Map Aims to Help Tourists Locate Birds

By CLAIR JOHNSON
Of the Gazette Staff

Birding alert: The Custer Country tourism organization has
a new map that identifies 15 areas in southeastern Montana where people can go bird-watching. All places are easy to reach, and all are areas where people can see a large
number of species.

Custer Country's "Southeastern Montana Birding Trail" is
a glossy color brochure that identifies sites along the Yellowstone River from Billings to Glendive as well as more remote places like near Ekalaka and south of Ashland.

Custer Country decided to tap into a large segment of recreationists - bird-watchers.

"It's getting to be a huge industry. Lots of people spend lots of money to watch birds," said Jim Schaefer, executive director of Custer Country in Forsyth.
"We could have picked three places in Billings and left it at
that. But we want people to see the meadowlarks down in Ekalaka and the vultures in Glendive," Schaefer said.
"We want people to see the different species that others
don't."

Custer Country worked closely with state and federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to pick the best and most accessible places to find the greatest number
of species, Schaefer said.

The 15 places selected include some that are well-known
and others not so much.

In the Billings area, the trail includes Lake Elmo and Pictograph Cave state parks as well as Rehberg Ranch Estates subdivision west of the airport.

Within the new residential subdivision are 50 acres of dedicated natural park land. The site is "unique in its proximity to a major urban area and its surprisingly remote natural environment," the brochure says.

The habitat of year-round springs, deep ravines, ponderosa pine and prairie grasslands attracts uncommon species like the lesser goldfinch and more common birds like the meadowlark and robin. Birders can also spot raptors, like the prairie falcon, common nighthawks, wrens, shrikes, warblers and other species.

Pompeys Pillar National Monument, about 25 miles east of Billings on the Yellowstone River, is another area on the trail. There birders can see belted kingfishers, spotted towhees, black-headed grosbeaks and Lazuli buntings, to name a few
of the 30 species listed for the area.

Schaefer recalled seeing baby owls while visiting the site.

"That was a hoot," he said. "That wasn't even intentional," he added with a laugh.

The McNab Pond in the Ekalaka Hills is offered as a side trip
to Medicine Rocks State Park south of Baker. The pond is in
a pristine area surrounded by pine trees, hills, deciduous
trees and berry bushes and attracts eared grebes, long-billed curlews and sage grouse plus other species.

And while not mentioned in the brochure, Schaefer said the Ekalaka area has some of the highest numbers of mating pairs of bald eagles in the state.

Schaefer credited Rose Emily Longan, a bird-watcher in Roundup and former president of Custer Country, with being instrumental in developing the region's birding trail. Custer Country expanded on Roundup's River Walk Heritage Trail,
a trail along the Musselshell River valley. More than 80 bird species can be seen along the trail in the spring and summer, he said.

The brochure and trail map were produced with funding from the bed tax and from Custer Country's membership account, Schaefer said. Travel Montana, which is encouraging the development of birding trails through out the state, also provided funding.

The brochure provides a map of the region and directions for finding each area. There is general information about each location, like historical facts, a habitat description, bird species likely to be seen, the best viewing season, facilities available and a contact telephone number.

Custer Country has received permission from the Audubon Society to have the brochure in two of its nature centers in Texas and California, and "that will really help us," Schaefer said.

People locally can find the brochures at most chambers of commerce, government offices like the BLM and FWP, retail stores like Wild Birds Unlimited and most motels in Billings and Hardin.

The brochure also is available online at custercountry.com
and by calling the organization at 406-346-1876.

Contact Clair Johnson at cjohnson@billingsgazette.com or 657-1282.
Published on Saturday, November 24, 2007.
Last modified on 11/24/2007 at 1:41 am

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