by Joshua Covill

Rare and Notables – October 2020

  • Incredibly, the YELLOW-BILLED LOON (immature) found on Dickey Lake by Nikki M. on July 5th is still present! Dan Casey resighted the loon on Oct. 17th  
  • 09/18 – Swamp Sparrow found near Creston (Craig H.)
  • 09/21 – 2 White-faced Ibis in the West Valley Ponds area on Clark Road (Erich. G)
  • 09/22 – A late Common Tern along the north shore of Flathead Lake (Shawn R.)
  • 09/26 – Palm Warbler, a very rare bird west of the divide, found near Bigfork (Leslie K.)
  • 09/29 – A Parasitic Jaeger was refound on the north shore of Flathead Lake by Dan C. and Shawn R. after it was originally spotted by Alan J on Sept 22nd .
  • 10/10 – American Avocets found on the Creston pond have been present since Sept 20th. (Craig H.)
  • 10/17 – A Surf Scoter found on Foy’s Lake, a usual spot to find these sea ducks. (Nolan W.)
  • 10/17 – a female White-winged Scoter was found in the west valley at the pond on Clark Rd. (Josh C.)
  • 10/17 – An adult Parasitic Jaeger was found in the west valley ponds area, but promptly flew off south. This represents the 3rd Parasitic Jaeger in Flathead Co this fall! (Josh C.)

What to Expect – November 2020

As predicted, 4 different Anna’s Hummingbirds have been found in western Montana over the last month, 3 of them in Sanders county! As the scoters turn up, watch for Pacific Loons that might stray to large bodies of water, like the north end of Flathead Lake and Somers Bay. 

Now is the time to restock your feeders, as winter finches are looking for food. Evening Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins, and Common Redpolls can be found at feeders this month. Backyard birding is quite rewarding this time of year. Bohemian Waxwings return to the valley to dine on Mountain Ash berries. Rough-legged Hawks arrive from the north along with Snow Buntings and Horned Larks.