Field Trip Report: Wyoming Hereford Ranch - 12 September 2026

As we pulled into the ranch entrance just east of Cheyenne, we immediately spied three songbirds lined up on a fence: a White-crowned Sparrow, House Wren, and Lincoln’s Sparrow. A good start for our field trip to the Wyoming Hereford Ranch (WHR)! As we parked and checked out the office area, we were “serenaded” by a sizeable flock of blackbirds and starlings, including several Yellow-headed Blackbirds. As we made our way along the stream, we flushed three Wood Ducks. Wilson’s Warblers were everywhere, but we only observed three other warbler species during the morning. We were treated to both Summer and Western Tanagers and were surprised by small flocks of Cassin’s Finches and Evening Grosbeaks. Our last bird before leaving the ranch was a quick look at a Cassin’s Vireo. We made a quick stop at WHR Reservoir #1 and were not disappointed. Besides a host of ducks, we found two Caspian Terns and two Franklin’s Gulls. A lone Snowy Egret huddled among American White Pelicans and Great Blue Herons. We had a nice mix of nine shorebird species, including Stilt Sandpipers, a Sanderling, and a Pectoral Sandpiper. As we finished up the morning at noon, we had tallied 78 species. Summer Tanager: Melissa Zieschang/ Audubon Photography Awards. Caspian Tern photo: David Belles/Audubon Photography Awards. [Brad Andres]