Marco Restani of Montana Audubon will be the featured speaker at Flathead Audubon’s annual meeting on Monday.

His presentation, “Swets in My Nets,” will focus on the migration ecology of northern saw-whet owls and the techniques used to run an owl banding station.

Twice each year, millions of birds migrate north and south across the planet in search of food, mates and a better climate. Migrations of some species are visible during the day, but many more migrate at night, under cover of darkness, safe from predators to exploit cooler and calmer air.

Professional biologists and enthusiastic hobbyists work through the night to capture and band thousands of northern saw-whet owls each autumn to learn about the haunts and habits of this charismatic little bird. A coordinated network of banding stations called “Project Owlnet” spans the continent from coast to coast. Restani operated a station in central Minnesota for five years.

Restani is the director of conservation at Montana Audubon and a former wildlife ecology professor at St. Cloud State University. He has studied raptors in Montana since 1987.

The meeting includes a silent auction and will take place May 9 at the Whitefish Community Center. Doors open at 5 p.m., followed by a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. and the annual meeting at 7 p.m.

Please bring your own table service for dinner.

Birding day focuses on winged predators

Spring is in the air, and so are the birds.

Join the Montana Wilderness Association Saturday for a day of birding, focusing on winged predators.

The group will visit at least two field sites of different optimal habitats and connectivity that both support a wide diversity of winged wildlife and other creatures.

Binoculars, spotting scopes and bird books will come in handy as participants study lakeshores, wetlands, rocky outcrops, timbered edge effects, grassy hills and the skies for nests, tracks, birds of prey, waterfowl, marsh birds, songbirds and other wildlife.

This free, guided hike is rated “easy” and will be a road tour with some short hikes into birding spots. Bring water, a lunch and full gas tanks.

The group will meet May 7 at 9 a.m., at the Kila Pub parking lot at 4220 U.S. 2 West in Kila. It will wrap up at about 3:30 p.m.

To register, visit wildmontana.org and select the hike by date and title. Space is limited, so register early.

Bike-fitting training planned May 12

Whitefish Legacy Partners and Whitefish Therapy and Sport Center will host a hands-on bike-fitting workshop on the Whitefish Trail next Thursday, May 12.

Getting a bicycle fit specifically to your body can make all the difference in your level of comfort, efficiency and overall enjoyment. Get the most out of your equipment with local experts from Whitefish Therapy and Sport Center.

Gabe Murphy will cover the basics on bike fit for optimal posture and power at the Lion Mountain Trailhead on May 12, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The Whitefish Trail is the anchor project of Whitefish Legacy Partners and the result of collaborative partnerships providing public access and recreation while protecting clean water, thriving forests and prime wildlife habitat.

For more information about this hike and other scheduled outings, visit www.whitefishlegacy.org, call (406) 862-3880 or email info@whitefishlegacy.org.