Field Trips

Last Chance Audubon Society offers birding trips lead by experienced birders to local areas around the Helena valley. Trips are free and open to members and nonmembers. Participants at any level of skill and experience are encouraged to attend. Trip leaders provide information on bird identification, natural history and conservation. Bird trips are most commonly scheduled between March and June.  Trips are a half day or longer depending on the area visited and usually involve car pooling among trip participants.

Each trip participants needs to have binoculars. Bring snacks or lunch if appropriate, water, and dress for the weather. A bird identification field guide is useful.   All field trips are free for LCAS members. For non-members, they cost $15 – which includes an annual membership. RSVP required – contact the field trip leaders (listed below) to sign up (or if you’ve already signed up and need to cancel).

LCAS 2025 Field Trips—Join the Fun!!

May 15: K-MART WETLANDS

Join Kyle Strode for a morning of birding at the K-Mart Wetlands – an urban ecotone site that includes a marsh, ponds, woody thickets, and small patches of open grassland.  An impressive 195 species have been observed here over the years, including many waterfowl, sparrows, and warblers.  Meet at 7:30 am at the intersection of Cole Ave and N Harris St.  Most of this area has dry ground; footing is uneven in some spots.  This meandering walk will last roughly two hours.  Contact Kyle Strode, kstrode@carroll.edu, to sign up.

 May 18: ELLIOTT’S EDEN

Elliott’s Eden, formerly known as Stansfield Lane, is adjacent to Upper Prickly Pear Creek, and as such has cottonwood trees with warblers and flycatchers, and a pond full of waterbirds. In the trees we’ll look for Lazuli Buntings, Bullock’s Orioles, and Western Wood-Pewees. On the pond we hope to find Wood Ducks, Sora, Spotted Sandpiper, Northern Waterthrush, and Great Blue Heron.  Overhead and nearby, we’ll keep our eyes open for Bald Eagles and Sandhill Cranes.  Thanks to Kim and Pete Elliott for allowing us to visit their bird-rich ‘Eden’.  Meet Janice Miller at the northeast corner of the Costco Parking lot at 7:00 a.m. and expect to return by noon.  We will walk a distance of just under a mile.  Bring binoculars, light rain parka, insect repellent, and footwear for swampy ground.  To reserve a place, email Janice at jan2854@gmail.com. Trip limit: 10 participants.

May 31: CANYON FERRY WMA

Leaders: Stephen Turner and Don Skaar.  10-person max. Meet at the northeast end of the Costco parking lot at 6:30 am to arrange for carpooling.  We will make our way to the Canyon Ferry WMA on the west side of the reservoir before heading over to bird the WMA ponds on the east side.  We will be looking primarily for songbirds associated with the cottonwood and riparian areas of the WMA.  Species could include Yellow Warbler, Bullock’s Orioles, two kingbird species, multiple flycatcher species, Swainson’s Thrush, Black-headed Grosbeak, etc.  We will also likely see plenty of waterfowl, pelicans, gulls, hopefully some terns, and possibly some straggler shorebirds.  The species diversity can be amazing! Our list for the entire WMA could easily exceed 65 species. Please plan to bring lunch/snacks and drinks if you wish.  Check the forecast and bring appropriate gear for any type of weather.   Sturdy footwear is a must.  It may be early for mosquitos, but please be prepared.  Time permitting, we will try to locate the grassland specialty, Thick-billed Longspur on our return.  Please register by sending a message to turnstonest@gmail.com.  Please direct questions to Stephen (406-521-0000) or Don (406-465-6135).

June 7: BIRDING AT VISTA DA SERRA/Vigilante Campground  

Meet at Costco northeast parking lot at 6:30am. Limit 10.  Planning to be back by noon. Participants will begin the morning surveying the Vigilante Campground area and will then proceed up the trail along Trout Creek.  The campground area is the go-to spot in the area for breeding Ovenbird.  Other bird species found here include Hammond’s and Western Flycatcher, Ruffed Grouse, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Veery and possibly Golden-crowned Kinglet. The hike along Trout Creek is relatively easy with minimal elevation gain, and participants can expect a round-trip hike of less than 2 miles. White-throated Swift and Violet-green Swallow nest in the towering cliffs along the riparian trail.  The trip will end with a visit to the Prickly Pear Land Trust conservation easement, Vista Da Serra Ranch where hosts Tia and Derek Nelson will share excellent views of their feeders.  Expect to find several hummingbird species which may include Calliope, Broad-tailed and Black-chinned as well as other mountain feeder specialties.  Please email the Leader Sharon Dewart-Hansen at smdewarthansen@charter.net to sign up.

June 14: BIRDS AND GEOLOGY OF THE BEAVER CREEK AREA

 Meet at Costco northeast parking lot @ 7 am. Limit 8.  Expect to be back by late afternoon, so bring a lunch and snacks.  Join  Don Skaar and Ray Breuninger for a birds and rocks tour of the Beaver Creek area, following the road from the lower end near Holter Lake high into the mountains beyond Refrigerator Canyon.  Expect to find typical riparian and montane bird species for this area.  Most of our observations will be from the road, although short hiking forays are to be expected.  Geology highlights range  from the 1.4 billion year old rocks of the Belt Sea through the last Ice Age deposits of  Glacial Lake Great Falls.  Along the spectacular rocky gorge of Beaver Creek we’ll see fossils such as trilobites, corals, and brachiopods;  and structures such as folds and thrust faults.  Please email the Leader Don Skaar at skaar.fcs@gmail.com to sign up.

June 21: INTRODUCTION TO BIRDING FOR KIDS AT NATURE PARK

Leader: Leslie Smith.  Trip Limit: 10. Ages 7-12.  An adult must attend. This one-hour birding adventure will include a walk through Nature Park identifying birds by sight and sound and the opportunity to see bird “skins.”  The walk is easy, mostly level, with a maximum distance of 2 miles.  Contact Leslie Smith to sign up: 406-431-4995, Leslie_smi@yahoo.com

September 7: WORLD SHOREBIRD DAY

In celebration of World Shorebird Day this field trip will head to the east side of the Canyon Ferry WMA (Lower Ray Creek) to survey for migrating shorebirds.  All levels of birders are welcome, and we will have several shorebird ID experts on hand to help with those tricky IDs.  We will meet at the northeast end of the Costco parking lot at 7:00 am (please arrive a few minutes early) and return no later than 1:00 pm.  Please dress for weather that can be unpredictable.  Expect a 1.5-mile round-trip walk on dirt roads.  This trip has limited space and generally fills up.  Plan to register early!  Contact Stephen to register at turnstonest@gmail.com.