Birds of St Mary Peak Volunteer Training- 6:30 pm

Join members and volunteers from Bitterroot Audubon and the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation on Thursday, June 30th for a "meet and greet" and bird walk in the area of the St. Mary's Peak trailhead. Our organizations are partnering to develop bird-related outreach materials for the volunteer hosts at the St. Mary Peak fire lookout. This initial gathering will serve to orient people to some of the common bird species seen and heard along the trail, discuss how people can contribute bird observations to the eBird "checklist" for the area, and discuss how our groups might partner moving forward. 

We will meet at the trailhead parking lot at 6:30. Trailhead access is along a long, winding Forest Service road, with some rough spots near the top. Plan on about a 45 minute drive from the highway/bottom of Indian Prairie Loop. After initial introductions and thoughts, we will split into two groups based on peoples' interests and abilities. One group will walk the Forest Service road down from the trailhead, and the other will walk up the hiking trail. Birding will be great in all directions!! Anyone not able to walk or be on their feet for a few hours could bird via car driving back down the road. 

What you should bring:

• Binoculars and bird guides if you have them
• Field gear, water, and snacks to be out for 2 hours
• Your ears! Forest birds are actually seldom seen! So be prepared for some intense training in birding by song and call!

We will provide paper copies of the existing eBird checklist for the St Mary hotspot. 

You will need to register for this training by Tuesday June 28 by contacting Susan Nelson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) from Bitterroot Audubon or Krissy Ferriter (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) from SBFCF. 

We encourage car-pooling! If you are interested in car-pooling, please let Susan or Krissy know when registering for this trip. 

Can’t make the trip? Bird when you want on the trail or within two miles of the trailhead. Just make sure to submit your list to eBird and use the “St. Mary Peak Trail” Hotspot on 

Curious what you might see or hear? Kate Stone and Estelle Shuttleworth observed these species recently:St. Mary Peak Trail, Ravalli, Montana, US 
Jun 18, 2022 7:33 AM - 9:08 AM 
Protocol: Traveling 
2.0 mile(s) 
Checklist Comments: Birded beginning of trail and road within 1 mile of trailhead 
31 species Dusky Grouse  1 
Northern Goshawk  1 
Hairy Woodpecker  1 
Northern Flicker  1 
Cassin's Vireo  2 
Warbling Vireo  3 
Steller's Jay  2 
Mountain Chickadee  4 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  8 
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4 
Red-breasted Nuthatch  4 
Mountain Bluebird  1 
Townsend's Solitaire  2 
Swainson's Thrush  9 
Hermit Thrush  2 
American Robin  2 
Evening Grosbeak  2 
Red Crossbill  2 
White-winged Crossbill  1 
Pine Siskin  11 
Chipping Sparrow  7 
Fox Sparrow  1    
Dark-eyed Junco  5 
Brown-headed Cowbird  2 
Orange-crowned Warbler  1 
MacGillivray's Warbler  1 
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4 
Townsend's Warbler  6 
Western Tanager  6 
Black-headed Grosbeak  2 
Lazuli Bunting  1 
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S113232386