Kids and Families Fly on the Prairie

Eight kids and families gathered on the edge of the prairie on Saturday morning, June 28. There was not a cloud in the sky, but we learned how clouds form, and where to look for them, as well as the precipitation they drop on the earth. The sun was already quite hot, and we explored how that heat helps birds that may be found on the prairie, providing thermals they can glide on, and how the winds can come up with the heat of sunrise and calm with the cooling at sunset. We learned about how wings work and why birds can fly and people cannot.

Kids and their parents shared stories of the birds they have seen in their backyards, including nesting robins and a mourning dove. We talked about baby crows and how their parents act when someone gets too close to a baby learning to fly. 

Although we did not see clouds or hawks when we looked up this morning, some pledged to go out earlier in the morning and look again, and to look for clouds forming over the mountains. Kids took home a tropical bird glider to put together, and took a guess answering the question, "Why do tropical birds come in such bright colors?" The winner took home a copy of the Audubon Rockies book Voice of the Grasslands. 

Our next Kids & Families event will take place on Saturday, August 23. The theme is Back to School, and we will go a little batty playing some bird games. Keep your eyes peeled for location. We will list the event on our website Events page, post on social media, and send a reminder email to Laramie Audubon Society members. 

Global Big Day Birding

The Global Big Day is an annual celebration of birds in your community. To celebrate, 13 birders met at Greenhill Cemetery on 10 May. Although we had great weather, migrant birds were still a bit scarce. We were treated to numerous singing Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a few migrant Swainson’s Thrushes and Orange-crowned Warblers, and a small flock of Chipping Sparrows. After our Greenhill visit, we headed over to LaBonte Park, where 150 Wilson’s Phalaropes were feeding busily on emerging insects. A number Cinnamon Teal pairs provided a visual delight. Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Great-tailed Grackles appeared to be establishing territories in the lake’s cattails. For the morning, we tallied 33 species in celebration of the return of our migratory birds.

 

                                        Ruby-crowned Kinglet

                                            Wilson's Phalarope (Heather Johnson)

 

May 17th Kids and Families Program - CANCELLED

Due to administrative complications related to our park permit, we are cancelling the May Kids and Families program.  We hope that you are able to get outside and enjoy the Spring!

Saturday Field Trip - Vulture Watch Training (10 a.m. April 5th)

Our April 5th field trip will be a combination of inside/lecture format and vulture-focused birding on the University of Wyoming Campus as we attend the Vulture Watch Wyoming training session.  

Each year in early to mid-April, Turkey Vultures arrive in Laramie after migrating from wintering grounds in Central and South America.  They have a communal roost located on the University of Wyoming campus (adjacent to Old Main), which they use until migrating back to their winter grounds in September and October. 

There is much to learn about roost dynamics, breeding behavior, and how they interact with their habitat! The Laramie Audubon Society encourages our members and friends to attend this training and participate in this community science program. Training will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the University of Wyoming's Berry Center building (Room 217 - Teaching Lab) and outside on campus. 

Kids and Families welcome a chilly spring.

 On a cloudy Saturday morning, March 22, 20 kids and families gathered at Undine Park to search with all senses for signs of spring. Some even ventured over the state line from Colorado, while others were visitors staying in town. The group heard and saw several bird species, including robin, chickadee, flicker, sparrow, crow, collared dove and starling. Signs of spring included green grass, nesting material dropped by a starling, and nests in trees. 

 After wandering the park, participants abandoned the chilly weather for a trip across the street and down the alley to the Sheila Bird Farms greenhouse. Owner Ricky Kent showed kids and families the seed planting process and several types of seedlings now growing in preparation for transplanting on the farm. The group also enjoyed the tropical plants that Ricky brought to the greenhouse from his former home in Florida many years ago. On the way out, participants treated themselves to a sprig of microgreens or pea shoots to eat. Back at the park, all kids received a seed planting kit and dipped their peat pots into a bag of soil to collect for planting before heading home. 

 Our next Kids and Families event will take place on Saturday, April 19, at 9am in Washington Park, where a group of students in the UWYo Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Program will provide Earth Day activities, including making bird feeders! Meet at the bandshell for this event. 

 Laramie Audubon Society offers a Kids and Families activity every month of the year. Keep your eyes peeled on our website Events page, social media, with your school or home school group, and members receive a reminder by email before all events. 

 Family membership in Laramie Audubon Society is just $25 per year. Members receive notice of upcoming events, our quarterly newsletter, and invitation to occasional special members only events. Join online at: https://laramieaudubon.blogspot.com/p/membership.html. 

 Below photos: Microgreens and pea shoots growing in the greenhouse. Mmmm! And the group spies a crow nest high in a tree. 

Evening Program - Adventures and Volunteer Opportunities in Our State Parks (Feb. 26th)

Come Learn about the Wyoming State Parks in the Laramie District!  Carlo Migliaccio, Interpretative Ranger for the Laramie District of Wyoming State Parks, will share information on the parks, his work in them, and programs and projects available to attend and looking for volunteers. The Laramie District of the Wyoming State Parks includes multiple local sites, including the Wyoming Territorial Prison, the Ames Monument, the Quebec 1 Historic Site, and Curt Gowdy State Park.  Come learn with LAS about what will be happening this spring, summer, and fall! 

Hidden Falls is one reward of hiking at Curt Gowdy State Park! 
Photo from Wyoming State Park website.

Centennial Bird Hop - Saturday, February 22nd

Join us for a leisurely morning birding in Centennial.  We'll wander through the protected aspen groves within the downtown neighborhood and possibly up onto the hills.  After our meander, we will retreat to the Bear Bottom Café for a NO HOST coffee or early lunch.  The Bear Bottom typically has feeders visible through their large dining room windows, so the birding fun will continue even after we head indoors.  

Laramie-based folks will meet at 8:45 a.m. at First Street Plaza (corner of 1st Street and Grand Avenue) and caravan to Centennial.  If you would like to meet us in Centennial, look for the group in front of the Bear Bottom Café at approximately 9:30 a.m.

XC Ski/Snowshoe "Winter Tracking Trip" POSTPONED TO FEBRUARY 1

 Meet at intersection of Hwy 130 & Sand Lake Road at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 25 Saturday, February 1.  BYO equipment. See other post, below, for more details.

Christmas Bird Count Again Sets New Record

The 49th Albany County Christmas Bird Count was held on December 15, 2024. Thirty-four participants conducted field surveys or watched feeders during count day, and observers spent 66 party-hours afield. Effort in 2024 was higher than an average count between 1975 and 2023 for participants (20) and party-hours (45). We recorded a total of 6,772 individual birds (107 birds/party-hour), which greatly exceeded the average of 3,155 birds (71.8 birds/party-hour) recorded on previous counts. A great effort given the blustery day! Thanks to all field and feeder observers who made the 2024 Christmas Bird Count a huge success.

For the second year in a row, we tallied more species during both count day (54) and count week (57), surpassing 2023 records of 47 species during count day and 54 species including count week. New species for the Albany County count in 2024 included a count day male Wood Duck, found by Spencer Hurt and Kyler Smith on the Spring Creek Pond creek, and an immature Black-crowned Night Heron, observed by Mary Schvetz along the Laramie River Greenbelt Trail, and a Gray Catbird, found by Laurel Armstrong in her backyard, during count week. Al Zerbe added a backyard White-crowned Sparrow during count week. These additional three species raised the total to 100 species observed during 49 years of Albany County counts.

Although temperatures were relatively mild, high winds (maximum gusts of 53 mph at the airport!) hampered finding some songbirds. Despite the winds, high counts for several species were achieved in 2024 (in addition to the three new ones above) including Mallard (1,659 individuals), Green-winged Teal (200), Eurasian Collared-Dove (450), Sharp-shinned Hawk (4), Ferruginous Hawk (3), American Kestrel (3), White-throated Sparrow (2), and Great-tailed Grackle (9). Compared to the average count adjusted for effort (1975–2023), more species and numbers of waterfowl were recorded in 2024, whereas winter finches (e.g., crossbills, grosbeaks, rosy-finches) were less abundant. Rough-legged Hawks were noticeably absent from much of the count circle. A table of results is WYAC 2024 Results.

Thanks again to all who participated in this record-setting year. I hope everyone had fun time and will plan on joining our 50th count next year.

Photos by Heather Johnson: White-throated Sparrow, Mallard, Ferruginous Hawk, Black-crowned Night Heron.

Brad A. Andres

 

First Winter Field Trip - POSTPONED - NOW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1st

 Clues in the Snow: Bird and Mammal Tracking Trip (Snowshoe/XC Ski Outing) 

Clark's Nutcracker observed during previous Laramie Audubon Trip (near Centennial, WY).

Dr. Gary Beauvais, Director of the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, will lead a snowshoe/cross-country ski trek through forest and riparian areas of the Medicine Bow National Forest on Saturday, January 25 Saturday, February 1.  This trip, sponsored by the Laramie Audubon Society, will focus on identification of animal tracks and other signs written into the winter snow. The group will also discuss the natural history of the winter environment.  This is a favorite annual trip and we learn something new each year!  

Attendees must provide their own equipment* and be prepared for cold winter conditions.  Please dress in layers and bring plenty of snacks, water, and sun protection.  *Please coordinate with us if you need snowshoes - one of our members has a few extra pair and has offered to lend them to trip participants.  UW students can check with the UW Outdoor Program for equipment.  Local outdoor stores also have daily rentals available.

The group will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 130 and Sand Lake Road (approximately 6.3 miles west of Centennial).  Attendees will return to Laramie by approximately 1 p.m.; those with their own transportation are free to leave at any time.  Some participants may elect to stop in Centennial for a no-host lunch (depending on group interest).  Backup date (in case of bad weather) - Saturday, February 1 (we are postponing and will host the trip on this backup date - FEBRUARY 1 - due to the forecast for the original date).

Congratulations to Our Fall 2024 Small Grant Recipients!

Conservation Grants - Fall 2024

Laramie Audubon thanks the numerous applicants to our Fall 2024 grant cycle.  We award grants to a variety of conservation-related projects each Spring and Fall.  This season we awarded grants of $500 to two outstanding projects: 

• Enhancing Wyoming toad recovery through disease mitigation: bolstering individual disease resistance mechanisms through immunization and probiotics
• Bug Day: Fostering Laramie’s Aquatic Biodiversity Awareness and Conservation of Sensitive Aquatic Ecosystems

See our Grants page to learn more about these projects.  Applications for our next funding cycle are due on March 31, 2025.    

Annual Albany County Christmas Bird Count

Interested in participating in the 2024 Christmas Bird Count?  This year's Albany County count will take place on Sunday, December 15.  The event begins at 8 a.m., however, teams can count in the morning and/or afternoon.  Feeder-watchers are also welcome.  Contact Brad for more information: baandres1@yahoo.com.