Laramie Audubon Society Members met on a blustery fall morning to walk the Laramie Greenbelt Trail in search of fall migrants. A check of the radar before 7am that morning showed wet weather had traveled north overnight from SW states, and threatened to dampen the trip, but the dozen birders were unphased. Winds and misting rain made for beautiful skies and fall views along the trail, and while the birds were quiet, members were awarded with a number of good sightings.
Birders practiced their ID skills for starlings and pigeons, and American Crows versus a loan Common Raven. A hearty juvenile Cooper’s Hawk hunted the willows and cottonwoods in the neighborhoods near the trail, and mallards showed off their water proof plumage in the river. Before we turned back as the rain became heavier, the group had good looks at White-crowned Sparrows, a loan American Robin, and a Mountain Bluebird. The highlight of the trip was an Osprey who was spotted through the fence sitting on a pole eating its breakfast of a large fish. Total species count for our group was 15.
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| Osprey (with fish), sighted during LAS Oct. 11th trip (photo courtesy of LAS member Esther Gilman-Kehrer) |
