Raptor fest continues at ski area

The Bridger Raptor Festival, a celebration of largest known golden eagle migration in North America, will continue today at Bridger Bowl Ski Area in the Deer Park Chalet.

Workshops will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free. The public is welcome and is invited to hike to the top of Bridger Ridge to view raptor migration.

The approximately two-hour hike up a marked trail is physically challenging, with an elevation gain of 2,500 feet over about 2.5 miles. Hikers should be prepared for changing weather conditions.

Ridge hikers will be able to see golden eagles and many other migrating raptors, including bald eagles, sharp-shinned hawks, peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks. Golden eagles are the primary bird of prey migrating at the site during the fall, with more than 250 golden eagles counted on peak days. The Bridger Mountains are the site of the largest known concentration of migrating golden eagles in the lower 48 states.

Raptor experts will be available on the ridge to assist in bird identification and to answer questions. Peak migration may be observed anytime between the last week of September through mid-October. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars.

Workshops will offer programs on basic raptor identification, binocular use and features, nest monitoring, ecology of raptors and raptor rehabilitation.

Brochures with information on the raptor migration and assistance with motel reservations are available by calling Central Reservations, 800-223-9609. For additional information, call Bev Dixon at the Gallatin National Forest, 587-6752.

The Bridger Raptor Festival is a cooperative project among Bridger Bowl, the Gallatin National Forest, HawkWatch International and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.