First Wednesday Night Talk (Sept. 28th) - Equador Whirlwings (6:30 pm for Bird Chat; 7 pm for presentation)

Note:  Unusual Venue:  Classroom Building, Room 221.

Dave McDonald, Professor in Zoology and Physiology will discuss his research on Whirlwings in Ecuador. Ecuador spans the Andes, with habitats ranging from desert to Amazonian rainforest. It is fourth in the world for number of bird species, but is far smaller than the three leaders (Colombia, Brazil, Peru). Dave’s team’s research on one species, the Golden-winged Manakin, has uncovered a number of surprises, including the likelihood of chemical communication and the certainty that some of their displays can be detected only with ultra-highspeed video. Classroom Building, Room 221.

The talk will start at 7 pm, but arrive early if you can for refreshments and "bird chat" from 6:30 - 7 p.m.  Also, we will have some of the last copies of the book Birds of Wyoming available for purchase ($30) at the program.

 

Laramie Hotspots, Plus Greenbelt Clean-up, Saturday, September 22nd

This Saturday is a big day!  We’ll start by birding within Laramie.  After meeting and arranging carpools at Night Heron Books and Coffeehouse (107 Ivinson Ave.) at 8 a.m., we’ll head to various Laramie “hot spots” – locations within the City limits that perennially seem to host higher-than-average numbers of migrants.  Potential stops include City Springs (at the north end of Boulder Drive), Greenhill Cemetery, LaBonte Park, and the Greenbelt.   

 

At noon we will re-convene for our annual Greenbelt cleanup, meeting at the south end of South Spruce Street.  On-street parking is available along Spruce and West Sheridan Streets.  For the cleanup, please bring work gloves.  Binoculars may be in order, as well.  This community service activity shouldn’t take long; LAS’s ¼-mile segment of the Greenbelt is less than half a mile from where we’ll park.

Hutton Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Field Trip

We are so lucky to have this gem in our backyard - just 12 miles from downtown Laramie to Hutton Lake NWR!  We'll travel there on Saturday with hopes of seeing the recently sighted Tricolored Heron and other migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, and grassland/sagebrush birds.  Meet at 8 a.m. at Night Heron Books and Coffeehouse, 107 Ivinson Avenue in downtown Laramie to procure coffee/snacks and to coordinate carpools. 

As always, be sure to bring sunscreen, warm clothing, water, snacks, and birding equipment. 

Hereford Ranch Trip - Fall Migrants
Saturday, September 8th - 7 a.m.

Meet us at Night Heron Books and Coffeehouse at 7 a.m. to caffeinate and organize carpools for our trip to the Wyoming Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne.  The mix of riparian habitat and grasslands and the location on the east edge of Cheyenne make Hereford Ranch one of the best birding areas in southeastern Wyoming. This trip is a chance to see possible rarities and some birds more often associated with the eastern U.S.  We plan to be back to Laramie at approximately noon. 

While this trip is suitable for children, please leave your dog at home - WHR is private property and we want to be sure that we are welcome in the future.  Remember to bring snacks, water, clothing suitable for the changing Wyoming weather, sturdy shoes, binoculars, and other birding accessories.