Join Dan Ellison for a virtual birding tour of Nelson, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia. In late February 2024 Dan and his spouse, Jane Fournier, traveled “down under” to visit Jane’s family. In both locations Dan was able to find days to visit birding hotspots with local experts. His primary interests in Nelson were endemic species in the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary, and the mud flats on Boulder Bank favored by wintering terns, waterfowl, and shorebirds such as the Bar-tailed Godwit. Across the Tasman Sea in the greater Sydney area, he visited national parks on three sides of the city offering diverse habitats for both resident and migratory bird species. New Zealand and Australia provided Dan with birding experiences far from Montana, and in addition, he found photo opportunities with unusual wildlife such as bats, marsupials, and reptiles. Read More…
Audubon members venturing out onto public lands this spring and summer need to be aware of the law that went into effect last year which requires persons 12 and older to purchase a Conservation License when accessing most state lands. Please go to the Fish, Wildlife and Parks link below for more information or to purchase a Conservation License. Thank you!
https://fwp.mt.gov/buyandapply/conservation-license
Ethical Birding: As some of you are aware, periodically a ‘Rare Bird’ is sighted nearby, or some distance from Helena and attracts a lot of attention.
Cornell’s eBird program has designated several “sensitive species” in order to prevent birders and photographers from simultaneously flocking to an area to see them. The rationale for this designation is to protect these species from unnecessary stress due to disturbance. Even the most well-intentioned individual can inadvertently cause birds to become stressed without realizing it. A good local example is driving on the flats east of Helena, spotting a Prairie Falcon or Rough-legged Hawk on a power pole, and stopping close to the pole to take a photo which flushes the bird from its perch causing unneeded wintertime stress.
In addition, eBird and social media posts regarding the location of sensitive species can also lead to illegal trapping or taking of some species. Thus birders should always exercise caution when creating posts, or commenting on social media outlets regarding these birds and their locations. For sensitive species, such as Great Gray Owls and American Goshawks, eBird automatically hides the location information. If you include a sensitive species in an eBird checklist please consider using a general geographic location such as a county name.
A link from eBird discussing the nature of ‘Sensitive Species’ is included below. It defines protocols and practices for observing and reporting these birds. If you are planning to try to locate a known bird that meets the “sensitive” species definition, refer to the eBird Sensitive Species protocol, along with the ABA Birding Code of Ethics, before heading out.
Remember – ALL birds are susceptible to stress, so birds depend on us to practice good birding behavior in the field. Thanks for giving the birds a break.
The ABA Birding Code of Ethics: Practice and promote respectful, enjoyable, and thoughtful birding as defined in this code.
In brief: Sensitive Species in eBird are those for which demonstrable harm could occur from public display of site-level records, including (but not limited to):
targeted capture for the caged-bird trade;targeted hunting;targeted disturbance of nests, roosts, or individual birds from birdwatchers or photographers.
Let’s all practice good birding ethics. Helpful links: https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/
https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000803210-sensitive-species-in-ebird
— Bob Martinka, Last Chance Audubon Society Board Member
The Last Chance Audubon Christmas Bird Count was held on December 16. We had 55 participants find 68 species with a total of 9247 individual birds! We also had our 147th species added this year with Sora. Common Grackle was also an unusual sighting, seen for only the fourth time. See all the results here.
We are excited to announce the application process for the 2023-2024 High School Scholarship. This helps college students pay for expenses while pursuing studies in conservation, habitat protection, and/or restoration of value to avian and other wildlife species. To apply, please visit the Last Chance Audubon scholarship homepage.
On Sunday September 12, 2021, LCAS dedicated a new trail at Spring Meadow Lake State Park. The trail was officially named the Jane Beasley Memorial Trail and is complete with decomposed granite foundation, weed remediation and signage. This project was a collaborative effort by LCAS, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Montana Conservation Corps. The dedication hosted a variety of speakers and a hike along the new trail. Members of the Shull/Beasley family were on hand for a sign unveiling. Read more…