On this Saturday's Laramie Audubon Society field trip, we will head to the Laramie Plains to search for shorebirds and other waterbirds. Meet at the 1st Street and Grand Avenue Plaza at 7:00 am. We plan to return by 10 am.
Kids and Families Fly on the Prairie
Eight kids and families gathered on the edge of the prairie on Saturday morning, June 28. There was not a cloud in the sky, but we learned how clouds form, and where to look for them, as well as the precipitation they drop on the earth. The sun was already quite hot, and we explored how that heat helps birds that may be found on the prairie, providing thermals they can glide on, and how the winds can come up with the heat of sunrise and calm with the cooling at sunset. We learned about how wings work and why birds can fly and people cannot.
Kids and their parents shared stories of the birds they have seen in their backyards, including nesting robins and a mourning dove. We talked about baby crows and how their parents act when someone gets too close to a baby learning to fly.
Although we did not see clouds or hawks when we looked up this morning, some pledged to go out earlier in the morning and look again, and to look for clouds forming over the mountains. Kids took home a tropical bird glider to put together, and took a guess answering the question, "Why do tropical birds come in such bright colors?" The winner took home a copy of the Audubon Rockies book Voice of the Grasslands.
Our next Kids & Families event will take place on Saturday, August 23. The theme is Back to School, and we will go a little batty playing some bird games. Keep your eyes peeled for location. We will list the event on our website Events page, post on social media, and send a reminder email to Laramie Audubon Society members.
The Global Big Day is an annual celebration of birds in your community. To celebrate, 13 birders met at Greenhill Cemetery on 10 May. Although we had great weather, migrant birds were still a bit scarce. We were treated to numerous singing Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a few migrant Swainson’s Thrushes and Orange-crowned Warblers, and a small flock of Chipping Sparrows. After our Greenhill visit, we headed over to LaBonte Park, where 150 Wilson’s Phalaropes were feeding busily on emerging insects. A number Cinnamon Teal pairs provided a visual delight. Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Great-tailed Grackles appeared to be establishing territories in the lake’s cattails. For the morning, we tallied 33 species in celebration of the return of our migratory birds.
Due to administrative complications related to our park permit, we are cancelling the May Kids and Families program. We hope that you are able to get outside and enjoy the Spring!
Each year in early to mid-April, Turkey Vultures arrive in Laramie after migrating from wintering grounds in Central and South America. They have a communal roost located on the University of Wyoming campus (adjacent to Old Main), which they use until migrating back to their winter grounds in September and October.
There is much to learn about roost dynamics, breeding behavior, and how they interact with their habitat! The Laramie Audubon Society encourages our members and friends to attend this training and participate in this community science program. Training will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the University of Wyoming's Berry Center building (Room 217 - Teaching Lab) and outside on campus.
Come Learn about the Wyoming State Parks in the Laramie District! Carlo Migliaccio, Interpretative Ranger for the Laramie District of Wyoming State Parks, will share information on the parks, his work in them, and programs and projects available to attend and looking for volunteers. The Laramie District of the Wyoming State Parks includes multiple local sites, including the Wyoming Territorial Prison, the Ames Monument, the Quebec 1 Historic Site, and Curt Gowdy State Park. Come learn with LAS about what will be happening this spring, summer, and fall! Hidden Falls is one reward of hiking at Curt Gowdy State Park!
Photo from Wyoming State Park website.
Join us for a leisurely morning birding in Centennial. We'll wander through the protected aspen groves within the downtown neighborhood and possibly up onto the hills. After our meander, we will retreat to the Bear Bottom Café for a NO HOST coffee or early lunch. The Bear Bottom typically has feeders visible through their large dining room windows, so the birding fun will continue even after we head indoors.
Laramie-based folks will meet at 8:45 a.m. at First Street Plaza (corner of 1st Street and Grand Avenue) and caravan to Centennial. If you would like to meet us in Centennial, look for the group in front of the Bear Bottom Café at approximately 9:30 a.m.
Meet at intersection of Hwy 130 & Sand Lake Road at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 25 Saturday, February 1. BYO equipment. See other post, below, for more details.
