Montana audubon tours 2011
We ran a bunch of tours in 2011 -- Montana, Alaska, Texas, Mexico, Peru and Africa! Hopefully many of these will be repeated in years to come!
Montana Audubon is known for its annual tours to great birding destinations, and the 2011-tour season is packed with different adventures offered close to home or as far away as Africa. You can explore the northeastern part of Montana by joining the Westby Weekend (then consider traveling on to Glasgow for the 2011 Bird Festival), or marvel at the abundance of species at Red Rocks Lakes in southwest Montana.
Check out our new tour blog!
New on our Montana tour list is the Raptor Weekend where you can witness and participate in the banding of hawks and eagles. Our tours also take birders to exciting places across the world to experience the global diversity of birds, habitats and human cultures. Imagine discovering the African Finfoot in Gambia Africa or the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock in Peru.
All tours are on a first come, first served basis. Complete trip itineraries and bird species lists are available upon request. Total cost includes a tax-deductible donation to Montana Audubon.
Scroll down for more detailed tour information.
THE 2011 - 2012 tours and DATES
- South Texas Birding: April 25-May 2, 2011
- Centennial Valley & Red Rock Lakes: May 27-29, 2011
- Westby Weekend Birding: May 30-June 2
- Alaska Denali/Kenai Peninsula: June 18-27, 2011
- Raptor Weekend: September 23-25, 2011
- Birding in The Gambia: October 28-November 11, 2011
Please call the Montana Audubon office (443-3949) for information about all tours.
South Texas Birding: April 25–May 2, 2011
South Texas offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe diverse bird communities. Not only is there a suite of resident species with limited North American ranges, such as Green Jay, Tropical Parula, Ferruginous Pygmy-owl, Great Kiskadee, Altamira Oriole and more, but in late April a tremendous variety of migrants sweep through the area. We will first bird the spectacular King Ranch, exploring a range of habitats, from coastal grassland to thorn-scrub and stands of live oak. We then travel to the Rio Grande Valley, home to many exotic birds with tiny U.S. ranges. We should see 200 bird species or more on this tour. Brian Williams and Steve Hoffman will be your guides. The cost is $1550/person (includes double occupancy lodging [single supplement $350], meals, and transportation from Harlingen, Texas). A $375/person deposit reserves your place
Download trip itinerary or bird checklist
Centennial Valley & Red Rock Lakes: May 27–29, 2011
This popular weekend adventure explores Montana’s Centennial Valley and Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Late May is the best time of year to visit this remote, scenic, bird-rich area (still early for mosquitoes, with optimal diversity of migrant and resident birds). In addition to Trumpeter Swans, we will see an abundance of shorebirds, waterfowl, waders, grebes, songbirds, raptors and more. Your guides will be Bob Martinka, Nate Koehler, and Steve Hoffman. The cost is $425/person, and includes lodging, meals, and transportation from Bozeman or Helena. A $100/person deposit will reserve your place. This trip always fills up fast, so please make your reservations as soon as possible!
Here's the Itinerary
Westby Birding: May 30–June 2, 2011
In conjunction with the 2011 Bird Festival, Montana Audubon is offering a birding tour toWestby, located on the MT-ND border in northeastern Montana. This tour is appropriate for both experienced and beginning birders, and coincides with the peak migration of warblers and shorebirds through this area. The trip departs from Glasgow on Monday, May 30, as we travel by van to Westby (the migrant warbler capital!), where we have three full days to bird in this delightful town and the surrounding area.
We may find up to 15 warbler species, all in fresh breeding plumages. Tennessee, Blackpoll, Magnolia, Mourning, American Redstart, and many others are likely possibilities. We will also see many species of sparrows and a variety of shorebirds, including the Piping Plover. We will stay in Plentywood three nights (May 30–June 1), and return to Glasgow on June 2nd in time to attend the Bird Festival. John Carlson and Ted Nordhagen will be your expert birding guides. The cost is $595/person (includes double occupancy lodging [single supplement $120], meals, and transportation from Glasgow). A deposit of $150/person reserves your place.
February Update. This tour is currently full but we are accepting names for the waiting list.
Alaska Denali/Kenai Peninsula: June 18–27, 2011
Explore the amazing diversity of birds and wildlife on this scenic Alaska tour! From Anchorage we will visit Denali National Park to view Dall sheep, Toklat grizzlies, Alaska moose, wolves, and caribou in this vast wilderness area. Later we will travel through miles of alpine tundra searching for Arctic Warblers, Lapland Longspurs and other tundra birds on our way to Lake Louise and Glenallen. One highlight will be the Kenai Fjords tour as we look for dolphins, sea lions & otters, as well as seabirds, including Tufted and Horned Puffins, Common and Thick-billed Murres, and Red-faced Cormorants.
This tour includes a float through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and a visit to the Russian River to observe migrating sockeye salmon and boreal forest birds. Near Homer we will bird in Katchemak Bay and visit Black-legged Kittiwake and Common Murre breeding colonies. This trip has something for everyone, and your expert guides will be Lou Bruno and Ken Tarbox. The cost is $3100/person (includes double occupancy lodging [single supplement $500], meals, and transportation from Anchorage). A deposit of $750/person reserves your place.
Download trip itinerary
Raptor Weekend, Montana: September 23–25, 2011
Join Executive Director Steve Hoffman for an exciting weekend to observe and band migrant hawks and eagles! On Friday we will hike to Raptor View Research Institute’s raptor banding station near Lincoln to observe the capture, banding, and release of migrant hawks and eagles. (These birds are following the Rocky Mountain Front enroute to winter feeding grounds.) We then drive through the spectacular Swan Valley to Bigfork to spend both Friday and Saturday nights. To prepare everyone for Saturday’s spectacular raptor watching, Steve will do an evening raptor identification slideshow. We shall depart early on Saturday morning and drive to beautiful Jewel Basin. From the trailhead we hike to the crest of the Swan Range for close-up, ridgetop viewing of migrant hawks, falcons, and eagles. Finally, on our return trip to Helena on Sunday we will do some roadside raptor watching. The cost is $375/person (includes double occupancy lodging {single supplement $100), meals, and transportation from Helena). A deposit of $100/person will reserve your place
Birding Gambia: October 28–November 11, 2011
2011 tour full with 12 participants
Back by popular demand is a two-week birding tour to The Gambia in West Africa, led by Jeff Marks. Participants will spend two weeks birding the tiny West African country’s savannas, mangrove swamps, and lush forests along the River Gambia. This tour will raise funds for Montana Audubon’s Birds of Montana, our state’s first bird book, and will also support the West African Bird Studies Association, a grassroots conservation group run by Gambian birding guides. The cost is $3,505/person (includes double occupancy lodging [single supplement $350], all meals except lunches (about $5/day), guiding & park fees, boat trips, and transportation from Gatwick, London). A $300/person deposit is due upon reservation, with the balance due by August 1, 2011. For more information, e-mail Jeff at jeff17_marks@msn.com.
More information can be found here.