As dawn breaks over Freezeout Lake near Choteau, the flapping of thousands of wings creates a low hum across the vast valley of Montana’s eastern Rocky Mountain Front.  Visitors flock from all over the country for the renowned spectacle where light geese, swans, and other waterfowl birds desc end in the hundreds of thousands over the course of a monthlong, 2,000- to 3,000-mile migration north. The projected pinnacle of that migration, which typically starts in late-March, is expected to take place this weekend.  The event is more than just an extraordinary spectacle to watch. It’s an important opportunity for environmental education, according to organizers and researchers. “Birding is a huge thing. There is tremendous interest in all things birding,” said Brent Lonner, a biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “The more we can provide information on what’s going on with Freezeout — what we know about certain species of birds and their migration patterns, survivorship and populations — the better we can educate folks.” Montana sits at a critical half-way position for both the Central and Pacific Flyways, the “highways” for hundreds of migratory bird species as they journey from as far as Central America to the Arctic. Aside from its geographical position, Freezeout Lake offers ideal temporary habitat for the traveling birds — among other attributes, a water system of lakes and ponds juxtaposed against agricultural fields provides food, water and space to rest. The stopover location also gives visitors a rare opportunity to see an expansive migratory pattern of wildlife up close.  “I think birding is something that’s sort of universal no matter age or demographics, because it’s free,” said Maggie Carr, a Choteau-based outfitter and organizer of the Wild Wings Festival, an annual celebration and educational event taking place this weekend. “You also don’t have to know that much about birds to be really engaged in the migration, because it’s pretty amazing to watch.” Migratory birds fly overhead near Freezeout Lake in 2022. Credit: courtesy of Maggie Carr For Carr, the festival’s influence is more than a business venture to take advantage of an influx in tourism. It offers an opportunity to connect people — many experiencing the migration for the first time — to a much larger story that spans continents.  “I think anytime people can see how some microcosm or micro-environment is connected to a larger picture, the better it’s understood,” she said. “It’s cool that we are part of the flyway for these birds.” But this year, visitors arriving in Choteau may also see a changing migration pattern influenced by recent weather and climate patterns. Across Montana and much of the West, warmer, drier conditions with below-average moisture have left their impact on waterbodies that typically have a snowpack to feed them, including Freezeout.  According to Lonner, the whole Freezeout Lake system has been at a historically low water level in his tenure of 20 years in the area. He says that the main lake and Priest Butte Lake are much lower than what is considered “normal” due to higher temperatures and lower snowpacks, with a few of the adjoining ponds running completely dry. “The last handful of years, the last two especially, have been harder,” Lonner said in a March interview. “We’re falling more into that severe to extreme-type drought status.”   Those shifts are beginning to alter where certain species show up, with birds like swans and diving ducks that rely on deeper waters among the most impacted. The Freezeout Lake real-time dashboard, run by Montana FWP, shows current bird counts compared to historic averages — as the current migration goes on, swan numbers are registering below normal. Lonner said that this isn’t necessarily because their populations are down, but because they’re redistributing to find better habitat.  Hundreds of thousands of snow geese visit Freezeout Lake during the spring migration near Choteau, Montana, on Sunday, March 15, 2026. Credit: John Stember Lonner said there is value in helping visitors understand the larger picture of the birds’ migration now and in the future. At Freezeout, he said, this education can translate into more mindful spectating.  With light geese stopping at Freezeout to rest and refuel, Lonner said it’s important to ensure they remain as undisturbed as possible. He stressed avoiding triggering a take-off by getting too close, and also suggested tourists should be aware of the birds’ usual times at the lake. They can typically be seen in the morning, before they go to feed in nearby agricultural fields, and again in the late morning until later in the afternoon. Rob Domenech, founder of the Raptor View Research Institute, said that observing the migration at Freezeout can also nurture opportunities for citizen science by helping researchers track birds and build long-term datasets.  Still, Domenech said that, beyond the data and large-scale trends, the greatest value in observing the migration lies in its ability to connect people directly to the landscape. “The spectacle of the geese migration at Freezeout Lake, right on the Rocky Mountain Front, is a great opportunity to watch wildlife,” Domenech said. “More importantly, it’s a great opportunity that fosters an appreciation for nature.” The post The pinnacle of Freezeout Lake migration expected this weekend appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less