Trip Report – Animal Winter Ecology and Tracks in the Snow

For the 22^nd year Dr. Gary Beauvais, University of Wyoming Director of the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database has lead an outing, taking people associated with Laramie Audubon into the forest to search for animal tracks on the snow.  This year’s outing began at the intersection of State Highway 130 and Sand Lake road where Gary was joined by eleven. 

When finding individual prints and track lines Dr. Beauvais described how a person can identify numerous attributes of the species creating the impression(s). One can tell how the animal moves across the environment whether it walks or hops, does it drag its tail, and does it spend most of its time above the snow or does it spend only a short duration above ground while spending much of the winter in the subniviean zone between the bottom of the snow and ground surface.  The tracks can also detail the length and width of the animal making the track. Viewing individual prints can show the direction of travel and its type of foot, did the an
imal have hooves, toes, claws.  The winter landscape can also show feeding habits of some animals. Without leaves one can see the snipped off tips of willow branches by feeding moose or the discarded remains of pine/fir cones from a snow buried cone midden (pine squirrel). 

In each year’s outing Gary discusses a variety ways animals and plants exist in this winter environment.  Whether it is your first time traveling with Gary or after accompanying him numerous times one can always learn new and interesting things of this winter environment.

Field Trip - Animal Tracks in the Snow (January 29)

  
Dr. Gary Beauvais, Director of the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, will lead a snowshoe/cross-country ski trek through forest and riparian areas of the Medicine Bow National Forest on Saturday, January 29.  The focus of this trip, which is sponsored by the Laramie Audubon Society, will be learning how to identify winter animal tracks and unravel signs written into the winter snow. The group will also discuss existing knowledge regarding the natural history of the winter environment.  Attendees must provide their own equipment and be prepared for cold winter conditions.  Please dress in layers and bring plenty of snacks, water, and sun protection.  

The group will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 130 and Sand Lake Road, approximately 4 miles west of Centennial.  Parking will be in the cleared area at this intersection.  Attendees will return to Laramie by approximately 1 p.m.; those with their own transportation are free to leave at any time.  The backup date in case of bad weather is Saturday, February 5.

Tracks observed on prior trip: footprints and wing prints of Dusky Grouse.   

Photo courtesy of LAS Member Lisa Cox.

122nd Annual Christmas Bird Count - December 18

The Laramie Audubon Society will again take part in a 100+year-old tradition: the annual "Christmas Bird Count."  Volunteers are welcome to join in the count with the LAS chapter as it conducts the Albany County CBC on Saturday, December 18. This will be the 44th count of the Albany County circle and the 122nd national event.  Volunteers are needed to help count every bird present in the 15-mile diameter circle around Laramie on the day of the count. All types of bird watchers, including feeder watchers, are welcome. 

The Albany County CBC will again be modified to provide for social distancing. All volunteers for the Albany County circle must pre-register or attend one of two drop-in Zoom calls to receive a route assignment. There will be no in-person meetings prior to the count. Contact Shay Howlin (286-1972*; wolfhowlin@gmail.com) for information and to register. 

Volunteers are the backbone of the Christmas Bird Count and are encouraged to participate despite continued changes to the format this year due to public health (Covid-19) considerations. As usual, some teams will walk, while others will drive through their territory.  Per national Audubon CBC rules, masks will be required when social distancing is not possible in the field.  In addition, we will not facilitate carpools, in order to limit carpools to existing familial or social pod groups.  If you will be traveling over the holidays and would like to participate in the CBC in the region that you are visiting, look for event dates and locations here: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count.

Virtual compiling will take place at 6 pm on the day of the count. Electronic submission of data forms will be encouraged to facilitate the compiling event. Please contact Shay if you would like to be assigned a route early, would like forms for feeder watching, or have any questions.   

We hope to be able to resume the traditional event format (complete with Shay's famous chili supper) next year!  (*Area code 307)

Grant Deadline Extended to November 20th

We are extending the Fall deadline for our small grants program.  Applications will be accepted through November 20th.  See the "Grants" page for program details!  (http://laramieaudubon.blogspot.com/p/small-grants-program.html)

(Photo: Greater Yellowlegs; courtesy of LAS member Liz Young)

Plains Lakes Field Trip - Nov. 6th

At 8 a.m. on Saturday morning (November 6th) we will meet in the parking lot on the west side of the West Laramie Fly Store (1657 Snowy Range Road) and then caravan to various lakes in the Laramie Valley, potentially including Blakes Pond, Meeboer, Gelatt, Twin Buttes Reservoir, and/or Lake Hattie.  From eBird reports, it looks like large flocks of Redheads and many other migrants are now arriving at Lake Hattie.

This trip will involve minimal walking, as we will probably observe from the parking areas at each stop.  We plan to be home by noon, but everyone is free to leave earlier (or extend their trip).  Although Saturday's weather looks promising, please remember to bring plenty of warm clothes, because it may be cold in the morning and there will be no protection from the wind.  We also suggest bringing your birding supplies (binoculars, bird books, etc.) as well as sun protection, snacks, water, and a friend.     

Trip Report - Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Clear blue skies and warm sunshine accented the reds and golds of fall during the October 2 LAS trip to Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  The surprising lack of the usual Wyoming wind was much appreciated by the small group of birders who gathered to enjoy the morning.  The stillness allowed everyone to hear sounds that might have been missed on a gustier occasion:  the subtle song practice of immature White-crowned Sparrows, the distant yipping of several coyotes, and the feathery wingbeats of a flock of Ravens flying just overhead.  Horned Larks, the most numerous bird of the morning, announced their identities with their sweet, light calls.  Our outing began and ended with the burbling of a chatty Marsh Wren, who was making good use of the rushes and shrubs despite the lack of water in much of the refuge.

While many of the wetlands were completely dry, Hutton Lake still had enough water to attract a small number of ducks.  We watched as the tranquil water showcased the swimming path of a Ruddy Duck, while nearby Eared Grebes dove and disappeared.  We waited for dabbling Shovelers to raise their heads for us to admire their distinctive bills and admired a lone Avocet in white winter plumage wading at the water's edge. 

Here's hoping that a snowy winter and wet spring will return more water to this important haven.  Many thanks to LAS member and certified Wyoming Naturalist Alexandria for leading the trip!

Bird species list:  Canada Goose, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Eared Grebe, Ferruginous Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, American Avocet, Killdeer, Marsh Wren, Horned Lark, White-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Meadowlark.

Mammals seen:  Pronghorn, White-tailed jackrabbit, Cottontail, White-tailed prairie dogs, Thirteen-lined ground-squirrel.

Reading in the Park

The Laramie Audubon Society invites the public to join us for our first Reading in the Park on Sunday, October 3 at 3 pm.  This event, featuring Kate Northrop (Associate Professor in UW's Creative Writing/MFA Program) and Nell Smith (UW graduate student pursuing an MFA with a dual degree in Creative Nonfiction and Environment and Natural Resources) reading nature-related selections from their work, will take place outdoors at the Washington Park Bandshell (corner of Sheridan and 18th Streets).  Bring your own chair or blanket or plan to sit on the park benches.  Join us afterwards for light refreshments.

Field Trip - Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge

As many of you have observed, the Refuge is currently experiencing extremely low water levels.  The conditions are a result of a combination of factors including Summer 2020 Covid-19 restrictions for federal employees, the Refuge's junior water rights status, and irrigation system management in adjacent portions of the valley.  Despite the small percentage of the area with open water, eBirders continue to report a variety of waterfowl as well as raptors, numerous sparrow species, and warblers.  

We will meet at the viewing platform (see directions below) at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning (October 2).  The water levels are low, so anticipate substantial walking on uneven ground to reach locations where birds may be visible. 

Directions to Hutton Lake NWR:  If coming from Laramie, head south on 3rd Street/ US-287, turn right onto County Road 22 (as if entering the cement plant), then turn left onto Sand Creek Road (parallel to railroad tracks - many people have missed this turn and mistakenly entered the cement plant parking lot). Stay on Sand Creek Road for about 8 miles, then turn right at the National Wildlife Refuge sign.  To reach the viewing platform, continue west from the sign for approximately 0.75 miles, and then turn left (south) and follow the two track until it ends (approximately 0.4 miles).  

Wyoming Hereford Ranch Field Trip (May 8th)

On Saturday morning (May 8th) we'll meet at the Wyoming Hereford Ranch visitor parking area in Cheyenne at 8 a.m.  From Laramie, travel east on I-80 to Exit 367 (Campstool Road); travel south approximately 1 mile to the Ranch entrance, which will be on the left (east) side of Campstool Road; drive several hundred yards up the driveway to the parking area adjacent to the big red barn.  The Ranch is privately owned but open to the public for birding; the National Audubon Society has designated it as an Important Bird Area:  https://www.audubon.org/important-bird-areas/wyoming-hereford-ranch.  

Please remember that LAS continues to require masks at our field trip, due to our tendency to crowd together in an effort to see the most exciting birds.  Register for this trip by sending an email to us at laramie.audubon@gmail.com - please include your telephone number so that we can contact you if there is a last-minute change in plans!  

Volunteer Opportunity - Nest Box Monitoring

The Laramie Audubon Society (LAS), is seeking a group of volunteers to monitor nest boxes at the Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge located southwest of Laramie. We will be looking to form at least three crews to monitor a group of the boxes once weekly from mid-May through mid- to late July.  The weekly time commitment to check a group of 12 to 16 nest boxes is about an hour or so depending on the rate of walking. Last year, we conducted the nest box checks on Sunday, mid-morning and followed the CDC Covid-19 safety guidelines to social distance.  We do not expect a weekly commitment of each volunteer, however we would prefer that volunteers rotate with other members in their crew in an effort to share observations and data between crew members. All new volunteers would be trained by returning volunteers. 

In past years, the nest boxes were primarily used by tree swallows. Data for each nest box will be collected on forms to include: the date, nest status and condition (if nesting material is present, and if an obvious nest central cup is present, if the nest is damaged or gone); number of eggs, number of live or dead hatchlings and fledglings; adult bird activity and behavior; and status of the young (if nestlings are naked and pink, date when presence of wing feathers emerged, and when body feathers completely cover the skin), and dates when the young have fledged. 

The data collected will be entered into Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch database. NestWatch is a nationwide monitoring program developed by Cornell to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive.  Their database is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over tine as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.  This being said, as a volunteer and community scientist, you will be contributing to the collection of additional data and aid in the future conservation of bird species.  It would be ideal if one person from each of the three monitoring crews would enter the data into the online database.  Again, training will be provided.

LAS thanks all 2020 volunteers and future 2021 volunteers!  Please contact Jan Hart, LAS via email at janhart22@hotmail.com if you are interested in helping with the 2021 nest box monitoring efforts.  Please respond by April 20 if interested so that training and crews' weekly schedules can be arranged.  Also, feel free to contact Jan with any questions at (307) 760-9693 as well.

Flock of Sandhill Cranes observed flying over Hutton Lake NWR by 2020 LAS/NestBox volunteers.
(Photo courtesy of Laurel Armstrong)

In-Town Field Trip - Saturday, April 24th

Join us on the Spring edition of our Laramie Hotspots field trip.  We will meet at 8 a.m. at the southeast corner of Lake LaBonte (a.k.a. Stink Lake) in LaBonte Park, near the corner of North 8th and Canby Streets.  After viewing the waterfowl and surveying the surrounding park areas for song birds, we'll decide where to go next.  Plan on two to four hotspots within the City limits, depending on how the birding is at each stop.  This is a bike-friendly outing, since the potential stops are within a mile or two (or less) of each other.   

Please remember that we continue to require masks on our trips.  We also encourage attendees to bring warm clothes, sturdy shoes, sun protection, water, and snacks, as well as binoculars and other birding equipment.  Most of the walking on this trip will be on level surfaces (e.g., the grass in the park, gravel roads at the cemetery, paved Greenbelt trail).  

We also continue to request that people register for LAS trips by sending a quick message to us at laramie.audubon@gmail.com.  The primary purpose of registration is to facilitate contact tracing in case of potential Covid-19 exposure.  However, if you include your phone number, we'll be able to call if the trip is cancelled at the last minute (apologies to those who didn't get the message about the cancellation of the lek trip!!).  

April 10th Lek Trip Cancelled

The trip leader checked out the access to the lek late this afternoon (April 9) and the road is impassable due to muddy conditions and snow drifts.  Therefore, the LAS lek trip tomorrow (April 10) is cancelled.  We apologize for the late notice - we were hoping that today's wind and partly sunny weather would dry things out.   

Note that the trip to Hutton Lake NWR will go on as planned.  If the access is muddy, we will just park farther from the water and enjoy the walk and the additional opportunity to observe grassland birds.