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Caution! To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording or filming. Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas and important feeding sites. Disturbing or harassing federally Threatened or Endangered species such as the Piping Plover is against the law. This is especially critical in their nesting areas. Please observe and enjoy these birds from a distance. Also stay on roads, trails and paths where they exist and respect private property.
Stanford Bluebirds
Directions: On US 87 in Stanford, turn south at Lewis & Clark National Forest access for Dry Wolf; first bluebird box 2 miles. At 4.2 miles follow signs to Dry Wolf Campground. Retrace route 6.3 miles, turn east on gravel road 5 miles. Turn right at T intersection, following widest, best-graveled roads at any junctions until you reach bluebird box #91 in 10.7 miles. Retrace route to sign for Stanford. Follow signs down Running Wolf drainage to starting point in 11.7 miles.
General Info: Bob Niebuhr's high-occupancy trail has fledged over 7,000 bluebirds since 1992. Best bluebird viewing April through August.
Habitats: Grasslands, coniferous woods, aspen, streamside, burned forest, wetland.
Highlighted Species: Mountain bluebird, mountain chickadee, hairy woodpecker, gray catbird, western tanager, Lazuli bunting, sharp-tailed grouse (perhaps); American dipper (Dry Wolf Campground).
Facilities: Camping, vault toilets, trails Dry Wolf; food, gas, lodging Stanford.
Contact: Lewis & Clark NF (Judith RD) 406-566-2292
Kingsbury Lake Waterfowl Production Area
Directions: From Main Street in Geraldine, turn west onto Kingsbury Road, left onto Geyser Road, then 4 miles to parking area southeast of lake. General info: Cliffs, prairie, shallow marsh that vanishes with low rainfall, make up little-known 3,733 acres at foot of Highwoods. Grassland birds join raptors and, on migration, shorebirds. Watch for rattlesnakes. No fee.
Habitats: Native grassland, marsh, cliffs, shrubby coulees Highlighted species: Sprague's pipit, grasshopper sparrow, vesper's sparrow, clay-colored sparrow, lark sparrow, bobolink (grasslands); perhaps gray partridge, sharp-tailed grouse; golden eagle, ferruginous hawk, Swainson's hawk, prairie falcon, along with short-eared owls at dawn, dusk; rock wrens (cliffs); prairie dog town with burrowing owls well down east side of lake. Long-billed curlews, avocets, upland sandpiper, willet, Wilson's phalarope, marbled godwits, Wilson's snipe breed; migrating shorebirds mid-April to mid-May, and July through mid-September as water level allow. Open year round (hunting in fall); songbirds most visible mid-May through mid-July.
Facilities: Parking lot, no trails, no toilet. Food, gas, Geraldine; lodging Ft. Benton; camping Belt.
Contact: Benton Lake NWR
Kings Hill Scenic Byway
Directions: From junction US 87/89 east of Belt, take US 89 south.
Stops: Sluice Boxes State Park (mile marker 62, follow signs 0.3 miles); Dry Fork Road, 11 miles to fork, then back (mile marker 50, turn east onto gravel road); Memorial Falls (mile marker 35); Winter Recreation Parking Area (mile 30); Kings Hill Campground/Porphyry Peak Lookout (campground at pass, lookout accessed from campground by 1.5-mile road for high-clearance vehicle); Jumping Creek Campground; at milepost 8 leave byway drive west to Newlan Reservoir, making looping route over dam on Road 259, then left (east) onto Highway 360 to White Sulphur Springs, returning to byway north on US 89. Forest Service Travel Map.
General Info: Byway travels up to 7,393 feet elevation, through 71 miles of forests, limestone canyons in Little Belt Mountains, an island range. Stops, detours on less-traveled roads allow for bird watching at different habitats, elevations. Best viewing mid-May through July, with spring arriving latest at highest elevations. No fee.
Habitats: Streamside, cliffs, aspen, shrub, forest, grassland, sagebrush
Highlighted species: Calliope hummingbird, white-throated swift, mountain chickadee on 3/4-mile trail to creek crossing at Sluice Boxes (at trail fork 50 yards from outset, go right to avoid trespassing); red-naped sapsucker, mountain chickadee, drumming ruffed grouse in aspen along Dry Fork Road (be careful not to trespass on private in-holdings miles 3-7. See Travel Map and note orange paint sometimes on posts.) Possible northern pygmy-owl last couple miles before turnaround. American dipper (Memorial Falls); willow flycatcher, dusky flycatcher, MacGillivray's warbler (winter parking); Clark's nutcracker, Steller's jay, Cassin's finch, pine grosbeak at King's Hill/Porphyry Peak; possibly ruffed grouse near campground, dusky grouse (formerly blue grouse) near lookout, hovering rufous or calliope hummingbird near anyone wearing red. At Jumping Creek American dipper, Steller's and gray jays, Swainson's and hermit thrush, sandhill crane. Sandhill crane, common nighthawk east of Newlan Reservoir; spotted sandpiper, western grebe at reservoir; sandhill crane, mountain bluebird, golden and bald eagles, red-tailed hawk, maybe northern goshawk along drive to White Sulphur Springs. Brewer's and vesper sparrows in sagebrush.
Facilities: Vault toilet Sluice Boxes, all 4 campgrounds along byway. All services along byway.
Contact: FWP Region 4; Lewis & Clark NF (Great Falls, Belt Creek RD, White Sulphur Springs RD)
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