Serving North Central Montana since 1981
Become a Member
We invite you to become a member of the local Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon. Members enjoy mutual support and an increased awareness of birds and habitat.
Monthly Meeting
Monday, October 12 at 7pm
In person and Zoom
Zoom meeting:
https://tinyurl.com/4skcx773
Trumpeter Swan Recovery Story is Ongoing
The Trumpeter Swan recovery story is one of the most incredible conservation stories in American history. By the 1930s, due to market and subsistence hunting, only 69 Trumpeters were thought to be in existence and those were in the Yellowstone and Red Rocks area. They survived because most of them didn’t migrate and they were able to winter on hot springs and other open waters in that area. In the last Trumpeter cen-sus in 2015, 63,00 Trumpeters were counted continent-wide.
We hope you will join Lou Bruno and UMBA, Monday, October 12 at 7 pm, to learn and discuss what is happening and what we might do to rectify the situation.
Fall 2026 Calendar
Oct 5—UMBA board meeting, 6:30-7:30 pm, meeting via Zoom
Oct 7 & 21—Bird Walk at Giant Springs, 8:30 am, meet at rangers station. No registration required.
Oct 9—Halloween at Giant Springs for kids, 4:30-6:30 pm. Free, open to public, no registration required
Oct 9—Conserving Montana, 7-9 pm; see page 2
Oct 10—World Migratory Bird Day, October Big Day of Birding
Oct 10—Lake Francis field trip, look for loons and other fall migrants; see page 2
Oct 12—Lou Bruno—Trumpeter Swans east of the divide, current status/challenges
Nov—March—Winter Raptor Surveys, 5 routes surveyed once a month. Watch for more information
Nov 9—Mary Scofield, Motus Tracking and MPG Ranch use, join with Zoom or at FWP
Dec 19—Christmas Bird Count, save the date
eBird Montana
A real-time, online checklist program, eBird and Montana Audubon have set up a unique page just for Montana bird sightings.
What's New
UMBA at State Fair 2026
It was a very hot fair this year (all days above 90 degrees) which might explain the lighter traffic through Nature’s Den. A big THANK-YOU to all the volunteers that kept things running for the 80 hours that the building was open. We tried something new this year – a slide show of birds (still and videos) that ran continuously on a 32” TV. We keep upping the tech at the UMBA fair space each year. This method of giving a show makes giving a slide show portable where a projector cannot be used (and can be done without a laptop as well!). The people that stop by and chat are the real stars. We meet some of the most interesting folks (kids and adults) from all over the globe.
(Anyone willing to lend a portable swamp cooler for use at the fair next year? One fan isn’t enough. Even one more large fan would help. Contact Beth Hill – grizhill@gmail.com)
Bird Forecast —
SUMMER Re-Cap
Summer is quickly fading as the songsters have gone quiet and fall migrants are slipping thorough Montana. Suddenly all the birds that were waking us up an hour before sunrise are silent. During the day the sound of the young Black-headed Grosbeaks has gone as well, although one is stll slipping into the feeder area for a snack of sunflower seeds.
Preventing Window
Strikes
How this “Bird-Friendly Yard”
Site is Different
Most bird-friendly yard websites only urge homeowners to add native plants to increase songbird survival. Of course, this site does also. But the other sites do not show homeowners how to make their yard safe for birds. This website does.
How to Choose a Bird Window Collision System: Compare costs, effectiveness
By Jim Cubie
This video shows you how to choose a good system to stop bird window collisions and what system to avoid. It compares their costs, effect on the view out the window, and explains how they work. It has links to all the vendors and DIY directions for all approved systems
Save the Date
Christmas Bird Count
December 19, 2026
