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Participants in all trips will meet at the front parking lot of the Museum of the Rockies at 6:45 a.m. and leave at 7:00 a.m. unless otherwise noted. Car pools will be arranged at the museum; a dollar or two for gas to the person driving is always appreciated but not mandatory. Dress for the weather; good footwear is a must as field trip conditions are not always dry. Put cell phones in your car and keep unnecessary conversations to a minimum. Contact the trip leader for more details about any trip. We encourage beginning birders to participate. Come have a good time and learn something new.

May 9: East Gallatin Recreation Area
Leader: Lou Ann Harris, 587-2777
(4-hour trip; easy walking)
This trip covers several habitats in a relatively small area. In the wet riparian areas bordering the East Gallatin River are many early migrants including warblers. The grasslands, brushy areas and lake will provide many opportunities for sparrows, swallows and water birds. At this location, nearly anything is possible.

May 16: Sacajawea Audubon's Field Day
Sacajawea Audubon will present a ÒField DayÓ on Saturday, May 16, 2009. This is a day long series of events, beginning with a morning field trip followed by afternoon workshops. There is no fee and it is not necessary to be a SAS member in order to participate. All events are open to the public and are free.

Morning field trip (6:45 am to 12:00 pm): John Parker will lead a 4 to 5-hour field trip up Mount Ellis. We will explore a variety of habitats including grassland, aspen meadow and conifer forest edge, while we look for early spring migrants such as Red-naped Sapsucker and Orange-crowned Warblers, and several species of sparrows, among many others. The trip will involve 3 miles walking on a moderately strenuous trail. Meet at the front parking lot of the Museum of the Rockies at 6:45 am; and leave at 7:00 am. The field trip will return to the museum at noon. Contact: John Parker, 586-5863.

Afternoon workshops: (1:00 pm to 4:15 pm): Byron Butler will offer two workshops. The first workshop, Improving Your Birding Skills, will begin at 1:00 pm and run until 2:30 pm. The second workshop, from 2:45 pm to 4:15 pm will be Essentials of Bird Identification. Both workshops will cover basic birdwatching skills for novice and mid-level birders. The workshops will take place in the large conference room at the Bozeman Public Library.

Participants are encouraged to bring field guides, writing pads for taking notes, and are encouraged to ask questions. Brown bag lunches and snacks are allowed in the conference room, so bring your favorite treats. Please RSVP: Byron K. Butler, Program Chair, SAS.
Ph: (219) 309-0917. email: byronkbutlermt@gmail.com

May 23: Sourdough Nature Trail
Leader: Andrew Guttenberg 585-2623
(3-hour trip; easy walking)
After leaving the MOR parking lot, this trip will begin at the Goldenstein entrance. The trail is an easy, level stroll following Sourdough Creek. This trip is at the peak of spring migration so we should see and hear a variety of flycatchers, thrushes and warblers.

May 30: Mission Creek
Leader: Robin Wolcott, 582-0070
(Until mid-afternoon; bring a lunch)
After leaving Bozeman, we will meet at AlbertsonÕs parking lot in Livingston at 7:30 a.m. and then leave from there at 7:45 a.m. Car-pooling is essential. In rolling prairie we may find McCownÕs Longspur, Long-billed Curlew, raptors, Mountain Bluebirds and pronghorns. In the Mission Creek Valley we will watch for Wild Turkeys and listen for warblers, and watch for crossbills in the spruce forest. On the return trip we may see Lark Buntings. Wehave seen over 110 species along this route, including SpragueÕs Pipit, Upland Sandpiper, and Broad-winged Hawk, but we usually average about 75 species. This trip is for all skill levels.

June 5-7: Please join us at the 2009 Montana Audubon Bird Festival in Great Falls, MT.
See www.mtaudubon.org. Festival participants typically have a lot of fun, meet a lot of bird enthusiasts from around Montana, and learn more about the birds in the area and beyond. Field trips and Saturday presentations and banquet are festival highlights. Contact Montana Audubon or go to www.mtaudubon.org. Kids or grandkids welcome. Come join the fun June 5-7.

June 13: Sypes Canyon
Leader: Ron Farmer, 586-3987
(3 to 4-hour trip; moderately strenuous)
The trail begins in an aspen grove where we may find Lazuli Buntings, Warbling Vireos and Yellow Warblers. On a dry hillside we may see a Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrows and TownsendÕs Solitaires. In a mixed willow, cottonwood and conifer habitat we can expect SwainsonÕs Thrush, both species of chickadees and juncos. Grouse and Gray Jays are possible at a higher elevation. Expect a moderate to steep uphill walk.

June 20: Trail Creek to Battle Ridge
Leader: Jeff Pentel, 586-3534
(Until mid-afternoon; bring a lunch to eat at Battle Ridge)
We travel through a variety of habitat, from lowland riparian to juniper woodlands and high-altitude forest,
focusing on birding by sound and sight. We have seen almost 100 species on this trip, including Ovenbird, Cordilleran Flycatcher, and Broad-tailed Hummingbird. At Battle Ridge Campground we have seen Blackbacked Woodpeckers and WilliamsonÕs Sapsuckers. Walking is easy, and a spotting scope would be helpful for viewing waterfowl and shorebirds at Cottonwood Reservoir.

We will assemble at 7:30 am on June 27 in Cooke City, Montana for a day of viewing and photographing nesting birds in the Beartooth Mountains of Wyoming. A local area guide will take us to nests of various species, including Williamson's and Red-naped Sapsuckers, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Violet-green Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch and House Wren. Other possible species are American Three-toed Woodpecker, Great Gray Owl and Northern Pygmy-Owl and any other species our guide will have located for us.
Mid-afternoon our guide will depart and I will lead the participants to the Beartooth Pass to see Black Rosy-Finch on their feeding grounds. From the summit we will continue on the famous Beartooth Highway, one of the most scenic drives in the United States, to Red Lodge, birding along the way. The trip will terminate at Red Lodge.
There will be no long hikes and the amount of physical exertion will be small. Bring your cameras!

The trip is limited to a maximum of 12 participants (firm), on a first come basis. There is a fee of $10 per person for SAS member, $15 per person for non-SAS members. SAS members will be given preference. Pre-registration is required. The fee is non-refundable unless someone takes your place. Arrangements for lodging or camping in or near Cooke City should be made as soon as possible.

Contact: Byron K. Butler, Program Chair, Sacajawea Audubon Society
Bozeman Ph: (219) 309-0917 email: byronkbutlermt@gmail.com