Trip report: Plains Lakes

Despite chilly weather and frozen-over lakes, we had a good morning of birding! Jerry Johnson told me that Hattie and Twin Buttes were completely locked in ice, so we checked Blake's Pond, Meeboer Lake, and Gelatt Lake. Some of us also stopped at Sevenmile Lakes--but if you try this, be very careful as there is no public access and vehicles zoom down 230.

Embarrassingly, I haven't been birding much in Wyoming yet this year so I was hyped by the Red-winged Blackbirds and Western Meadowlarks along Pahlow Lane. Blake's Pond was almost frozen over, but we were treated to great looks at Bald Eagles and Mountain Bluebirds. A few Killdeer huddled in the snow at the edge of the pond. Click here for our complete list.

Mountain Bluebirds. Photo by Laurel Armstrong.

Meeboer Lake hosted a few hundred waterfowl--mostly Redheads and American Coots, but we found a few other species mixed in. The highlight was a Horned Grebe. Click here for our complete list.

As an added bonus, a herd of white-tailed jackrabbits were hanging with the cows along the road to Meeboer.

Photo by Laurel Armstrong.

However, the most exciting birds of the morning--in my opinion--were at Gelatt Lake. As we drove up, a Bald Eagle kicked up the gull flock and it was easy to pick out a Lesser Black-backed Gull! Ultimately, we were treated to five gull species. See our complete list here.

American White Pelicans. Photo by Laurel Armstrong.