Freezout Lake WMA on a Cloudy Day

A week ago I looked at my schedule and decided I had better plan an outing to Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area for spring bird migration. The recorded message for the state Wildlife Management Area said the birds were coming in smaller groups, not such big waves and this was probably due to early warm weather.

We’ve had an incredibly mild winter, and I’m not complaining about that, but I also realize what it does to our wildlife and vegetation. And, there’s that little issue of moisture too.

I woke up an hour earlier than usual so I could be on the road and at Freezout by sunrise. I checked the forecast before I left my house and it didn’t look great – major cloud cover, 80% chance of rain. But, sometimes that changes and things clear off. I was ready – cameras and warm jacket packed, coffee in my go-cup, and a banana.

It was still dark so I was taking the attitude of an optimist – things could get much better when the sun comes up (a small quote from the musical Annie!). As I drove north on US Hwy 89 nothing changed although it wasn’t bright enough yet to tell if the clouds were going to part.

My entire take on the day was – a cloudy and crisp weather day out birdwatching is better than no day at all out of the office!

I did see quite a few birders, many with out of area license plates, so I hope they had also been able to birdwatch on some clear days. The entire Wildlife Management Area was peaceful and serene and I just let that shape my take on the outing.

My favorite photo of the day had an incredibly foggy background, a few birds swimming on one of the ponds and you could see a silhouette of several trees. So pretty!

I’m heading in the same direction in a few days for a meeting in Choteau and I just may leave a couple hours early and take the tour route at Freezout.

Yes, I love my job!

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