“Building on the tradition of special interest in birds, Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society is organized to promote enjoyment and protection of natural environment through education, activism, and conservation of bird habitat.”
Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society hosts a Public Program Series with a featured speaker September through May on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Mayflower Congregational Church. Members, the general public and visitors to the Billings area who are interested in birds, bird habitat and conservation are invited to join us. YVAS sponsors birding field trips, ornithology classes, the Christmas Bird Count, a monthly newsletter, and various conservation and educational projects. Feel free to contact any Board or Committee member for more information.
For the latest news and updates, see the December 2024/January 2025 newsletter, The Flyer.
Visit us on Facebook – the link is in the upper right-hand corner.
Join a birding trip – 2024 Bird Field Trip Schedule.
The YVAS mailing address is YVAS, PO Box 1075, Billings MT 59103.
Emmy Award-winning wildlife cinematographer, Bob Landis has shared his experiences filming wildlife in Denali and Yellowstone National Park annually at Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society’s December meetings. The tradition continues when Landis will show his latest highlights from this past year. Included are clips from his recently completed raven documentary, osprey nesting behavior, a kestrel defending its nest, bison calves at play and adults fighting, swans migrating, pikas hooting, a grizzly family at Blacktail Pond and a few token wolves. This year for the first time, there will be footage of people interacting with wildlife along the road. The program is 45 minutes long and is personally narrated by Landis.
His work has appeared in National Geographic and on PBS’s Nature. His favorite, “In the Valley of the Wolves,” aired on Nature in 2007. Currently, a new National Geographic production on wolves will air in January 2025.
In recent years, Landis and his partner Dale Johnson, have coproduced several films about wildlife in Yellowstone. They are in the final stages of producing a film about ravens. All of these films can be seen on YouTube.
Preceding the Landis presentation will be a Silent Auction with eight of Helen Carlson Cummings’ beautiful owl photographs and drawings by Montana Artists. To preview these pictures and for more information, please see the current Flyer for more details.
The Silent Auction begins at 6:15 p.m. and the program starts at 7:00 p.m. at the Mayflower Congregational Church. The program is free and open to the public.
Cedar Waxwings
2024 Audubon Christmas Bird Count
All Volunteers Welcome
The CBC is long-term citizen science data gathering study started in 1900 by National Audubon and conducted in Billings for the first time about 1940. This year it will be held on December 14th. Each person is assigned to an area with specific boundaries and a count leader. Beginning birders are welcome! More CBC information and how to sign up can be found here.
Upcoming YVAS Birding Field Trips 2024
Unless otherwise noted, field trips are open to the public and depart at 8:00 a.m. by car from the Rocky Mountain College parking lot on Rimrock Road next to Billings Studio Theater. Make transportation and carpooling arrangements ahead of time if possible.
December 14, Saturday – Christmas Bird Count. Jerry Dalton, leader.
January 1, Wednesday – Annual New Year’s trip to Yellowtail Dam Afterbay. Meet at Rocky at 8 a.m. Sack lunch. Ron Kuhler, leader.
January 5, Sunday – Mid-Winter Eagle Count. Sack lunch. Mike Weber, leader.
Lawsuit Filed on behalf of Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society – Killing of Native Migratory Birds to Save Nonnative Fish
Ospreys – Edie Linneweber
On behalf of Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society, Earthjustice filed a complaint against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) for allowing the State of Montana to shoot and kill migratory birds in order to protect nonnative fish species.
The November 14, 2024 press release, “Conservation Group Sues Feds Over Fish Hatchery Shooting Migratory Birds” can be found on the Earthjustice website.
In 2018, the US Fish Wildlife Service began issuing Osprey Depredation Permits to the Miles City Hatchery allowing them to kill native migratory Ospreys that were eating their nonnative largemouth bass. With the approval of the US Fish Wildlife Service and the Dept. of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, the eastern most breeding population of Ospreys on the Yellowstone River was lethally removed by the MT Fish Wildlife & Parks’ Hatchery Division at the Miles City Hatchery in less than two years.
Great Blue Heron
Hundreds of native migratory birds have been shot at the Hatchery including Great Blue Herons, Double-crested cormorants, Canada Geese and Ospreys. YVAS and others immediately protested this practice and the permit process.
YVAS, Earthjustice and others are vigorously pursuing corrective measures to this lethal management of native birds and misguided permit process.
For more information see:
Journal of Raptor Research – Range Contraction of an Osprey Population Following Lethal Control at a State Fish Hatchery in Montana by Dr. Marco Restani
Billings Gazette – FWP’s Bluewater Hatchery contaminated by mudsnails 2nd time in 2 years
Shooting Birds at the Miles City Hatchery (070821) and Protect The Wild Fishing Birds Of Eastern Montana (121321).
Recycle Your Aluminum with YVAS and Support YVAS’ Educational Fund
Aluminum cans, old license plates, signs and other aluminum items (magnet will not attach) can be dropped off in secure bags at 918 Avenue C by the garage or they can be left with a board member at the Chapter Meetings September through May (information above). The refund received go toward YVAS’ Education Fund which supports a variety of projects – educational signs in public parks, Citizen Science Kits at the Billings Public Library and educational projects as requested. If you have several bags, call Larry (406-855-9832) and he will be happy to pick it up.
We want your photos!
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