By Dan Casey
Rare and Notables – August-September 2024
It was a good month for shorebirds and raptors. Seventeen Broad-winged Hawks were seen at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch through the period, along with six Swainson’s Hawks. Pablo Reservoir once again proved to be one of the best places in western Montana to find Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Short-billed Dowitchers may be under-reported here, but were reported at several sites this season. Uncommon to rare songbirds were notably absent during the early fall season, but individual Common Grackles continued to be reported in the Creston area.
See also: https://ebird.org/region/US-MT-029?yr=all
- 08/15 – Buff-breasted Sandpiper (1) Pablo Res. (thru 8/23) (Dan C.)
- 08/17 – Herring Gull (1) Somers (early) (Dan C.)
- 08/20 – Ruddy Turnstone (1) Kicking Horse Res. (thru 8/30) (Dan S.)
- 08/31 – Great Egret (1) Ninepipe Res. (Dan S.)
- 09/01 – Broad-winged Hawk (1 dark morph) Jewel Basin (Elliott R.)
- 09/02 – Short-billed Dowitcher (2) West Valley (Dan S.)
- 09/02 – Short-billed Dowitcher (2) Pablo Res. (Braydon L.)
- 09/08 – Swainson’s Hawk (3) Jewel Basin Hawk Watch (Jake B.)
- 09/08 – Lapland Longspur (1) Jewel Basin Hawk Watch (Dan S.)
- 09/10 – Ferruginous Hawk (1) Pablo Reservoir (Josh C.)
- 09/14 – American Golden-Plover (1) Kicking Horse Res. (Shane S.)
What to Expect – October 2024
As the raptor migration starts shifting from accipiters to eagles, the first Rough-legged Hawks of the season will also be arriving. Watch for flocks of mixed waterfowl, especially diving ducks (scoters, scaup, Redheads). Check lakes for migrating loons, with both Pacific and Red-throated Loons possible. Increasing Bohemian Waxwing numbers may be a precursor to other displaced or irruptive boreal breeders such as Common Redpolls and White-winged Crossbills. Sparrow flocks, now dominated by Savannah and Chipping Sparrows, will start to have more White-crowned, White-throated, Lincoln’s and potentially (in wetland habitats) Swamp Sparrows.