Sandhill Cranes and Baird’s Sandpipers: Lake Helena part 3
Join field biologist and naturalist Shane Sater for the third and final installment of his Lake Helena IBA podcast series.
Listen here: Sandhill Cranes and Baird’s Sandpipers: Lake Helena part 3 (available in English and Spanish)
A western sandpiper, quite similar to the semipalmated but with longer, gently-curved bill. Photo courtesy of Shane Sater.
In this episode, take an audio tour of the late-summer birds found at Lake Helena, one of 42 Important Bird Areas in the state. Listen to the resonant calls of Sandhill Cranes, remember summer sounds of Red-Winged Blackbirds, and study the kreeps and prreeps of shorebirds as you visit Lake Helena in the late summer. And, make sure to visit the link above to see more of Shane’s photographs.
A Baird’s sandpiper, its wings clearly extending well beyond the tail. Photo courtesy of Shane Sater.
In early September (after this podcast aired), a group of birders found a Red Knot at Lake Helena IBA- see photos, and learn more about the sighting, here: https://ebird.org/species/redkno/L158589
One of the sandhill cranes calls among ring-billed gulls before departing the reservoir. Photo courtesy of Shane Sater.
Lake Helena Important Bird Area, located in Lewis and Clark County, MT, is an important site for both breeding and migratory birds. The site’s open water is surrounded by riparian cottonwood and willow vegetation, native prairie, marshland, hay meadows, and pasture. Where Prickly Pear Creek empties into the lake, a unique delta with gravel and sandbar features forms. Over 200 species have been recorded using the habitat, including Species of Concern like Long-billed Curlew and Bobolink. During the breeding season, Bald Eagles and Short-eared Owls regularly nest there.
To find out more about Important Bird Areas in Montana, as well as Montana Audubon’s other conservation and citizen science initiatives, visit mtaudubon.org.