Trip Report - 11th Oct 2025 Laramie River Greenbelt (from Optimist Park)

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.

Osprey (with fish), sighted during LAS Oct. 11th trip
(photo courtesy of LAS member Esther Gilman-Kehrer)

Thanks to WYOBIRD for Hosting LAS at Their Banding Station!

On Sunday, September 21, a group of ten Laramie Audubon Society members visited the WYOBIRD banding station along the Laramie River.  

This was an opportunity to see a variety of species up close and to learn about the importance of this patch of habitat to passerines migrating through the area.  We watched while the WYOBIRD students and staff carefully extracted the birds from the nets within the cottonwood/willow riparian habitat and learned about the series of measurements that they make on each bird: sex, wing length, body condition (fat), age, weight, etc. 

Seeing each bird fly away to continue the journey south is a reminder of how amazing these tiny creatures are and how important each stopover point is to their journey!  

To learn more about WYOBIRD's activities and opportunities for students to become involved in this organization, visit their website:  https://www.tarwaterlab.com/staff-positions 

Trip Report - Rock Creek Canyon

Last Saturday (9/6), six Laramie birders visited Rock Creek Canyon. It was a picture-perfect day and all enjoyed our hike along Rock Creek, searching for American Dippers and watching a variety of forest birds. Most of the group turned around after a couple of hours, but the subset of that continued up canyon completed the trip with the following list: 

• 

  American Dipper, Rock Creek Canyon, 9/6/2025
  Photo courtesy of LAS member S. Rankins

  Dark-eyed Junco 
  
• Mountain Chickadee 
• Red-breasted Nuthatch 
• American Robin 
• Stellar's Jay 
• Clark's Nutcracker 
• MacGillivray's Warbler
• Swainson's Thrush 
• Northern Flicker 
• Hairy Woodpecker 
• Belted Kingfisher 
• Townsend's Solitaire 
• Bald Eagle 
• Red-tailed Hawk 
• Cooper's Hawk 
• Northern Pygmy-owl

Global Big Day Birding

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.

 

                                        Ruby-crowned Kinglet

                                            Wilson's Phalarope (Heather Johnson)

 

Kids and Families welcome a chilly spring.

 On a cloudy Saturday morning, March 22, 20 kids and families gathered at Undine Park to search with all senses for signs of spring. Some even ventured over the state line from Colorado, while others were visitors staying in town. The group heard and saw several bird species, including robin, chickadee, flicker, sparrow, crow, collared dove and starling. Signs of spring included green grass, nesting material dropped by a starling, and nests in trees. 

 After wandering the park, participants abandoned the chilly weather for a trip across the street and down the alley to the Sheila Bird Farms greenhouse. Owner Ricky Kent showed kids and families the seed planting process and several types of seedlings now growing in preparation for transplanting on the farm. The group also enjoyed the tropical plants that Ricky brought to the greenhouse from his former home in Florida many years ago. On the way out, participants treated themselves to a sprig of microgreens or pea shoots to eat. Back at the park, all kids received a seed planting kit and dipped their peat pots into a bag of soil to collect for planting before heading home. 

 Our next Kids and Families event will take place on Saturday, April 19, at 9am in Washington Park, where a group of students in the UWYo Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Program will provide Earth Day activities, including making bird feeders! Meet at the bandshell for this event. 

 Laramie Audubon Society offers a Kids and Families activity every month of the year. Keep your eyes peeled on our website Events page, social media, with your school or home school group, and members receive a reminder by email before all events. 

 Family membership in Laramie Audubon Society is just $25 per year. Members receive notice of upcoming events, our quarterly newsletter, and invitation to occasional special members only events. Join online at: https://laramieaudubon.blogspot.com/p/membership.html. 

 Below photos: Microgreens and pea shoots growing in the greenhouse. Mmmm! And the group spies a crow nest high in a tree. 

Trip Report - Thorne/Williams WHMA

For our trip on 4th of May (May the 4th be with you) we had eleven observers and we saw a total of 32 species. European Starlings represented the largest total, but the Spotted Towhees also put in a strong showing.  We saw two wrens (Rock Wren and House Wren) and two Towhees (Spotted and Green-tailed Towhees). 

 A favorite moment was when a Golden Eagle flew over, then a Prairie Falcon came to join, then a Red-tailed Hawk, and then we spotted a high Accipiter (Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk) in the kettle at the end. 

The Turkey Vultures also had a lot of fun sunning on the rocks and showing off for everyone. The weather and company - including three birders from Cheyenne - was lovely, and we had a great time at a really unique area of Albany County, WY.

Trip Report - Red Buttes

We had a cold and intrepid group of Audubon people attend the Red Buttes field trip on Saturday the 20th of April 2024.

A total of 7 people attended, and the wind howled at us the entire time. We met at 0800, and lasted about 40 minutes outside, ending at around 1000 after also doing a tour of the Red Buttes Facilities. The weather report said that with wind chill the temperature was ~14F, so it was a pretty cold time.

For the birding, we stuck to the fish ponds and riparian areas immediately around the facility, and used my scope to also look at Leazenby Lake. Even with the horrid weather we still managed 15 species. Highlights were several Franklin's Gulls, a Say's Phoebe who actually came to hang out with us in the wing, and the local breeding Swainson's Hawk came by.

The group agreed that the field trip was in a really cool place, but that mid-April might be too early to come to Red Buttes. A couple weeks later might give a better chance at less volatile weather.

Three cheers to our amazing birding group who braved some true Wyoming weather to see early spring migrants.

Saturday, April 15 - Laramie Hotspots Field Trip

Tired of driving?  So are we!  This weekend, we'll stick to birding hotspots within the City of Laramie, beginning at Greenhill Cemetery.  From there, the trip will visit one or more additional popular local birding locales, such as Spring Creek, LaBonte Park, or the Greenbelt.  

Meeting Location:  Main gate of Greenhill Cemetery (parking to the north on 15th Street and to the west on Bradley Street or Lewis Street (Lewis is currently closed to vehicles between 14th and 15th Streets, but the sidewalk is open).  

Meeting Time: 8 a.m.   

Bird Hop Trip Report

 On Saturday, February 25, a group of 10 descended on the streets of Centennial, WY, to peek in on feeders around town, in the first LAS Bird Hop since 2020. Several of the feeders that had been active in the past were unused this winter, but those at the Bear Bottom Grill were full and fluttering with activity. 

Despite the absence of Rosy Finch, the group observed 16 species total, most predominantly Steller's Jay, which vied with the Bear Bottom's resident gray squirrel for a feeder. The others were Clark's Nutcracker, Black-capped and Mountain Chickadee, Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch and Sparrow, American Crow and Raven, Oregon and Slate-Colored Junco, Pine Grosbeak, Black-billed Magpie and a single White-breasted Nuthatch. 

After wandering the streets, the group convened for an early lunch at The Bear Bottom, where they enjoyed more feeder watching and good conversation. Shout out to Bear Bottom for excellent hospitality at opening time on a Saturday!

Steller's Jay, Photo Lisa Cox

Curt Gowdy Trip Report

 Birders could not have asked for better weather in Curt Gowdy State Park the morning of November 12, 2022.  The day started with clear blue skies and still air.  The first bird sighting was a beautiful blue Steller’s Jay.  Followed by chipmunk and white-tailed deer sightings.  Eerie echoes from the cracking ice drown out the familiar Mountain Chickadee calls.  As Canadian geese soared above the ponderosa pines an occasional honk was heard.  A dozen Tundra Swans with a single Cackling Goose were floating in the reservoir.  

As our group of birders went around the water, closer to the dam, quite a few Buffleheads were seen.  The white color on the males was so striking and the females close behind.  A Grebe would emerge from the water and then dive back down in pursuit of food.  Gulls hovered and joined the ducks on the water.  Goldeneyes, Mallards, and Common Mergansers were among other ducks spotted. Other unidentified ducks flew in formation overhead.  In the trees were Steller's Jays, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Crows, and Ravens (or Cravens - as our birders joked).  Magpies sat on top of the tallest tree branches and Song Sparrows hopped through willow on the shore.  As our full morning of bird watching was coming to a close, a raptor swooped over the many water fowl and disappeared over a hill.  The wind was picking up and the gentle sounds of nature blessing our group of birders.  It was a rewarding field trip with unseasonably warm weather.

(Thanks to Savannah for the the trip report and photo).

Trip Report - Laramie River Greenbelt

 The morning of Laramie Audubon's first fall outing began with heavy, low clouds and chilly temperatures of September's first cold front.  The undaunted few who donned jackets and winter hats to walk the Laramie Greenbelt were rewarded with a lovely morning at the river.  Green foliage and the presence of Swainson's hawks and Western Wood-pewees indicated that summertime had not yet left Wyoming, but the rabbitbrush in full bloom and slight hints of changing color suggested that autumn is on its way.

Numerous Wilson's Warblers, recently arrived in town, called from the willows and occasionally flew out in little yellow bursts.  Migrating Clay-colored Sparrows joined other sparrows, such as Song, White-crowned, and Chipping, along the trail.  Mink and muskrat appeared briefly before diving back underwater. 

At one point, the bike path became a bird path, when a loud Killdeer landed right in the middle of the pavement and refused to budge.  This noisy plover let onlookers see its orange eye ring and details of its molting plumage.  Observers took photographs and wondered at the reason for its apparent tameness.  A passing dogwalker even held her big dog back so the Killdeer could be admired for longer.

Later, everyone followed the high-pitched calls of a Cedar Waxwing to the river's edge to find the youngest waxwing fledglings anyone present had ever seen.  The endearing youngsters had only the pale beginnings of the adult bandit mask and were balls of gray fluff on the lookout for insects flying over the water.

Thirty-eight bird species were noted, and not only did the rain hold off, but blue skies emerged. The sun shone on a lone Barn Swallow swooping over the river and an Olive-sided Flycatcher perching upright on a dead branch at the end of the walk.  A Spotted Sandpiper's two-note call said goodbye.  (Many thanks to Vic for the trip report and photo).  

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.

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.

Trip Report - Snow Tracking Trip

LAS's first field trip of 2021 (Saturday, February 6th) was widely anticipated as the kick-off to our Spring schedule.  And, the night before the outing, the forecast looked promising - snow ending Friday night and not resuming until mid-day on Saturday.  Perfect conditions for fresh tracks!  By Saturday morning, snow had ended in Laramie and the group headed toward the Snowies.  Unfortunately, the weather deteriorated in the Laramie Valley, with a whiteout encountered near the junction of Hwy. 11.  Despite the road conditions, five hardy souls gathered at the designated spot (intersection of Hwy. 130 and Sand Lake Road), where it was windy and snowing.  The group observed that any recent tracks were likely to be obscured by the blowing snow, and they decided to cancel the trip.  Unfortunately, there is no available backup date for this event.  We hope that conditions are more favorable for a tracking trip in 2022.  In the meantime, please consider joining one of our upcoming outings:  http://laramieaudubon.blogspot.com/p/events.html.

Bird Count - Watch for These Birds!

Laramie had a successful Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, with a record number of birders braving the wind and cold or loyally watching their feeders.  Lists were compiled by our organizer, Shay Howlin, during a Zoom meeting, which, although fun, was no match for the potluck held during previous years.  

Pine Grosbeaks (photo courtesy of Chris Dewey)

The volunteers documented 39 species and almost 4,000 individuals.  In addition to the species counted on Saturday, a tally is kept of all species observed during Count Week.  Below is a short list of common species that we did not see.  If you have seen any of these birds within 7.5 miles of Laramie since last Wednesday (December 16th), or see one between now and Tuesday (December 22nd), please let Shay know (wolfhowlin@gmail.com); if you have seen other, less common species, feel free to let her know about those birds, too.  Please include information regarding the date and location.

American Kestrel
Merlin
Great Horned Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Shrike
Steller's Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Horned Lark

Winter Tracking Trip Summary

The winter 2020 snow track outing with Gary Beavais occurred on February 1 in the Medicine Bow Forest along Sand Lake Road.  With great weather five people accompanied Gary to learn about animal tracks and the winter behavior these animals.  A Red Breasted Nuthatch and a Mountain Chickadee were spotted, as were the tracks of a Dusky Grouse.  Mammal tracks observed were rabbit, mouse, squirrel, fox/coyote, moose, and many weasel tracks. A great day was had by all participants.

Photos: Winter snow trackers, Mouse tracks, Dusky Grouse track with wing print during takeoff

9/21 Laramie Hotspots Trip Report

Cooper's Hawk (Photo courtesy of Laurel Armstrong)

Our Laramie Hotspots outing on Sept 21^st, 2019 started at Greenhill Cemetery where we were surprised to see a Red-naped Sapsucker taking a bath, with quite a few Pine Siskins flitting around the birdbath as well. Other highlights were a Western Tanager, a Warbling Vireo, and a Cooper's Hawk who was chased by American Crows into a nearby tree giving us a great view.  
Rounding out the list at the cemetery were Wilson's Warblers, American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Chickadees, a Western Wood-Pewee, a Downy Woodpecker, and Turkey Vultures soaring overhead.

The three birders then made a quick stop at LaBonte Park where we saw a Townsend's Warbler as well as Mallards, Gadwalls, American Wigeon, Ring-billed Gulls, and more Turkey Vultures.

At the Greenbelt we combined birding with trash clean-up along Laramie Audubon's sponsored

stretch. The wind had picked up considerably and bird activity was limited, but we saw a Belted Kingfisher and a few other expected species of birds (8 total) as well as a cute little salamander.  We were pleased that there was not too much trash along the way.



9/14: Hutton Lake trip report

Juvenile Bald Eagle flying over Rush Lake. Photo by Jimena Golcher-Benavides.

Ten of us enjoyed a beautiful day at Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge this past Saturday. However, the presence of at least 7 Bald Eagles seemed to have scared away many waterbirds, which are normally abundant at Hutton this time of year. Nevertheless, the group was treated to several highlights, including American Pipits, Virginia Rails, Baird's, Pectoral, and Least Sandpipers, and excellent looks at normally skulky Marsh Wrens. Non-bird highlights included a couple of coyotes and a few nice butterflies such as Melissa Blues, Purplish Coppers, and Painted Ladies.

Greater Yellowlegs (left) and Baird's Sandpiper (right). Photo by Jimena Golcher-Benavides.

Marsh Wren. Photo by Jimena Golcher-Benavides.

8/31: Snowy Range trip report

Thirteen birders ventured out to Brooklyn Lake Rd. in the Snowy Range to look for migrants in the high elevation spruce forests. Although we didn't have great luck with migrants, the group did manage to find a handful of Wilson's Warblers, a Townsend's Warbler, and a Cordilleran Flycatcher among others. The real highlights were great looks at a flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets, an Osprey above Brooklyn Lake, a flock of three juvenile White-winged Crossbills, and a group of three incredibly cooperative Pine Grosbeaks.

Male Pine Grosbeak. Photo by Brian Waitkus.

Gap Lakes Trip Report

The vast majority of us (myself included) missed a great trip last Saturday.  Here's Brian's trip report:

On 13 July 2019 Jimena Golcher-Benavides joined Brian Waitkus during the hike to the Gap Lakes in the Snowy Range.  The unusually large amount of snow this year required walking into the area from Highway 130 doubling the normal length of the hike and could have resulted in the lower number of birds being sighted.  During the walk into the area we reviewed the calls of the Brown-capped Rosy-finch.  While at the south slope of North Gap Lake we heard one Rosy-Finch call but were unable to sight the bird.  In addition to the Rosy-finch call we recorded numerous robin and White crowned sparrow with fewer American Pipit.  One male Peregrine falcon, one male Northern harrier and two Northern flicker were also observed.  Despite the snow and the lower number of birds being observed the great weather gave us a wonderful day in the mountains.

One of the many drifts across the road leading to the Sugarloaf Recreation Area trailhead
(photo courtesy of Brian Waitkus)