Elk Lake Resort - Montana Bird Watcher's Paradise

The Centennial Valley offers birders the opportunity to observe 261 bird species - of which 53 species are considered rare or unusual. The Centennial Valley's wilderness nature allows birders to observed birds in their most natural environment

The Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge boasts outstanding habitat diversity. The Wildlife Refuge is considered one of the best birding locations in Montana (home to 70% of Montana's bird species). The Centennial Valley has an outstanding concentration of raptors, including Eagles, Hawks, Owl Species, and Peregrine Falcons. In addition, the birding is fantastic out your cabin door. Elk Lake Resort makes a great base for exploring all the Centennial Valley's habitat regions.

Habitat variety abounds making the Centennial Valley prime birding. Open water, mud flats, aspen stands, willows, grass, sagebrush flats and uplands, conifer forests, rocky outcroppings, and alpine settings combine to make Red Rock Lakes Refuge a bird friendly environment. Elk Lake Resort enjoys its own 'micro-habitat' with a variety of habitat areas - in and around Elk Lake. A brief list, from one man's day in the valley, will give you an idea of an 'average' bird watching excursion.

Summer

In the Willows:
• Common snipes, House Wrens (nest at Elk Lake Resort), Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Song Sparrow

In the Woodlands:
• Wood Peewee, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Kinglets, Western Tanager, White Crowned Sparrow, Tree Swallows, and Cassin's Finch

Around the Lake:
• American avocet, Spotted Sandpiper, Marsh willow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird

On the Lake:
• Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Canadian geese, Trumpeter Swans, and Ospreys (active nest near Elk Lake)

In the Open Areas:
• Mountain bluebirds (nest at Elk Lake Resort), Tree Swallows (nest at Elk Lake Resort), Barn Swallows (nest at Elk Lake Resort), Sandhill Cranes (nest nearby), and raptors including - Bald Eagles (nest near Elk Lake), Golden Eagles (nest near Hidden Lake), Red-Tail Hawks (nest above Elk Lake), Peregrine Falcons (nest near Hidden Lake), Great Horned Owls (seen near Elk Lake Resort), and Burrowing Owls (seen regularly along Elk Lake Road), to name a few.

Rare Birds: Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Refuge lists birds observed infrequently or birds considered outside of their normal range.
• Great Egret (spotted in the past along Elk Springs Creek)
• Whooping Crane
• Wood Duck (observed nesting up at Hidden Lake)
• Turkey Vulture (sighting near Elk Lake Resort)
• Dunlin
• Northern Mockingbird
• Northern Parula
• Black-and-White Warbler
• Northern Oriole
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak (seen on Elk Lake Road)
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Rock Dove

Winter

• Belted Kingfisher
• American Dipper
• Northern Goshawk
• Golden and Bald Eagles
• Blue, Ruffled, and Sharp-Tail Grouse
• Great Grey and Great Horned Owls
• Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers
• Steller's Jay
• Black Billed Magpie
• Clark's Nutcracker
• Common Raven
• Black Capped and Mountain Chickadees
• White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches
• Pine Grosbeak
• Red Crossbill
• Pine Siskin
• Trumpeter Swan
• Canadian Goose
• Mallard
• Common and Barrow's Goldeneye
• American Widgeon
• Bufflehead
• Hooded Merganser
• Although Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Refuge does not list them as resident - Sharp-Tail Grouse, considered by some to be nearly endangered, have wintered at Elk Lake for several years.

A few birds are only seen on Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Refuge in the winter - heading north in the spring. These include:

• Northern Shrike
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Snow Bunting
• American Tree Sparrow
• Common Redpole
• Rosy Finch

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5200 Elk Lake Road, Lima, MT 59739
Just 1 Hour From West Yellowstone, Montana
phone: (406) 276-3282 - ♥ - fax: (406) 276-3399
email: Reservations@elklakeresortmontana.com

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