Wyoming Hereford Ranch Trip Report

Eastern Phoebe, photographed
at Wyoming Hereford Ranch
by LAS Member P. Dougherty

(October 7, 2023)

Although Saturday morning started out cold, the Laramie Audubon Society birders who made the trip to Cheyenne's Wyoming Hereford Ranch were rewarded with brilliant fall colors, a calm sunny day, fellowship, and abundant birds including four warbler species, five sparrow species, four thrushes, and numerous other birds, including an Eastern Phoebe (photo) for a total of 36 species.   

All community members and visitors are welcome on our free trips - please check the trip schedule on our Events page and consider joining us on a future outing!

Next Scavenger Hunt - Saturday, September 30 (9 a.m.)

Meet us at Optimist Park** for our September scavenger hunt!  This event is organized to be fun for families with children - but all ages are welcome!  This month's activity is an autumn leaf collage.  Check out the pictures (below) from our past events.    

**Shelter near the northeast corner of the park (corner of West Custer and Spruce Streets).  

August Kids & Families Scavenger Hunt takes place under cloudless skies.

On Saturday, August 26, about 20 kids and families came out to Undine Park to participate in the third Kids & Families Scavenger Hunt of the summer. The morning was sunny, with not a cloud in the sky- resulting in a challenge to those wishing to circle the cloud on their BINGO card. Other difficult finds included a spider web, a cricket and binoculars. One motivated grandma who lives near the park ran home to grab a pair. Pollinators observed either with the eyes or ears included bees and a hummingbird. All participants chose flowers from a local greenhouse garden after returning the crayons used to check off rocks, trees, leaves, animals and other items on their cards. As they chose their boquets they learned a little about the uses of echinacea, bee balm, yarrow and chamomile by people and pollinators. There are two more hunts scheduled for this year: September in Optimist Park and October's Spooky Finale at Washington Park. See the LAS events calendar for details, and keep your eyes peeled for announcements on Facebook closer to the dates, as well as at your local school, which will receive the full calendar of Fall events being hosted by Laramie Audubon Society.

Fall Schedule of Trips and Evening Programs

Check out our schedule of Fall 2023 field trips and evening programs by clicking on the "Events" tab!  We hope to see our old friends as well as some new faces this fall.  The trips and programs are all free and open to the public and novice birders are encouraged to attend!  Participants range from children through retirees and often include students studying ecology, wildlife biology, etc.  Birding in a group is a great way to get to meet others from the Laramie community and to learn more about the local birds.  If you have suggestions regarding future trips or programs, please let us know (laramie.audubon@gmail.com).

Killdeer on Laramie River Greenbelt (photo courtesy of LAS member Laurel Armstrong)

LaPrele Park Scavenger Hunt reveals artistic talent!

Several families came out for the second in our series of Summer and Fall Kids and Families Scavenger Hunts in parks around Laramie. Saturday, July 23, was warm and sunny, and featured a search for plants and animals around LaPrele Park, where a fishing derby also drew a crowd to Huck Finn Pond. Young people and their parents were able to find all the items on the scavenger hunt list- except a duck- or get at least one BINGO. (Most opted to keep on searching until they were able to get at least two BINGOS on their card.) Thoughtful discussion included whether humans count as animals, why no ducks were to be found (perhaps because so many human animals were hanging around the pond), and where to find nests besides in trees- like underneath a bridge! Kids received a sun catcher kit to paint after finishing the scavenger hunt, and all chose to remain at the park to complete their masterpieces to take home. As the last of the group was packing up to leave, one young participant even spotted a hummingbird! Our next Kids and Families Nature Scavenger Hunt will take place on Saturday, August 26, at Undine Park, with a side trip to a local greenhouse to pick flower bouquets. We will also hold hunts in September and October. Stay tuned!

Next Monthly Scavenger Hunt - Saturday, July 15

Participants at the June 2023 scavenger hunt (photo courtesy of Lisa Cox)

We'll meet at 9 a.m. Saturday morning in LaPrele Park for the next in our series of free, nature-themed scavenger hunts.  Please join us!  And tell your friends, family, and neighbors, as these events are designed to get children thinking about the plants and animals that they see in our community.  Each participant can take home a prize or craft kit (depending on the event). 

Schedule for the remainder of the summer/fall (all events at 9 a.m.)

July 15 - LaPrele Park – Activity: sun catcher take-home kit

August 26 - Undine Park with side trip to local greenhouse for bouquet picking

September 30 - Optimist Park – Activity: autumn leaf collage take-home kit

October 21 - Washington Park Spooky Finale – Activity: haunted bird house ornament take-home kit 

Monthly Scavenger Hunts!

Disappointed that you missed the June scavenger hunt?  Not to worry - mark your calendar and join us another time.  Here's the schedule for the rest of the year (all take place on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m.): 

July 15 - LaPrele Park with sun catcher take-home kit

August 26 - Undine Park with side trip to local greenhouse for prize activity bouquet picking

September 30 - Optimist Park with autumn leaf collage take-home kit

October 21 - Washington Park Spooky Finale with haunted bird house ornament take-home kit

First LAS Kids and Families Scavenger Hunt of Season at LaBonte Park

LAS hosted the first in a series of five nature scavenger hunts for kids and families on Saturday, June 10, at LaBonte Park. About 20 people came out, including a dozen kids. to scour the park for birds, nests, pollinators, plants and more. While robins and bees were elusive, and nests were challenging to spot in the trees, families enjoyed treats including deer tracks in the mud and a nest building activity to take home or construct right at the park. Our next scavenger hunt will take place at LaPrele Park on July 15. We will meet at 9am and will take home a sun catcher prize activity. You can find the list of events here on our website and at the Albany County Public Library. We will post reminders on Facebook and other media, and will provide fliers at locations around town and with the school district as the series continues into Octoner.

Nature Scavenger Hunts - Monthly Beginning Saturday, June 10th

Monthly beginning June 10 - Nature Scavenger hunts .  A nature-themed fun event for children and their families!  The June event will be held in LaBonte Park, beginning at the park shelter adjacent to the parking area at the corner of 9th and Sully Streets at 9 a.m. We will walk around the park on our scavenger hunt for birds, plants and more, then kids can take home a nest building prize activity. 

Gardening for Birds - Wednesday, May 31, 7 pm

 Wednesday, May 31, 7 pm - Landscaping for Birds.  Barb Gorges, former president of the Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Society and certified Master Gardener will be speaking about the Audubon Rockies Habitat Hero program at the May meeting of the Laramie Audubon Society. Barb is the author of two books, Cheyenne Birds by the Month and Cheyenne Garden Gossip.  She also writes monthly birding and gardening columns for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.  This free program – a few days before the Laramie Garden Club plant sale (https://www.laramiegardenclub.org/events.html#/) – will provide attendees with information regarding how to make local yards friendly to birds, butterflies, bats, and bees.  

Our meeting are typically held in the University of Wyoming Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, located at the corner of 10th and Lewis Streets.  Refreshments and informal "bird chat" start at 6:30 p.m. in the street-level atrium and the program begins at 7 p.m. in the adjacent auditorium.

Saturday, May 5th - Wyoming Hereford Ranch Trip

We'll meet in Cheyenne and bird this Important Bird Area that includes riparian areas, meadows, and drier uplands.   Plan to arrive at 8 a.m. at WHR, approximately 1 hour from Laramie:  From I-80, take Exit 367 (Campstool Road) and travel south approximately 1 mile to the entrance, which will be on the left.  Follow the driveway for approximately 0.25 miles and park opposite the red barn. 

Sybille Canyon Trip - SATURDAY, APRIL 22

We inadvertently listed the wrong date for this weekend's trip in the newsletter and when initially publishing the schedule on this website.  We are traveling to the Tom Thorn/Beth Williams WHMA on SATURDAY, APRIL 22.  Hopefully the weather is a little warmer and drier than forecast.  We'll meet downtown at 8 a.m. at First Street Plaza (corner of 1st and Grand, immediately west of Coal Creek Coffee) before heading north.  The length of the trip will depend on the weather, the birds, and how we are feeling.  It could be a great day for birding!