By Dan Casey
Rare and Notables – MAR/APR 2024
In typical fashion, late March and early April provided a variety of migrant waterfowl at Flathead Valley hotspots. Eurasian Wigeon were seen at multiple sites, and a hybrid wigeon was photographed at Church Slough. Greater White-fronted Goose and the Siberian form of Tundra Swan made appearances in West Valley. Early arrivals included Williamson’s and Red-naped Sapsuckers, and Loggerhead Shrike; a Snow Bunting and Lesser Black-backed Gull lingered. See also: https://ebird.org/region/US-MT-029?yr=all
- 03/16 – Eurasian Wigeon (1) Church Slough (Markus and Erin B.)
- 03/19 – Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Flathead Lake North Shore (Shawn R.)
- 03/20 – Williamson’s Sapsucker (1) Bowdish Rd (Scott F.)
- 03/20 – Eurasian x American Wigeon (1) Church Slough (bj W.)
- 03/24 – Red-naped Sapsucker (FOY) Hungry Horse (Joseph C.)
- 03/25 – Greater White-fronted Goose (1) West Valley (Jake B.)
- 04/01 – Loggerhead Shrike (1) Creston (Craig H.)
- 04/09 – Snow Bunting (1) Columbia Mtn trailhead (Shannon D.)
- 04/11 – “Bewick’s” Tundra Swan (2) West Valley (bj W.)
- 04/16 – Clark’s Grebe (1) Ninepipes NWR (Shawn R.)
- What to Expect – April/May 2023
It’s time to put out the hummingbird feeders, as Earth Day (4/21) usually heralds the first arrivals. The number of arriving migrant species will start to increase exponentially by the beginning of May, with Blue-winged Teal, Vaux’s Swift, Barn Swallow, Vesper and Savannah Sparrow, Cassin’s Vireo, and the first warblers due any day. Most breeding species will have arrived by the time I prepare the next installment of this summary, May 16th; only our latest arrivals (Willow Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Common Nighthawk) wait until the end of May to show up in northwest Montana.