By Dan Casey
Rare and Notables – October/November 2024
The weather remained mild throughout the period, with snow and ice restricted mostly to the mountains. Most of the “best finds” were on the larger water bodies, as is typical for this season. Foy’s Lake was particularly productive, a Surf Scoter October 16-24 (Dan C.), a female Long-tailed Duck (Holly B.) Oct. 26-November 3, and a White-winged Scoter (Jake B.) present Oct. 28-Nov. 6. Fourteen Cackling Geese were there Oct. 30, and 12 were at the West Valley ponds Nov. 3 (Dan C.). A female Black Scoter was on Mission Reservoir near St. Ignatius Nov. 15 (Braydon L.).
Flathead Lake produced Montana’s only jaeger report of the fall, a Parasitic Jaeger near Elmo on Oct. 27 (Braydon L., Dan S.), as well as a Red-throated Loon Nov. 8 (Dan S.). Short-billed Gulls were reported from Polson Oct. 16, Blue Bay Oct. 27 (Braydon L., Dan S.), the Flathead landfill Oct. 31 and Nov. 6 (Dan C.), and Big Arm Nov. 12 (Braydon L.). Several Iceland Gulls were at the landfill Oct. 31-Nov. 6 (Dan C.), and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was also there Nov. 6 (Elliott R., Dan C.). Away from the water, Bohemian Waxwing and Rough-legged Hawk reports started to increase but were not yet widespread in the region. Twenty-five Snow Buntings were reported at Lake McDonald Oct. 29 (Steve G.), and a single was at the Jewel Basin XC Ski Area Nov. 8 (Pam W.).
An Anna’s Hummingbird seen Oct. 22 (Al J.) was at a Somers feeder where the species has been nearly annual in recent years. Most notable was Northern House Wren (its new name) near Creston Nov. 10 (Craig H.), a new late fall date for this migratory species. See also: https://ebird.org/region/US-MT-029?yr=all
What to Expect – December 2024
Late November and early December can continue to provide surprises, particularly if our lakes stay ice-free. It’s a good time to scan flocks of diving ducks, and loons should be scrutinized closely to look for the rarer species. Gull diversity should continue to increase as Glaucous or even Glaucous-winged Gulls arrive. It’s also a great time to look through the wintering raptors for Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawks and the diverse plumages of Rough-legged Hawks.