What a day and a new road traveled!

What a Day! Sam Koenen and I went for a loop drive from Bozeman to Blacks Ford and then on to Three Forks along the Madison River. The sheer number of Red-breasted Mergansers was staggering, ~42 at Blacks Ford alone. We sighted our FOY Long-billed Curlew and a Loggerhead Shrike at the Greycliff Fishing Access. We next visited the Madison Buffalo Jump State Park where we heard a Sage Thrasher among the multitude of Western Meadowlarks. The Three Forks ponds held a pair of Ruddy Ducks, more Red-breasted Mergansers, and the most cooperative Common Loon. A pair of FOY Osprey were on the nesting platform near the ponds. In a non-bird related note, Sam spied a pair of Western Painted Turtles at the Three Forks State Park along with a White-tailed Jackrabbit at the Cobblestone Fishing Access. We both had 6 FOYs although different constituents on those lists.

Full WilderTrack Trip Report (maps and images) at WilderTrack