Rare and Notables – February/March 2024

In typical fashion, early March was a time for waterfowl migration to begin in earnest, with good numbers of Northern Pintails present by the end of the period, and multiple sightings of Eurasian Wigeon, Greater White-fronted and Snow Geese. First-of-year (FOY) arrivals included Varied Thrushes, Western Meadowlark, Western Bluebird and Sandhill Crane, although no swallows had arrived by the end of the period. See also: https://ebird.org/region/US-MT-029?yr=all

  • 02/18 – Dunlin (2, continuing through 03/13) Dixon Lane, Polson (Braydon L.)
  • 02/20 – White-crowned Sparrow (1, continuing) Whitefish (Ron B.)
  • 02/27 – White-throated Sparrow (1) Whitefish (bj W.)
  • 02/22 – Short-billed Gull (1) Flathead WPA, Bigfork (Shawn R.)
  • 02/29 – Short-billed Gull (1) Somers Beach SP (Dan C.)
  • 03/02 – Snow Goose (1, FOY) Montford Rd (Emily E.)
  • 03/04 – Varied Thrush (1, FOY) Somers (Dan C.)
  • 03/05 – Greater White-fronted Goose (20) Montford Rd (Emily E.)
  • 03/09 – Short-billed Gull (1) Wayfarer’s SP (Craig H.)
  • 03/13 – Western Meadowlark (1, FOY) South of Columbia Falls (Jake B.)
  • 03/13 – Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull (1) North Shore at Somers (Shawn R.)
  • 03/15 – Snow Goose (29) Egan Slough Rd, Creston (Craig H.)
  • 03/13 – Eurasian Wigeon (1) Egan Slough Rd (Allison and Steven F.)
  • 03/15 – Western Bluebird (1) West Valley (Angela T.)
  • 03/16 – Eurasian Wigeon (1) Church Slough (Erin B.)
  • 03/16 – Sandhill Crane (1) South of Creston (Craig H.)

What to Expect – April 2024

The first insect-eaters arrive in earnest in late March (Tree and Violet-green Swallows, Mountain Bluebirds, Western Meadowlarks), and waterfowl flocks increase in both numbers and diversity. Check Church Slough in particular for Eurasian Wigeon and Greater Scaup, Tundra and Trumpeter Swans, Northern Pintails. By mid-April, most dabbling duck species will have arrived. Red-necked Grebes will appear on the more vegetated wetlands (e.g. Smith Lake). Sandhill Cranes will return; listen also for the first Marsh Wrens and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Yellow-headed Blackbirds will start to arrive, staking out the best marsh territories.