Helena, Montana - April 2003

On April 22nd, I started a week in Montana - Helena and Missoula.  The weather was great, scenery beautiful, and the birding wasn't too bad either.  Although I've found, since I've started taking pictures, that if the birding is less than great, the photography 
DSC01545a.JPG (31567 bytes) Along Lincoln Road northeast of Helena
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DSC01567.jpg (29565 bytes) Along the Missouri River on Hauser Dam Road
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DSC01579.jpg (41351 bytes) Hauser Dam along the Missouri
DSC01610a.jpg (24670 bytes) This very cooperative Common Loon kept finding stuff to eat right next to the road.  Unfortunately he was just out of the range of useful telephoto photography most of the time.  But these two shot were worthwhile.  And I like the lower one - how often do you get a picture of a Loon looking right at you?
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DSC01622a.jpg (17902 bytes) This was an accident.  I had intended to take this picture, but I thought the bird flew away just as I took it.  Imagine my surprise when I downloaded the photos later in the evening.