Upcoming Trip - Laramie Hotspots, May 30

Western Tanager © Shawn Billerman

Join Tim Banks this Saturday, May 30, as he leads a walking field trip along the Laramie Greenbelt, LaBonte Park and other birding hot spots in Laramie. We will be searching for late spring migrants, including warblers, flycatchers, and any other lingering birds passing through, as well as breeding birds that have already set up territories. Over the past week, Laramie has seen some good migrants, including Western Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blackpoll Warbler, and Red-eyed Vireo, so who knows what we will turn up on our trip on Saturday.

We will meet at 8:00 a.m. at Coal Creek Coffee, downtown Laramie, to caffeinate and carpool. Bring binoculars and field guides. Dress for the weather. Bring water and snacks. This will be a shorter trip, and will likely be over by noon or 1 p.m., though participants are free to leave at any time.

Birders of all levels are welcome! This field trip is open to the public. Please join us!

Trip Report - Hereford Ranch

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher © Shawn Billerman

Laramie Audubon's trip to the Wyoming Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne on Saturday, May 16 was very successful. We had up to 14 people join on us for at least part of the walk. We saw a total of 61 species over the course of the morning, including 5 species of warbler, including a young male American Redstart that was singing occasionally. In addition to the warblers, we found both Bullock's and Orchard Orioles, with one pair of each foraging together on the ground at one point, some nice sparrows, including Lark and Lincoln's, and a good variety of flycatchers. We ended up finding 3 species of Empidonax flycatcher, 2 species of kingbird, and Say's Phoebe. One particular highlight for everyone was a stunningly beautiful male Western Tanager that posed nicely in perfect lighting.

Swainson's Thrush © Shawn Billerman

The heavy rains and late snowstorms we have been experiencing here in southeast Wyoming have resulted in extensive flooding at the Hereford Ranch, with both foot bridges that cross the creek having been washed out. Though this limited the areas we could explore, it was still a great morning.

If interested, here is the link to our full eBird list from the trip: Wyoming Hereford Ranch

Hereford Ranch Field Trip - Saturday, May 16

Bullock's Oriole - © Shawn Billerman

Laramie Audubon Society members and friends will be heading out to Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne, WY on Saturday morning. This is a great place to see eastern species that are migrating through the region, in addition to the other more expected regional migrants. This area is grasslands, riparian, and there is a lake in the vicinity for waterfowl and shorebirds galore.

Meet at 7:00 AM (earlier than usual) at Coal Creek Coffee, downtown Laramie, to carpool and caffeinate to Cheyenne. We will leave no later than 7:15 Be sure to gas up ahead of time--it will take about 50 minutes to get to the ranch. This trip will most likely last into the afternoon, but 
you can leave anytime you like if you drive your own vehicle.

Bring binoculars, spotting scope if you have one, snacks, water, lunch maybe (or you can eat somewhere in Cheyenne), and layer your clothes for weather. Forecast looks good for Saturday morning in Cheyenne!

Birders of all levels are welcome! This field trip is open to the public. Please join us!

CANCELLED - Field Trip to Arapaho NWR

Due to the arrival of heavy rain and the possibility of snow tomorrow, the field trip to Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado has been cancelled for tomorrow, May 9. Stay tuned for the potential of a rescheduled trip later in the month.

If you are interested in a rescheduled Arapaho NWR trip on May 23, please contact Vicki Henry at 307-760-9518.

Stay safe and stay warm with the forecasted winter storm this weekend!

Trip report: Plains Lakes & Hutton

Both the weather and the birding were great for our trip to the lakes on Saturday. Duck numbers overall were down, but we still found quite a few species. Shorebird species are moving through; we got to see fantastic display flights by willets and Wilson's snipes. Songbirds were evident as well: recent arrivals are yellow-rumped warblers, Brewer's blackbirds, Brewer's sparrow, vesper sparrow, Say's phoebe, and multiple species of swallows.

Wilson's Snipe along Brubaker Lane. Photo © Shawn Billerman.

Tiger salamander found at Meeboer. Photo by Libby Megna.

Many fields have flooded since the snowstorm, providing good stopover habitat and birding opportunities. We found several Franklin's gulls and a few Bonaparte's gulls along Pahlow west of the Gelatt marsh.

In total we detected 72 species. Below are links to our eBird checklists and the species list for the day.

Blake's Pond
Meeboer Lake
Gelatt Marsh
Lake Hattie Reservoir
Brubaker Lane
Hutton Lake NWR

Species List - 25 April 2015

Canada Goose Canada Goose Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Blue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Ruddy Duck Common Loon Horned Grebe Eared Grebe Western Grebe Clark's Grebe American White Pelican Great Blue Heron

Hooded Merganser Osprey Golden Eagle Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Swainson's Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Coot Sandhill Crane American Avocet Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Willet Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Franklin's Gull Ring-billed Gull California Gull Herring Gull Mourning Dove Great Horned Owl Belted Kingfisher American Kestrel Say's Phoebe

Ring-billed Gull Common Raven Horned Lark Tree Swallow Bank Swallow Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow Marsh Wren American Robin Sage Thrasher European Starling McCown's Longspur Yellow-rumped Warbler Brewer's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Common Grackle Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird House Sparrow

Auduboners at Hutton NWR. Photo by Libby Megna.

April Board Meeting

We will hold a board meeting today, Friday, April 24 at 5:30 pm. We will meet in room 227 of the Berry Center. Our board meetings are open to the public; if you are interested in the behind-the-scenes of the Laramie Audubon Society, feel free to join us.

Upcoming trip: Plains Lakes & Hutton Lake

We'll head out to the lakes once again this Saturday, April 25. The lakes are one of the best places to bird this time of year--we should see lingering ducks, shorebirds, grebes, raptors, and some passerines. I've been out to some of the lakes with Ornithology students this week, and we got quite a few species; see our eBird checklists: Blake's and Meeboer.

Meet at Coal Creek at 8 am to fuel up. We will visit both the Plains Lakes and Hutton NWR, so be prepared for a longer day and more driving. Of course, you can leave early if you drive your own vehicle or arrange with carpool buddies. We will probably be back to Laramie around 2 pm after a visit to all the lakes. Bring binoculars, a spotting scope if you have one, snacks/drinks and dress for the weather.

Blake's Pond after the snowstorm. Photo by Libby Megna, 21 April 2015.

Upcoming trip: Hutton Lake NWR

Auduboners at Hutton Lake. Photo by Libby Megna.

Join us for a birding trip to Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge this Saturday, April 11. Tim Banks will lead the search for waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, and songbirds. Migration is in full swing, so we are likely to find some surprises.

We will meet at Coal Creek Coffee at 8 am to carpool. Please bring binoculars, a spotting scope if you have one, field guides, snacks and drinks. Be prepared for windy conditions. Our trips to Hutton usually last a few hours, but anyone is free to leave early if they bring their own vehicle.

Trip report: Plains Lakes

The weather was great for our trip last weekend, but disappointingly the waterfowl were largely absent from the lakes. Ducks and gulls were moving through in good numbers earlier in the week, but the lakes were relatively empty on Saturday. But migration and the nesting season are ramping up--we were treated to views of Great Horned Owls on nests and recently returned Red-winged Blackbirds and Western Meadowlarks.

More migrants will be passing through in the next several weeks, and waterfowl migration is far from over.

In total we detected 33 species. Below are links to our eBird checklists and the species list for the day.

Blake's Pond
Meeboer Lake
Gelatt Lake
Twin Buttes Reservoir
Lake Hattie Reservoir
Hutton Lake NWR

Species List - 21 March 2015

Canada Goose Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Cinnamon Teal Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Ruddy Duck American White Pelican Golden Eagle Northern Harrier Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk American Coot Killdeer

Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Horned Owl Common Raven Horned Lark Mountain Bluebird American Robin European Starling Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark House Sparrow

Photos by Libby Megna.

Upcoming talk by Frank Rahel and Jessica Dugan

Little Laramie River. Photo by Libby Megna.

Have you ever wondered what lurks below the surface of the Laramie River as you stroll along the Greenbelt? Now is your chance to find out! Although brown trout get most of the attention, the Laramie River also has a healthy assemblage of native, nongame fishes. This Wednesday, 25 March, University of Wyoming professor Dr. Frank Rahel and his graduate student Jessica Dugan will provide a glimpse into the finny biodiversity that lives largely unseen within the Laramie River by enlightening us about the biology of these species and telling us how they have responded to habitat improvements along the Laramie Greenbelt.

As always, we will meet in the Berry Biodiversity Center auditorium for refreshments and mingling at 6:30 pm, and the talk will begin at 7 pm. See you there!

Upcoming trip: Plains Lakes

This Saturday, 21 March, Shawn Billerman will lead a trip to the Plains Lakes. Ducks and gulls are coming through in good numbers already, so the birding should be great! Red-winged blackbirds, mountain bluebirds, and western meadowlarks have also already made an appearance on the plains.

Meet downtown at Coal Creek Coffee at 8 am to carpool. We should be back to Laramie by 12-1 pm, but feel free to join us for only part of the time--though you may need to drive your own vehicle. Feel free to email us if you'd like arrange a ride with somebody beforehand.

Redheads on Lake Hattie. Photo © Shawn Billerman.

All Laramie Audubon trips are free and open to the public; families are welcome. Bring water and snacks, binoculars, a spotting scope if you have one, and be prepared for vagaries of weather.

Upcoming trip: Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

DISCLAIMER: This trip is subject to schedule changes depending on the road conditions. Please check back here frequently for updates.

Female Greater Sage-Grouse. Photo © Shawn Billerman.

This Saturday, March 14 we will head out to a Greater Sage-Grouse lek. Come and watch these iconic birds strut their stuff. Meet at 6 am at the Eppson Senior Center parking lot, at Curtis St. and 3rd St.  We will carpool to the lek (display ground) at 6:10 am sharp.  The early start is totally worth it--there's nothing like being audience to dozens of male Sage-Grouse calling and dancing to attract mates. You will need 4WD or AWD to navigate the dirt two-track, or share a ride with somebody who does. Please call Vicki at 307-760-9518 if you plan to attend so we will be sure not to leave without you.

It will be cold and windy on the prairie so dress very warmly.  Bring spotting scope, binoculars, warm drinks, and snacks.  We should be back to Laramie by 8 am.  At this time, alternate dates are March 21 and March 28, meeting at the same place, same time, unless notified differently.

Male Greater Sage-Grouse on the lek. Photo © Shawn Billerman.

More details on possible schedule changes:
With the unusually warm weather melting snow, warming the ground and causing rivulets through mud, the trip may not be possible this Saturday.  Perhaps if it stays below freezing in the mornings, we will be able to get out there but we would have to leave the lek before it warms up enough to thaw the ground. We will check conditions Wednesday or Thursday morning to see if it is doable, and give further details then. You may call in advance to be sure the trip is not postponed or cancelled.

Watching the lek. Photo by Libby Megna.