Montana Spring Bird Migration with Chuck Haney

One of the great joys each spring here in Montana is my annual visit to Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area to witness the spectacle of tens of thousands migrating birds. I’ve been documenting the migration for nearly 30 years and it never gets old. The main attraction is the arrival of huge flocks of snow geese. Generally speaking, the best time to visit is the 3rd week of March (when we will be there). There are also thousands of majestic tundra swans and numerous species of ducks including numerous northern pintails with their elegant courtship flights. To cap it all off  is the amazing landscape in which which will be experiencing with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains looming ever present in the background. The landscape shooting is also stellar and we will visit several old granaries in the area.

I guarantee that you will be blown away, especially when witnessing the mass blast offs of the snow geese at dawn and again in early evening. I must note that the exact dates of the biggest concentration of birds can vary somewhat (though there will be many birds at our dates). Also, the weather can vary from pleasant to extremely windy with snow and cold. It’s Montana in spring! So dress for all conditions.

We will be shooting near roadways with minimal hiking. Don’t feel like you have to bring a monster 600mm telephoto lens. I do great with the 100-500mm and often use my 24-105 wide angle to capture the snow geese taking off with great success. I am including a special seminar by Donald Jones at the hotel during a break in the action. Simply put Don is one of the most accomplished and knowledgeable bird/wildlife photographers in the business. Not only will this be an unforgettable nature experience, but a great way to improve your bird photography skill level.