Montana Spring Bird Migration Photography Workshop Tour

Montana Spring Bird Migration Photo Workshop Tour

Dates: March 24-27, 2024

Price: $1400.00  Workshop price is for instruction only. Transportation. lodging and meals are students’ responsibility. We will carpool. This special class is limited to only 4 students to ensure the best experience. Act quickly if you want in! 

Lodging: The Stage Stop Inn in Choteau 406-466-5900. Contact the hotel directly to get the special group discount.

If flying, Great Falls is the closest airport with Kalispell, Montana, also an option. 

Itinerary: We will base out of the small town of Choteau, Montana. 

Sunday, March 24- Meet and greet at the Stage Stop Inn in Choteau. We will go out for sunset at Freezeout Lake. 

Monday, March 25- Birding at Freezeout Lake. 

Tuesday, March 26- Birding at Freezeout Lake

Wednesday, March 27- Birding at Freezeout Lake, old granaries. The workshop concludes after the morning field session. 

Location:  Montana Spring Birding Photo Workshop Tour

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 of 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 3^rd 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 we 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 the early evening. I must note that the exact dates of the biggest concentration of birds can vary somewhat (though there will be many birds on 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. Not only will this be an unforgettable nature experience, but a great way to improve your bird photography skill level. 

EQUIPMENT SUGGESTIONS For Montana Spring Birding Photo Tour: A sturdy tripod is a necessity for good landscapes. Participants should have a working knowledge of their equipment (know which button does what!) before the workshop. I suggest a SLR camera with a wide-angle lens (17-35mm range) and  a telephoto lens up in the  300-500mm range 

Not available to attend this photo tour? Checkout my Theodore Roosevelt National Park Photo Tour in June 2024 or  Glacier National Park Photo Tour in July 2024

2 WAYS TO REGISTER: 

*My Preferred Payment 1) DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION & WAIVER FORM  – 2024 Workshop Register form copy 3 2

FILL OUT COMPLETELY AND MAIL WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER  TO:

Chuck Haney Photography
608 Pine Place
Whitefish, MT 59937

2) ONLINE REGISTRATION (Payment via Paypal) *PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American company operating a worldwide online payments system that supports online money transfers and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods like checks and money orders.