This month’s podcast is the second in a three-part series about deepening in connection with a special place in nature through the seasons. The place is Lake Helena, Montana, USA, a complex of mudflats, wetlands and more that is one of my special spots in nature. The first part (in case you missed it) was about the spring migration of shorebirds to the Arctic and the profusion of sounds and birds in the wetlands. Now we return in late June and early July with the mystery of the American bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus), the start (so soon!) of fall shorebird migration, a flock of swallows in the marsh, and the small intricacies of a few insects along the shore. I hope you enjoy listening!

This narration includes lots of natural sounds that I recorded—an American bittern and many Wilson’s snipes (Gallinago delicata) from Willow Creek Reservoir, Lewis and Clark County, Montana; some common nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) from other sites in Montana; and many sounds from Lake Helena itself—common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris), bank swallows (Riparia riparia), marbled godwits (Limosa fedoa), spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularis), killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), a Virginia rail (Rallus limicola), and a few unidentified flies.

You can find the written version of this story, illustrated with my photos, here: https://wildwithnature.com/2024/08/01/bitterns-bank-swallows/
Montana Audubon coordinates the Important Bird Area in Montana, of which Lake Helena is part. Learn more about their conservation work at https://mtaudubon.org/. And finally, many thanks to Logan Kahle for allowing me to mention his common nighthawk observations at Lake Helena!