Freezeout2 – Images by Jason Savage
Made it back up to Freezeout Lake this morning for some frigid shooting! Lots of snow and wind before sunrise. Bird numbers have continued to drop since the middle of this last week, but there are still thousands of Snow Geese, last estimate was 20,000. Tons of Pintails, Mallards and Swans as well. I think this weekend will be the last good one. Beautiful day with passing snow flurries, bits of light here and there and crisp early spring air.
More from Freezeout Lake
Freezeout Lake. Canon 7d, 500mm f4, 1.4tc
I was up at Freezeout Lake yesterday and boy how things have changed from a week ago! Last Sunday when I was there I think the count was around 5,000 swans and a few thousand snow geese. Well as of yesterday the snow geese numbers went from a few thousand to over a hundred thousand! Needless to say there were a ton of birds and even with a lot of ice on the water, there was still a fair amount of open water and spectacular bird viewing.
Yesterday’s weather improved and the afternoon brought passing clouds with plenty of sun. Today however,not as pleasant with rain and snow showers. I am taking a guess, but I would say that the peak of the season may be sometime this week, there is just an amazing amount of birds there and it should stay that way for a bit. So if you’re in the area and can swing it, I think this week would be the week to go. Hopefully weather will improve and give us some spring weather already!
A few birds at Freezeout Lake, Montana. Canon 7d, 500mm, 1.4tc
Fields near Freezeout Lake, Montana. Canon 7d, 500mm f4,1.4tc
Freezeout Lake update
Freezeout Lake 2011. Canon 7d, 500mm f4, 1.4tc
I drove up to Freezeout Lake yesterday morning to check the status of birds and weather and also to test out a new lens. Lots of snow on the ground and at least in the morning the roads were a little treacherous. Birds have been off to a slow start and on Sunday there were around 5,000 swans and a few thousand snow geese. Duck numbers were looking pretty good and quite a few Pintails flying around.
I checked the Freezeout Hotline this afternoon and they said snow geese numbers are now around 10,000. The spring migration is definitely behind this year and there is still a fair amount of ice on the water. Forecast for today and tomorrow doesn’t look the greatest with another winter storm dumping up to a foot in the valleys in places and a couple of feet in the mountains. They estimate bird numbers should be increasing by this next weekend and viewing opportunities will be better.
If you are planning on traveling to central Montana for the migration, Freezeout Lake has a hotline that updates the bird counts daily. 406-467-2646
Spring Coming?
Trees. Eastern, Washington
Wasn’t there some prediction from the Ground Hog here recently that we would be on our way to greener pastures? Hmm…In Montana we are now approaching that crazy time of year where winter seems like it’s never retreating and if you have some form of seasonal affective disorder, you start going a little nutty.
We had some well below zero temps this last week and what looks like some more snow in the future . Good news is in a few weeks some of that will be easing up and some more exciting things will be happening in the state that will take our minds off the endless winter and start to signal a change in the seasons.
The annual Snow Geese migration will be happening in a few weeks with hundreds of thousands of birds making their way north with a layover at Freezeout Lake in central Montana. Photographers and Birdwatchers are gearing up for this event and if you haven’t had a chance to check out the migration, you really should as it’s an awesome testament to the power of life and nature. Really an unforgettable experience to see that many birds together.
I plan on being up there for a few days, so should have some images to share here soon.
Currently I have been traveling on assignment for PBS in Wyoming and Washington State for a continuation of images for their upcoming series America Revealed. It looks to be an interesting series on the infrastructure of America hosted by Yul Kwon and should be out next year. You can find out more here.
Hopefully I will again be more diligent with some regular postings and have more images to share. Now let’s hope for some sunshine at least:)
Freezeout Lake 2009
Swans at Freezeout Lake.©Jason Savage
Just got back from a quick trip up to Freezeout Lake yesterday. It’s still a little early in the season, as nearly all the ponds are frozen. There is a little bit of open water, but not much.
For those who aren’t familiar with Freezout Lake, it’s located near Choteau, and is a major stopping point for the Snow Geese and other birds on their way up north. The count on the Snow Geese can get into the hundreds of thousands and it’s one of the most impressive bird displays I have ever encountered.
People travel from all around to witness this amazing event and to see the different birds that are arriving.
As of yesterday, I think the count on the Snow Geese was around thirty-thousand and will continue to grow over the next couple weeks. There were also a fair numbers of Swans and Pintails.
Snow Geese.©Jason Savage
Having limited shooting time lately, it was Murphy’s Law or something like that, that the weather was for the birds (no pun, seriously). But as luck would have it, the weather forecast doesn’t always hold true and I was granted a few breaks in the rain clouds for a little sunlight. Overall it was a beautiful day at Freezeout and I look forward to the upcoming weeks.
Snow Geese.©Jason Savage
With the warm temps, the ice should be gone soon and lots more action to see.
If you haven’t made the trip before, I would highly recommend it.
