Hutton NWR & Chimney Rock Field Trip Report

On Saturday, June 1st, 14 people showed up to bird around Hutton Lake and on down to the Colorado border at Chimney Rock. It was a decent day of birding, despite not finding any active raptor nests along the ridge on the way to Chimney Rock. An unexpected bird for some was a Veery, heard at two stops adjacent to wetlands. The four checklists from the day are below.

Listening for a Veery at Chimney/Camel Rock

-------Hutton Lake NWR, Albany, US-WY-------
Jun 1, 2013 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments:     With Laramie Audubon, mild-moderate wind, 40F, mostly cloudy.
37 species

Canada Goose  45
Gadwall  2
Mallard  12
Green-winged Teal  1
Canvasback  8
Redhead  6
Lesser Scaup  8
Ruddy Duck  16
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Eared Grebe  40
Western Grebe  20
Double-crested Cormorant  2
American White Pelican  2
White-faced Ibis  1
American Coot  60
American Avocet  20
Spotted Sandpiper  2
Willet  5
Short-billed Dowitcher  6     We (Chad, Sophie, and I) spent a long time determining to species. Short-billed because of short, straight bill and barring down the sides of the flanks.
Wilson's Phalarope  200     A large raft was floating in the middle of Hutton Lake (easily over 150 in this raft alone) and many others spinning around near the shores of all the lakes.
Forster's Tern  2
Common Raven  2
Horned Lark  4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1     Only saw one fly by, but probably more were present.
Tree Swallow  100     Probably more.
Bank Swallow  1     Only saw one fly by, but probably more were present.
Barn Swallow  3
Cliff Swallow  100     Probably more.
Sage Thrasher  1
Yellow Warbler  2
Brewer's Sparrow  2
Savannah Sparrow  3
Red-winged Blackbird  5
Western Meadowlark  2
Yellow-headed Blackbird  14     Many fewer than a week ago. The large migrating flocks seem to have moved on and only residents are left.
Brewer's Blackbird  6
Common Grackle  5

-------Sand Creek Rd between Hutton NWR and Sportsmans Lake Rd, Albany, US-WY-------
Jun 1, 2013 11:00 AM - 11:25 AM
Protocol: Traveling
8.2 mile(s)
Comments:     With Laramie Audubon, mild-moderate wind, 40F, mostly cloudy.
3 species

Northern Harrier  1
Swainson's Hawk  1
Horned Lark  X

-------Wetlands at Sand Creek & Sportsmans Lake Roads Intersection, Albany, US-WY-------
Jun 1, 2013 11:25 AM - 11:50 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     With Laramie Audubon, mild-moderate wind, 40F, mostly cloudy. Also a Mourning Cloak, boreal chorus frogs, and 2 mule deer.
14 species

Mallard  1     On nest with 3 eggs between north side of road and river.
Turkey Vulture  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1     Probably nesting in tall cottonwoods on south side of road.
Barn Swallow  1
Cliff Swallow  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Veery  1
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  1
European Starling  2
Yellow Warbler  2
Song Sparrow  1
Red-winged Blackbird  2
American Goldfinch  2

-------WY-Chimney Rock, Albany, US-WY-------
Jun 1, 2013 11:50 AM - 1:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.7 mile(s)
Comments:     With Laramie Audubon, mild-moderate wind, 40F, mostly cloudy. Also 14 elk (incl one calf) seen en route. A possible Cordilleran Flycatcher along the cliff edge, but too far to verify.
10 species

White-throated Swift  15
American Kestrel  1
Rock Wren  2
Veery  1
Gray Catbird  1
Yellow Warbler  2
Green-tailed Towhee  5
Brewer's Sparrow  7
Western Meadowlark  2
Brewer's Blackbird  4

Disappearing Toucans and Smaller Palm Seeds

One of the many uses of birds to humans is that they are pollinators and seed distributors. A recent article in Science magazine documented a decline in the size of palm tree seeds due to the decline of large-billed birds.

"As toucans and other large-beaked birds have vanished from Brazilian forests, the seeds of palm trees have shrunk, scientists report." Read more here.

Baikal Teal in Montana!

At the end of April, a birder in Montana found a Baikal Teal hanging out with some Wood Ducks near Missoula. This bird is named after where it is usually found this time of year--Lake Baikal in Russia. For some great photos by the person that found the bird, check out his webpage here.

You never know what you might find out there!

Do conservation efforts pay off?

Bees are making a comeback in parts of Europe, according to a study in Ecology Letters.

Much of the news about biodiversity these days is gloomy. But over the last couple of decades, some countries have adopted environmentally-friendly policies to bring species back. Now the question is: Did those programs work?

Find out here at Conservation Magazine.

Hutton NWR & Chimney Rock Field Trip--Sat, June 1st

Sat., June 1. Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge & Chimney Rock.  Check out the improvements to the national wildlife refuge and view waterfowl, songbirds, shorebirds and raptors.  There will be opportunities to get out and walk the trails.  Then, head west to Chimney Rock to see White-throated Swifts, swallows, Prairie Falcons and other cliff-dwellers.  Better pack a lunch for this trip.  Trip leader is Hank and his phone number is 307-760-4058 if you have any questions.

Laramie Audubon field trips are free and open to the public and birders of all levels.  Families are welcome. 

Meet at Coal Creek Coffee at 8am to caffeinate and carpool.  Bring lots of snacks, water, binoculars, field guides, scope if you have one.  Be sure to gas up ahead of time.

Hereford Ranch Trip Summary

Saturday morning 7 folks from Laramie traveled to the Wyoming Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne. We had a decent day of birding. The highlight was a male Scarlet Tanager which stayed in a couple trees long enough for us to have great views and take some nice photos. Our whole trip list is below.


Hereford Ranch:
Gadwall  1
Mallard  3
Swainson's Hawk  2
Eurasian Collared-Dove  16
Mourning Dove  4
Great Horned Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  1
American Kestrel  1
Western Kingbird  12
Red-eyed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  4
Bank Swallow  5
Barn Swallow  3
Black-capped Chickadee  1
Mountain Chickadee  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
House Wren  3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Swainson's Thrush  2
American Robin  15
European Starling  20
Yellow Warbler  5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  1
Song Sparrow  2
Lincoln's Sparrow  1
White-crowned Sparrow  1
Scarlet Tanager  1    
Black-headed Grosbeak  3
Red-winged Blackbird  20
Western Meadowlark  4
Common Grackle  22
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
Bullock's Oriole  2
American Goldfinch  25
House Sparrow  4

Hereford Reservoir #1:
Canada Goose  8
Gadwall  30
American Wigeon  2
Mallard  8
Northern Shoveler  8
Green-winged Teal  1
Greater/Lesser Scaup  1
Common Merganser  2
Eared Grebe  15
Western Grebe  30
Double-crested Cormorant  1
White-faced Ibis  1
Killdeer  1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Bank Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  2
Yellow Warbler  1
Common Grackle  3

Laramie Audubon May 29 meeting cancelled

The special May 29th meeting for Laramie Audubon Society has been cancelled.  Our speakers will be working in the field.  We will commence our public meetings again on Wednesday, September 25th.

There are a few birding field trips left.  Keep checking this website for the dates and locations of our birding events.

Species Lists for Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge Field Trip, May 4, 2013

The weather was perfect for the Arapaho NWR field trip in Walden, Colorado.  On the way we stopped at Sodergreen Lake, west of Laramie, then at Woods Landing, before heading to the refuge.  The species lists follow for each of our stops.  Unfortunately, the refuge was nearly dry.  However, the riparian area along the interpretive trail was flowing strongly with snowmelt.

Species	Count	Location
Gadwall	8	Sodergreen Lake
American Wigeon	4	Sodergreen Lake
Mallard	4	Sodergreen Lake
Redhead	8	Sodergreen Lake
Bufflehead	2	Sodergreen Lake
Common Merganser	10	Sodergreen Lake
Western Grebe	4	Sodergreen Lake
Double-crested Cormorant	4	Sodergreen Lake
Great Blue Heron	1	Sodergreen Lake
Turkey Vulture	2	Sodergreen Lake
Golden Eagle	1	Sodergreen Lake
Killdeer	2	Sodergreen Lake
Ring-billed Gull	2	Sodergreen Lake
American Kestrel	2	Sodergreen Lake
Black-billed Magpie	2	Sodergreen Lake
American Crow	4	Sodergreen Lake
Horned Lark	4	Sodergreen Lake
Tree Swallow	20	Sodergreen Lake
Cooper's Hawk	1	Woods Landing
Northern Flicker	2	Woods Landing
Black-billed Magpie	2	Woods Landing
Tree Swallow	10	Woods Landing
Black-capped Chickadee	2	Woods Landing
American Dipper	2	Woods Landing
American Robin	1	Woods Landing
European Starling	20	Woods Landing
Canada Goose	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Gadwall	4	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
American Wigeon	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Mallard	4	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Blue-winged Teal	3	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
American White Pelican	5	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Killdeer	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
American Avocet	13	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Willet	6	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Lesser Yellowlegs	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Wilson's Snipe	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Ring-billed Gull	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
California Gull	4	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
American Kestrel	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
American Crow	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Common Raven	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Horned Lark	10	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Tree Swallow	4	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Sage Thrasher	3	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Vesper Sparrow	10	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Savannah Sparrow	4	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Red-winged Blackbird	4	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Western Meadowlark	2	Arapaho NWR--Auto Loop
Canada Goose	10	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Common Merganser	1	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Black-billed Magpie	4	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
American Crow	2	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Common Raven	2	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Tree Swallow	30	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Violet-green Swallow	4	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Barn Swallow	10	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Marsh Wren	1	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
American Robin	2	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
American Pipit	1	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Yellow-rumped Warbler	1	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Savannah Sparrow	1	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Song Sparrow	3	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Dark-eyed Junco	10	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Red-winged Blackbird	10	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Common Grackle	10	Arapaho NWR--Interpretive Trail
Canada Goose	30	Walden Reservoir
Gadwall	40	Walden Reservoir
American Wigeon	40	Walden Reservoir
Mallard	50	Walden Reservoir
Blue-winged Teal	10	Walden Reservoir
Cinnamon Teal	20	Walden Reservoir
Northern Shoveler	4	Walden Reservoir
Northern Pintail	10	Walden Reservoir
Green-winged Teal	40	Walden Reservoir
Canvasback	10	Walden Reservoir
Redhead	40	Walden Reservoir
Ring-necked Duck	10	Walden Reservoir
Lesser Scaup	30	Walden Reservoir
Bufflehead	10	Walden Reservoir
Ruddy Duck	10	Walden Reservoir
Eared Grebe	2	Walden Reservoir
Western Grebe	40	Walden Reservoir
Double-crested Cormorant	20	Walden Reservoir
American White Pelican	10	Walden Reservoir
Great Blue Heron	2	Walden Reservoir
Black-crowned Night-Heron	2	Walden Reservoir
White-faced Ibis	1	Walden Reservoir
Bald Eagle	1	Walden Reservoir
Swainson's Hawk	2	Walden Reservoir
American Coot	50	Walden Reservoir
Killdeer	4	Walden Reservoir
Willet	2	Walden Reservoir
Wilson's Phalarope	2	Walden Reservoir
California Gull	100	Walden Reservoir
Common Raven	1	Walden Reservoir
Tree Swallow	10	Walden Reservoir
Barn Swallow	4	Walden Reservoir
American Robin	2	Walden Reservoir
Vesper Sparrow	10	Walden Reservoir
Savannah Sparrow	2	Walden Reservoir
Song Sparrow	1	Walden Reservoir
White-crowned Sparrow	2	Walden Reservoir
Red-winged Blackbird	10	Walden Reservoir
Yellow-headed Blackbird	4	Walden Reservoir
Common Grackle	20	Walden Reservoir

Video from Arapaho field trip

Duane Short posted a great video of last weekend's field trip to Arapaho NWR. You can watch it on our Facebook page or on YouTube!

Field Trip: Laramie Hot Spots

This Saturday, we will be leading a trip to some of the local birding hotspots in Laramie. As time permits, we will visit the Laramie Greenbelt, LaBonte park, UW campus, and town cemetery. A lot of migrants have returned and more are showing up daily. On this trip we'll see birds from a good cross-section of riparian, shrub, pond, and park-like habitats.

Yellow-headed Blackbird by Shawn Billerman

All ages welcome. Meet at Optimist Park at 7:30 am. Bring water, snacks, binoculars, field guides, and a spotting scope if you have one. Dress for the weather (possible rain).

Optimist Park is located on the west side of Laramie. See our birding map for directions.

Rare and Extinct Birds

As I was catching up on my emails today, I came across two media links about rare birds that I thought our audience might be interested in.

First, a new book was just released by Princeton Press entitled "The World's Rarest Birds." The book is a collaborative effort of Erik Hirschfeld, Andy Swash, and Robert Still and highlights the plight of 515 species around the world. Check it out at: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9844.html

The second is an upcoming movie called "From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction." The movie will be released in 2014 to commemorate 100 years since the death of Martha, the last known Passenger Pigeon. There are number of ways (e.g., contribute $25 and get a free download of the completed movie!) to be involved in their effort to bring this haunting story to light: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/from-billions-to-none-the-passenger-pigeon-s-flight-to-extinction?c=home

Come hear about RMBO's Colony Watch - Wed April 24th at 7 pm

The Laramie Audubon monthly meeting will be held this Wednesday, April 24th. This month we will be hearing about colonial waterbirds from Chuck Hundertmark with the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

Meeting Schedule:
6:30 pm - Bird Chat and refreshments
7:00 pm - Update on Mortenson Lake and Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuges Expansion Project
7:15 pm - Colonial Waterbirds of North Park: Preliminary Results of a Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory Citizen Science Project by Charles A. Hundertmark, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.




Program Description:
From 1998 through 2012, biologists and volunteers from Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) monitored breeding populations of 12 species of colonial waterbirds as well as Osprey, Bald Eagle, and Willet in North Park. The colonial waterbird species predominantly nest on or near the numerous reservoirs and ponds of this north-central Colorado mountain park.

This monitoring, conducted through Project Colony Watch, was initiated as an integral part of the comprehensive Monitoring Colorado’s Birds program. After 15 years, a picture is emerging of dynamic population fluctuations that respond to sometimes abrupt or dramatic changes in water levels. While populations of some species (e.g., Eared Grebe, American White Pelican, California Gull) appear to be stable, others (e.g., Franklin’s Gull, Black and Forster’s Tern) endure at marginally viable levels. This presentation will discuss colony locations, changes in colony size and location, and movement of species among colonies.

Location:
Our meetings are held on the University of Wyoming campus in the Berry Biodiversity Center located at the corner of 10th & Lewis Streets. There is free parking after 5pm. Laramie Audubon Society programs are free and open to all public.