2023 Bigfork Christmas Bird Count

The 49th annual Bigfork Christmas Bird Count will be held Saturday, December 16th. Participants will meet at 8am in the Flathead Lake Brewing parking lot (116 Holt Drive in Bigfork). First established in 1974, the Bigfork count circle is centered at the “Little Brown Church” north of Bigfork and includes over miles of the Swan and Flathead Rivers, the north end of Flathead Lake, and habitats varying from croplands of the Lower Valley to the spruce-fir and cedar-hemlock forests in the Swan and Crane Mountain foothills. We became the first count in the state to report 90 species (in 2011), and always find a diverse and surprising mix of birds.

This count typically depends on veteran group leaders to scour their usual areas, and we are always looking for additional participants to join in to help us gain a better understanding of our early winter bird populations. The group will gather again after the count at Dave Manuwal’s house between 5-5:30pm for a potluck dinner and unofficial bird countdown. Please return your packets with the map and bird checklists ASAP after the count so I can tally the results. You can either return them by mail (asap), email them to me (but return the maps), or drop the bird lists in my mailbox on Riverside Rd. (95 Hash Mtn. View); it’s about one mile south of Creston on Riverside Road, on the corner of Obryan Lane.

For more information or to get involved contact Craig at asoleado2003@yahoo.com or 406-890-1629