Articles
75 posts
Plan a Bird Count, Avoid Duplicate Tallies and Summarize Results
How to plan a prairie or wetland bird count, record location, effort and method, avoid counting the same bird twice, and summarize each session without overstating results.
Adjust Nikon PROSTAFF P3 Binocular Spacing, Eyecups, Focus and Diopter
How to set up Nikon PROSTAFF P3 binoculars: eyecup position, eyepiece spacing, central focus and the right-eye diopter, in the order Nikon recommends.
Choose Equipment, Exposure and Focus for Beginner Bird Photography
A beginner's guide to bird photography: weighing camera gear, balancing shutter speed, aperture and ISO, choosing autofocus modes, and framing for clear features.
Match Thick-billed and McCown’s Longspur Names and Identify the Species
Thick-billed Longspur and McCown’s Longspur are one species, Rhynchophanes mccownii. Learn its field marks by plumage, its shortgrass prairie habitat and where to find Montana references.
Identify Bobolinks by Size, Structure and Seasonal Plumage
How big is a Bobolink? Measurements, comparison species, head and bill shape, and how breeding males differ from females and nonbreeding males in grassland habitat.
Identify Wilson's Phalarope and Understand Its Wetland Use and Migration
How to recognize Wilson's Phalarope in breeding, nonbreeding and juvenile plumage, how its spinning feeding style ties it to wetlands, and where it breeds, stages and winters.
Western and Eastern Meadowlarks: Identification Clues
How to recognize a meadowlark and separate Western from Eastern: shared plumage, malar and tail-edge clues, and why song is the most reliable field mark.
Bird Identification Using Size, Shape, Descriptions and Photos
How to identify a black or dark-looking prairie bird: build a regional candidate list, compare size and shape, record field notes, and read photo-app results as leads, not verdicts.
Identifying Montana Grasses and Sedges
How to identify Montana grasses and sedges in the field: what to record about blades, stems and flowering structures, and how to compare candidates with a Montana reference.
Yellow-headed Blackbird Identification and Wetland Habitat
How to recognize male and female Yellow-headed Blackbirds by plumage and voice, and what regional references say about their cattail marsh and emergent wetland habitat.