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5 Jul Shoshoni Area Birds~ [Elaine Baumann ] 4 Jul Re: Teton Birds in July [Grant Gardner ] 4 Jul Teton Birds in July [Christopher Wright ] 3 Jul Yant's puddle [Chris Michelson ] 2 Jul Re: Teton birding help ["Dixie R. Smith" ] 2 Jul Teton birding help [robert wardle ] 1 Jul Bird Banter for July 1, 2008 [Barb GORGES ] 1 Jul Audubon field trip July 12 [Barb GORGES ] 30 Jun Contents of Western Birds, vol. 39 no. 2 (2008) [Ted Floyd ] 30 Jun Re: Little Keyhole com. Loon [Pomjaeger ] 29 Jun Cardinals? [sol ] 29 Jun Little Keyhole com. Loon ["Jean" ] 29 Jun Little Keyhole com. Loon [Jean ] 28 Jun Yant's Puddle [Chris Michelson ] 19 Jun Cassin's Sparrow [Jim Lawrence ] 18 Jun Contents of Western Birds, vol. 39 no. 1 (2008) [Ted Floyd ] 17 Jun Buffalo Ridge - Cheyenne, Cranes? [Merle SCHULTZ ] 17 Jun Buffalo Ridge - Cheyenne, Cranes? [Merle SCHULTZ ] 16 Jun Fw: eBird Report - Woodruff Narrows Reservoir , 6/16/08 [Tim Avery ] 15 Jun Re: Eastern Wyoming birding around Torrington [Pete's email ] 15 Jun Eastern Wyoming birding around Torrington [Drew Arnold ] 15 Jun Lesser Goldfinch in Cheyenne [Barb GORGES ] 14 Jun Cheyenne [Fred Lebsack ] 14 Jun FE Warren AFB and Cheyenne [Chuck Seniawski ] 10 Jun Glossy Ibis at Hutton Lake NWR [Pomjaeger ] 10 Jun Partial albino robin [Donna and Bruce Walgren ] 9 Jun Birding Festival in Saratoga [dwagner ] 9 Jun Fort Bridger [Jim Ducey ] 7 Jun white winged dove in RS [Sandy Mitchell ] 5 Jun Cheyenne Audubon field trips summer 08 [Barb GORGES ] 3 Jun saratoga [Drew Arnold ] 31 May Re: Cheyenne area [RT Cox ] 31 May orioles and tanagers feeding question [sol ] 31 May Cheyenne area [Fred Lebsack ] 30 May rock springs back yard [Sandy Mitchell ] 29 May Casper Backyard [Rose-Mary King ] 29 May Casper Back Yard [Rose-Mary King ] 29 May Cheyenne - mylar park 5-29 [Gloria Pike ] 28 May MacGillivray's Warbler - WHR 5-28 [Gloria Pike ] 28 May Re: orchard oirole? [sol ] 28 May orchard oirole? [sol ] 28 May Bird Banter for May 28, 2008 [Barb GORGES ] 27 May Cheyenne backyard [Barb GORGES ] 27 May EKW this morning [Chris Michelson ] 27 May Jackson South Park WMA Migratory Bird Count results [Susan Patla ] 26 May Green River backyard [sol ] 26 May Saratoga birds [Francis and Janice ] 26 May pewee invasion [Fred Lebsack ] 26 May Copper Mountain Birds~ [Elaine Baumann ] 26 May Re: re. Sandhill Cranes -North Crow Creek [Pomjaeger ] 26 May re. Sandhill Cranes -North Crow Creek [Steven Waltz ] 25 May Sandhill Crane - North Crow Creek [Jan McKee ] Subject: Shoshoni Area Birds~ From: Elaine Baumann <songbird827 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 14:04:15 -0400 Now that the spring migration is over....and a magnificent one it was.....our summer residents have settled in. Today we noted A Rufous, Broadtailed and a Calliope Hummingbird, a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, A Lesser Goldfinch, which is apparently "an uncommon migrant and summer resident in the Southern U. S. Rockies". Other common residents here today are the Cassins Finch, Mourning Dove, Pine Siskin, Mountain Chickadee, Red Winged Blackbirds, American Goldfinch, Mountain Bluebirds, Violet-Green Swallows, House Wrens, Says Phoebes, Nighthawks, and last night we heard a Poor Will again. Elaine Baumann Shoshoni, WY on Copper Mountain - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Re: Teton Birds in July From: Grant Gardner <grant.p.gardner AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 14:27:48 -0600 I am conducting bird transect surveys in the area right now and found a rather large flock of red crossbills in the extensive mixed pine forests of Teton-Bridge NF East of Grand Teton NP. Exact directions: I took the road opposite the entrance for Cunningham Cabin NHS and followed it (it's a rough, dirt road) for 3-4 miles until I got to a dead end, in an extensive coniferous forest. The crossbills were right at the closed gate at the dead end. Lots of other good coniferous birds there as well. The best bet for Bullock's, IMO, is in rows of tall trees at the edges of pastures or fields, usually near human settlement. They are not uncommon in most of this area. Hope that helps, Grant Gardner On Fri, Jul 4, 2008 at 9:35 AM, Christopher Wright wrote: > Regarding Rob Wardle's question about Teton birding in mid-July: > > For what it's worth a year later, I can report that last July I watched a > mother three-toed woodpecker and juvenile hunting on deadfall in the burn > area along the stream between String Lake and Jenny Lake. > > I'll be out later this month and would appreciate any birding > suggestions for Grand Teton NP. Thanks to Dix Smith for the Signal Mountain > grouse suggestion. Ideas for Bullock's Oriole and Red Crossbill would be > appreciated. > > Chris Wright > Chevy Chase, MD > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, > etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Teton Birds in July From: Christopher Wright <chriswright6 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 11:35:58 -0400 Regarding Rob Wardle's question about Teton birding in mid-July: For what it's worth a year later, I can report that last July I watched a mother three-toed woodpecker and juvenile hunting on deadfall in the burn area along the stream between String Lake and Jenny Lake. I'll be out later this month and would appreciate any birding suggestions for Grand Teton NP. Thanks to Dix Smith for the Signal Mountain grouse suggestion. Ideas for Bullock's Oriole and Red Crossbill would be appreciated. Chris Wright Chevy Chase, MD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Yant's puddle From: Chris Michelson <Michelsonce AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 13:04:24 EDT Greetings birders A short visit to Yant's puddle( aka Soda Lake ) produced more evidence of shorebird migration. There were at least 4 marbled godwits present along the dike. Other birds of interest included one snowy egret on the island where the black-crowned night herons nest and two peregrine falcons in the dead trees around the inlet. Lots of young California gulls in the gull colonies and good numbers of black-crowned night herons. One redhead seemed out of place for this time of year. Good birding to all. Chris Michelson Casper, WY **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Re: Teton birding help From: "Dixie R. Smith" <dixiesmith AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 18:33:57 -0400 For Great Gray Owl, try the pass between Jackson and Dubois. Signal Mtn. near the dam on Jackson Lake is almost a sure thing for grouse. Dix Smith - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Teton birding help From: robert wardle <rwardleuk AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 05:07:06 -0700 Hi everyone, I shall be staying in the Jackson area for a few days (7/13 onwards) and was hoping for a little help with some birds, especially as this is one of those family/birding holidays where birding time is limited :-). Any help with the following would be very appreciated, please reply direct. 1. are there any recent burn areas good for Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpecker? 2. any good stakeouts/feeders for Calliope HB? 3. any good places for Grouse? 4. any good places for Great Grey Owl this year? 5. What are the chances of Black Rosy-finch on Mt Rendezvous (from Teton aerial tramway)? 6. Is there any place for Evening Grosbeak at this time of year?  ...and finally, I have an overnight stop in Rock Springs - are the Gray Vireos still there?  If so, can anybody help me with directions?   regards Rob Wardle UK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Bird Banter for July 1, 2008 From: Barb GORGES <bgorges4 AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 16:44:02 -0600 This edition of Bird Banter, "Nesting season means a variety of building activities," appeared July 1, 2008 in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle's Outdoors section. Please contact the author, bgorges4 AT msn.com, for permission to reprint it in hard copy or virtual copy for commercial or nonprofit purposes. Thanks. Note to regular readers: The Bird Banter column schedule has changed to once every six weeks--plus assorted short articles in between. The WTE has been redesigned again. Nesting season means a variety of building activities By Barb Gorges Nesting season means the dawn chorus of birdsong quiets down as the business of assuring the continuation of species gets underway. Great horned owls get an early start. By mid-May a stick nest in a cottonwood west of town sported two owlets that, with all their fluff, seemed as large as their parents. But apparently, owlets in the same nest don't hatch at the same time. Jana Ginter told me this spring she rescued two after a windstorm blew down their nest near Carpenter. The rehabilitators at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center in Fort Collins, Colo., suspected, based on the size difference between the owlets, that there must have been a third that hatched in between. Detective work by Jana showed the third owlet was rescued and taken to rehabbers in Nebraska. The big stick messes in the cottonwoods along the shores of Lake Minnehaha at Holliday Park belong to a colony of black-crowned night herons. It's hard to see the large birds on the nests once the trees leaf out, so many park users have no idea what's going on overhead. Gulls are fond of nesting in colonies too, but on the ground, preferably on an inaccessible island. May 31 Mark and I were in Casper for the 8th annual Wyoming Audubon Chapters campout and visited Soda Lake as part of a group of guests of Murie Audubon Society. The reservoir is not publicly accessible and the birds seemed less skittish there than other reservoirs. Double-crested cormorants and California gulls were shoulder to shoulder on a bit of sand, many quietly sitting on nests which were merely scraped-together mounds of natural debris. Then someone with a spotting scope called out, "Look, chicks!" Sure enough, around the standing adult gulls were little gray fluff balls, hardly different from chicken chicks. Even though gulls quickly attain adult size, this species will go through five plumage variations in the first four years before getting complete adult coloration. Walking along the North Platte River at Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park earlier in the day we were surrounded by noisy yellow warblers (the species is also named "Yellow Warbler") high up in the cottonwoods. Every distinctive call was easy to match up with another bright, daffodil-yellow bird. We were surprised when one flitted closer, to eye-level branches of a small tree. Then we spotted the cup-shaped nest in a junction of branches. Robins build similar, but bigger, cup-shaped nests since they are nearly twice the length of a warbler, but they don't always build in trees. Every year I get calls about them nesting on front porch light fixtures and dive-bombing home owners. We've had robins nest in the bushes under our window where we could look out and watch the nestlings develop. This year when the male kept zooming past the window with his beak full of nesting material, the trajectory didn't seem right. I realized finally he was building on an exposed beam under the roof overhang, free from disturbance by squirrels, cats and human onlookers. Canada geese will nest on manmade platforms, but so far, I've never seen them use the upended concrete culverts at North Crow Reservoir. Unlike a Christo landscape art project, these spoil an otherwise beautiful setting and I hope the state parks people will remove them. Most years I've found evidence of geese nesting on the far shore and observed at least two families of goslings per year. As for other nesting strategies, I didn't stumble over any killdeer or meadowlark ground nests out on the prairie this spring, but I did see tree swallows flitting in and out of nest boxes probably meant for mountain bluebirds. If you have been watching a nest this season, consider sharing your information through Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch citizen science program. Unlike Project FeederWatch, participation in this project is free. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Go to www.nestwatch.org and learn how to monitor nesting birds so that the data collected can be of scientific importance. Even if you don't join, you can explore the data. Or learn best nest box construction and maintenance practices and other things at www.nestinginfo.org. June 16 my robin fledglings left the safety of the nest. The one that insisted on sitting in the middle of the lawn was soon discovered by crows and could not be saved by half a dozen angry adult robins and my belated approach. Crows have to eat too, I guess. But I glimpsed two other, smarter, fledglings deep in the bushes. They've already learned two things: it's a bird eat bird world out there and, you can't go home again--until you build your own nest. xxx - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Audubon field trip July 12 From: Barb GORGES <bgorges4 AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 16:18:04 -0600 Contact: Barb Gorges, 634-0463 Cheyenne - High Plains Audubon Society For immediate release July 1, 2008 Cheyenne Audubon Society schedules field trip July 12 Birdwatchers of all skill levels are invited to join members of Cheyenne - High Plains Audubon Society on a field trip to the Buford area, 20 miles west of Cheyenne. Expect a moderate amount of hiking to see hummingbirds, chickadees, woodpeckers, wrens, nuthatches and also grassland birds. Leave at 8 a.m. from the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens parking lot at Lions Park. Plan to return to town by 1 p.m. so bring lunch or a snack, water, hat, sunscreen, plus binoculars if you have them. Wear long sleeves and pants for protection from brush and insects. Some carpooling may be available. For questions, please call Kim Stevens, 214-0015. xxx - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Contents of Western Birds, vol. 39 no. 2 (2008) From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:52:38 -0700 Hello, Wyoming Birders. Here is a summary of the contents of vol. 39 no. 2 (2008) of the quarterly journal Western Birds, published by Western Field Ornithologists. * NEST SPACING IN ELEGANT TERMS: HEXAGONAL PACKING REVISITED. * By CHARLES T. COLLINS and MICHAEL D. TAYLOR. * Pp. 62-68. * At a tern-and-skimmer colony in coastal southern California, Elegant Tern nests are placed in a hexagonal array, a configuration that maximizes density; a role for predation in promoting a hexagonal nest array of Elegant Terns is suspected but unclear. * REASSESSMENT OF TROPICAL PARULA SUBSPECIES IN BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR. * By MASHALL J. ILIFF, RICHARD A. ERICKSON, and MARK J. BILLINGS. * Pp. 69-81. * A Tropical Parula at Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, 2006-2008, was determined to be of the subspecies insularis from the Tres Marias Islands, not graysoni from Socorro Island; reanalysis of all previous Tropical Parulas from Baja California Sur (n=3), originally reported as graysoni, likewise establishes that they are of the subspecies insularis. * HABITAT FRAGMENTATION AND SCRUB-SPECIALIST BIRDS: SAN DIEGO FRAGMENTS REVISITED. * By AUTUMN R. SARTAIN and ALLISON C. ALBERTS. * Pp. 82-93. * In 2006 populations of eight non-migratory bird species were surveyed in fragmented coastal scrub that had been previously surveyed in 1985-1987; local extirpations and colonizations were explained by the size and isolation of habitat fragments, as well as by life history traits of the eight species. * FIRST DOCUMENTED BREEDING COLONY OF CASPIAN TERNS IN THE COPPER RIVER DELTA, ALASKA. * By TYEE G. LOHSE, TEAL K. LOHSE, TRAE W. LOHSE, and AARON LANG. * Pp. 94-96. * A Copper River Delta colony containing 118 nests in 2006 represents the largest assemblage of breeding Caspian Terns yet documented in Alaska; the discovery of this colony is consistent with the Caspian Tern's recent population increase and northward expansion along the Pacific Coast. * CASPIAN TERNS NESTING IN ALSKA: PROPHECY, SERENDIPITY, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL CLIMATE-RELATED CHANGE. * By ROBERT E. GILL. * Pp. 97-100. * The limits of the breeding range in Alaska of the Caspian Tern may be limited by habitat availability, which may in turn be limited by the frequency of coastal storms; storm frequency may increase as the climate changes, thus diminishing future prospects for the Caspian Tern in Alaska. * BREEDING BEHAVIOR AND DISPERSAL OF RADIO-MARKED CALIFORNIA CLAPPER RAILS. * By MICHAEL L. CASAZZA, CORY T. OVERTON, JOHN Y. TAKEKAWA, TOBIAS ROHMER, and KENNETH NAVARRE. * Pp. 101-106. * A radio telemetry study of Clapper Rails (n=9) of the endangered subspecies obsoletus resulted in the documentation of long-distance dispersal by a male; tracking by radio telemetry also allowed detailed observations of the breeding behavior of this rare and secretive taxon. * BOOK REVIEW. * Reviewed by RICHARD C. HOYER. * Pp. 107-108. * Review of Birds of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska (Nuttall Ornithological Club and American Ornithologists' Union, 2007), by Daniel D. Gibson and G. Vernon Byrd. * BOOK REVIEW. * Reviewed by NATHAN PIEPLOW. * Pp. 108-109. * Review of Birding Colorado (Globe Pequot Press, 2007), by Hugh Kingery. * FEATURED PHOTO: GREAT GRAY OWLS NESTING IN FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. * By DAVID E. QUADY. * Pp. 110-116. * Fresno County, California, is the southernmost location in which breeding has been confirmed for the Great Gray Owl; the species is rare in California, with an estimated population of 300 individuals in the state, most of them believed to occur in the central Sierra Nevada, especially Yosemite National Park. Please note that vols. 1-35 (1970-2004) of Western Birds are permanently archived and fully searchable online: elibrary.unm.edu/sora/index.php. The service is free to the public, and is made available by Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) and the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA). More information about WFO is available online: westernfieldornithologists.org. More information about the journal Western Birds is also available online: westernfieldornithologists.org/journal.php. Ted Floyd tedfloyd57 AT hotmail.com Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado _________________________________________________________________ Need to know now? Get instant answers with Windows Live Messenger. http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_062008 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Re: Little Keyhole com. Loon From: Pomjaeger <pomjaeger AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:11:30 -0600 Jean, A few summering, non-breeding loons occur annually somewhere in the state (and regionally). A few of us saw three loons in non-breeding plumage at Saratoga Lake on June 7 during the birding festival. One was also recently reported at a Denver, CO, lake. Common Loons take a couple years to reach maturity, and since immatures frequently remain south of the species main breeding grounds, the birds we see in summer are probably 1-2 year olds. good birding, Doug Faulkner In a message dated 06/29/08 21:58:26 Mountain Daylight Time, jgwindsong AT RANGEWEB.NET writes: There is a c. Loon on the little Keyhole Lake. It has been there for over 3 weeks now. It is not in Breeding plumage. can any one tell me if this is unusual? Thanks, Jean, Sundance, Wy. jgwindsong AT rangeweb.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Cardinals? From: sol <solbun AT SWEETWATERHSA.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:22:22 -0600 Any Cardinal sightings in Wyoming? thanks, paula - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Little Keyhole com. Loon From: "Jean" <jgwindsong AT rangeweb.net> Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:57:33 -0700 There is a c. Loon on the little Keyhole Lake. It has been there for over 3 weeks now. It is not in Breeding plumage. can any one tell me if this is unusual? Thanks, Jean, Sundance, Wy. jgwindsong AT rangeweb.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Little Keyhole com. Loon From: Jean <jgwindsong AT RANGEWEB.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:57:33 -0700 There is a c. Loon on the little Keyhole Lake. It has been there for over 3 weeks now. It is not in Breeding plumage. can any one tell me if this is unusual? Thanks, Jean, Sundance, Wy. jgwindsong AT rangeweb.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Yant's Puddle From: Chris Michelson <Michelsonce AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:29:04 EDT Greetings birders A short visit to Yant's Puddle this morning did not produce much that was new. Many California gulls and chicks. The south dside of the inlet basin seems to be the gathering place for the ring-billed gulls. Willet, American avocet, killdeer and black-necked stilt were the common shorebirds. Notable was the presence of several breeding plummaged greater yellowlegs. Summer is only a week old but these are the first of the returning migrants that I have found. Good numbers of black-crowned night heron and also a few young in the nests. Only one Caspian tern and no Franklin's gulls today. Among the ducks was one drake wood duck. Good birding to all. Chris Michelson Casper, WY **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Cassin's Sparrow From: Jim Lawrence <jlmotmot AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:33:37 -0700 Hi Everyone: On our Yoder BBS we had a Cassin's Sparrow. After finishing our survey we returned and found it again plus two more individuals. The first one was found SE of Torrington where one turns off of State Highway 158 to go into the Table Mountain Wildlife area. From this turn the bird was found one or two power poles south on 158. When we return instead of going into the wildlife area we turned east. About half way up the hill we had a second bird immediately next to the road. He landed on the fence posts adjacent to the road. Farther up this road at the top of the hill we had a third individual sky larking to the south of the road in the farrow row between the wheat strips. On returning to Torrington, we took the new prison road between State Highway 26 and the old Sheep Creek Road (or east end road). From here we turned toward town (west) and had one Cassin's Sparrow skylarking to the north just beyond the new prison. This is where they have traditionally been seen. Jim Lawrence Casper, WY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Contents of Western Birds, vol. 39 no. 1 (2008) From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:56:39 -0700 Hello, Wyoming Birders. Here is a summary of the contents of vol. 39 no. 1 (2008) of the quarterly journal Western Birds, published by Western Field Ornithologists. * FIRST RECORD OF THE LANCEOLATED WARBLER BREEDING IN NORTH AMERICA. * By ERIC M. ANDERSEN, CORNELIUS SCHLAWE, and STEPHEN LORENZ. * Pp. 2-7. * A pair of Lanceolated Warblers bred and fledged young at Buldir, Alaska, in 2007, providing the first breeding record for the species in North America. Three other singing males were also present at Buldir Island during the 2007 breeding season. * EXTIRPATION OF THE WILLOW FLYCATCHER FROM YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK. * By RODNEY B. SIEGEL, ROBERT L. WILKERSON, and DAVID F. DeSANTE. * Pp. 8-21. * The Willow Flycatcher was a common breeder in the early 20th century in Yosemite National Park, California, but the species is now extirpated from the park. Diverse factors may have contributed to the disappearance of the species from the park, and habitat restoration within the park might contribute to the species' recovery. * BREEDING RECORDS OF THE SURFBIRD, WANDERING TATTLER, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, AND UPLAND SANDPIPER IN THE SOUTHWEST YUKON TERRITORY. * By SABINE NOUVET, SCOTT WILSON, and KATHY MARTIN. * Pp. 22-30. * In a 2002-2007 study, the breeding shorebirds of an alpine valley in southwestern Yukon included Surfbird and Wandering Tattler. There are very few previous breeding records for these two species from Canada, and theirhigh-latitude alpine breeding habitats are thought to be at risk from climate change. * BLACK SKIMMER OCCURRENCES IN NEW MEXICO, INCLUDING A HIGH ELEVATION RECORD. * By SARTOR O. WILLIAMS III and WILLIAM H. HOWE. * Pp. 31-32. * A Black Skimmer at an elevation of 2,192 meters above sea level was New Mexico's sixth record for the species and the highest-elevation occurrence for the United States. Black Skimmers in New Mexico may originate from either coast, and they probably reach New Mexico by navigational errors. * TERRESTRIAL FOOT-PADDLING BY A GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. * By RYAN P. O'DONNELL. * Pp. 33-35. * A Glaucous-winged Gull in British Columbia was observed baiting earthworms via a stomping behavior known as terrestrial foot-paddling. This behavior has not been previously documented for any gull species in North America, but it is possible that it is learnable and will start to be exhibited by other birds. * FIRST RECORD OF THE CASSIN'S VIREO NESTING IN ALASKA. * By LUCAS H. DeCICCO and NICHOLAS HAJDUKOVICH. * Pp. 36-38. * A pair of Cassin's Vireos attending an active nest in southeastern Alaska in 2005 represented the first breeding record in Alaska. The breeding population in the core range of the species has been increasing, and observations in Alaska have increased substantially in recent years. * CURRENT STATUS OF THE CACTUS WREN IN NORTHWESTERN BAJA CALIFORNIA. * By KEVIN B. CLARK and MARK DODERO. * Pp. 39-43. * Two subspecies, along with possible intermediates, of the Cactus Wren have been observed in recent years in northwestern Baja California. Economic growth in the region threatens the Cactus Wren, especially the declining sandiegensis ('San Diego' Cactus Wren) subspecies. * BOOK REVIEW. * By DAVID FIX. * Pp. 44-47. * Review of Rare Birds of California (Western Field Ornithologists, 2007), edited by Robert A. Hamilton, Michael A. Patten, and Richard A. Erickson. * BOOK REVIEW. * By ENRIQUETA VELARDE. * Pp. 47-50. * Review of Gulls of the Americas (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), by Steve N. G. Howell and Jon Dunn. * BOOK REVIEW. * By STEVE N. G. HOWELL. * Pp. 50-51. * Review of Bird Voices of Northern California: An Audio Guide to Bird Identification (Mad River Biologists, 2007), by Ron LeValley and David Fix. * BOOK REVIEW. * By J. MICHAEL REED. * Pp. 52-53. * Review of Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Nevada (University of Nevada Press, 2007), by Ted Floyd, Chris S. Elphick, Graham Chisholm, Kevin Mack, Robert G. Elston, Elisabeth M. Ammon, and John D. Boone. * FEATURED PHOTO: ATTEMPTED KLEPTOPARASITISM BY A SOUTH POLAR SKUA ON A LAYSAN ALBATROSS. * By STEVE N. G. HOWELL and DEBRA L. SHEARWATER. * Pp. 54-55. * A skua (probably South Polar) was observed attempting to kleptoparasitize a Laysan Albatross at Cordell Bank, California, in September 2007. Attacks by skuas on albatrosses have rarely been reported, and appear to be uncommon overall off California. Please note that vols. 1-35 (1970-2004) of Western Birds are permanently archived and fully searchable online: http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/index.php. The service is free to the public, and is made available by Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) and the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA). More information about WFO is available online: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/. More information about the journal Western Birds is also available online: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/journal.html. Ted Floyd tedfloyd57 AT hotmail.com Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado _________________________________________________________________ The i’m Talkathon starts 6/24/08.  For now, give amongst yourselves. http://www.imtalkathon.com?source=TXT_EML_WLH_LearnMore_GiveAmongst - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Buffalo Ridge - Cheyenne, Cranes? From: Merle SCHULTZ <magicwizard8 AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:26:09 -0600 Forgot to add, they were flying South. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Buffalo Ridge - Cheyenne, Cranes? From: Merle SCHULTZ <magicwizard8 AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:23:09 -0600 Just had a flock of nine very large bird fly over around 7:10 pm. Didn't have my glasses with me so don't know for sure what they were, could have been cranes. In flight they would lap their wings a few times and the glide, flap and glide, almost in sequence with each other. Never seen a formation of birds fly that way before. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Fw: eBird Report - Woodruff Narrows Reservoir , 6/16/08 From: Tim Avery <tanager AT TIMAVERYBIRDING.COM> Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:07:06 -0600 Today I took John Berner of Houston, Texas on a loop through northern Utah and a quick stop at Woodruff Narrows Reservoir north of Evanston. Highlights included several Black Tern, 3 Franklin's Gull, a number of Canvasback, 2 Wilson's Phalarope, and a lone Clark's Grebe. Lots of Brewer's Sparrows and Sage Thrashers singing along the road into the reservoir which is FULL FULL FULL! Below is a complete list of birds seen in the area. > Observation date: 6/16/08 > Number of species: 40 > > Canada Goose 250 > Gadwall 50 > American Wigeon 25 > Mallard 25 > Northern Pintail 3 > Green-winged Teal 20 > Canvasback 13 > Redhead 6 > Ruddy Duck 4 > Eared Grebe 5 > Western Grebe 10 > Clark's Grebe 1 > American White Pelican 40 > Double-crested Cormorant 25 > Great Blue Heron 8 > Snowy Egret 1 > Turkey Vulture 1 > Red-tailed Hawk 1 > American Kestrel 1 > Sandhill Crane 2 > Killdeer 1 > American Avocet 5 > Wilson's Phalarope 2 > Franklin's Gull 3 > California Gull 20 > Black Tern 4 > Forster's Tern 10 > Mourning Dove 2 > Western Kingbird 1 > Black-billed Magpie 2 > Horned Lark 10 > Barn Swallow 2 > Mountain Bluebird 1 > Sage Thrasher 5 > Brewer's Sparrow 15 > Lark Sparrow 2 > Red-winged Blackbird 4 > Western Meadowlark 2 > Brewer's Blackbird 20 > Brown-headed Cowbird 4 > > This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Good Birding Tim Avery Salt Lake City, Utah tanager AT timaverybirding.com http://www.timaverybirding.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Re: Eastern Wyoming birding around Torrington From: Pete's email <pgapar AT BRESNAN.NET> Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:28:40 -0600 Dear Sir John: thanks for the nice father¹s day tale. Pete Cheyenne, Wyoming On 6/15/08 9:20 PM, "Drew Arnold" wrote: > My name is Drew Arnold and I have the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. I > drive an adaptive van and do all my birding from a wheelchair. This weekend my > two grown children took me for a Father's Day birdfest to Eastern Wyoming > around the Torrington area. Andrew took the code name goatsucker and Amy > adopted the moniker nighthawk. They dubbed me Sir John James. > > We went in pursuit of the wily and elusive Amophila cassinii a.k.a. Cassins > Sparrow. My wife and I failed to find it four years ago. This dry grassland > sparrow launches into the air from Yucca or tall grass and sweetly sings as it > slowly parachutes back down to earth. It is an uncommon local nester in > western Nebraska and eastern Colorado just barely nicking our state east of > Torrington. > > We were also keen to find Eastern Wyoming nesting species to add to the kids¹ > life lists. In this regard we were not disappointed in finding 56 species only > a few of which were wading or waterbirds. Of particular note is the Rawhide > national wildlife refuge. At this time of year this riparian corridor along > the Platte River is in full bloom and alive with nesting birds. When starting > out we saw 12 species in 25 yards. The highlight for me was a yellow breasted > chat which I had only seen once before. > > Special thanks to Dave McDonald who gave us directions and helped us to get on > this bird. From downtown Torrington cross the railroad tracks going north to > 30th St. Turn right on 30th St. and go 1.8 miles to the first powerline > crossing the highway. Continue on another mile until you find the first dirt > road on your left going north. Turn around here and bird your way back to the > powerline. The sun will be at your back. Be sure to get an early start as you > will have a much better chance of seeing the bird. In another posting I will > list some species of note we saw on this trip. May all your yardbirds be > warblers. > > Tired but twitched, > > Sir John James > a.k.a. Drew Arnold > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... > e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Eastern Wyoming birding around Torrington From: Drew Arnold <darnold AT WYO2U.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:20:57 -0600 My name is Drew Arnold and I have the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. I drive an adaptive van and do all my birding from a wheelchair. This weekend my two grown children took me for a Father's Day birdfest to Eastern Wyoming around the Torrington area. Andrew took the code name goatsucker and Amy adopted the moniker nighthawk. They dubbed me Sir John James. We went in pursuit of the wily and elusive Amophila cassinii a.k.a. Cassins Sparrow. My wife and I failed to find it four years ago. This dry grassland sparrow launches into the air from Yucca or tall grass and sweetly sings as it slowly parachutes back down to earth. It is an uncommon local nester in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado just barely nicking our state east of Torrington. We were also keen to find Eastern Wyoming nesting species to add to the kids' life lists. In this regard we were not disappointed in finding 56 species only a few of which were wading or waterbirds. Of particular note is the Rawhide national wildlife refuge. At this time of year this riparian corridor along the Platte River is in full bloom and alive with nesting birds. When starting out we saw 12 species in 25 yards. The highlight for me was a yellow breasted chat which I had only seen once before. Special thanks to Dave McDonald who gave us directions and helped us to get on this bird. From downtown Torrington cross the railroad tracks going north to 30th St. Turn right on 30th St. and go 1.8 miles to the first powerline crossing the highway. Continue on another mile until you find the first dirt road on your left going north. Turn around here and bird your way back to the powerline. The sun will be at your back. Be sure to get an early start as you will have a much better chance of seeing the bird. In another posting I will list some species of note we saw on this trip. May all your yardbirds be warblers. Tired but twitched, Sir John James a.k.a. Drew Arnold - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Lesser Goldfinch in Cheyenne From: Barb GORGES <bgorges4 AT MSN.COM> Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:01:02 -0600 Dear Wyobirders, Yesterday evening (June 14), Mark and I noticed a Lesser Goldfinch at our thistle feeder. We think we also saw the corresponding female because it seemed darker and smaller than the American Goldfinches that have been hanging around and which showed up later. The funny part is the female Lesser was sitting on the phone line by the feeders minding her own business when a male House Finch started making moves on her. Usually our male House Finches will work their way down the line towards a female by perching closer and closer, but each time they move, they alternate the direction they're perching on the line. In this case, she tried perching farther away, then gave up and flew off. Barb Gorges Cheyenne P.S. Also, I last saw a Swainson's Thrush in our backyard June 8--way past the latest recorded date for migration through this area. I haven't been home for most of the last week so I don't know if it has been here since. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Cheyenne From: Fred Lebsack <fred AT OPENVISTAS.NET> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:36:09 -0600 A couple of late postings for the last two weeks. On 6/4 at Lions Park on the west side of the swimming beach in a tree: Red-eyed Vireo On 6/10 in our yard landing briefly on the hanging suet feeder: Lazuli Bunting a first for our yard We had a great time and really enjoyed the birding and hospitality in Saratoga last weekend in spite of the cool temperatures. Fred Lebsack Cheyenne - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: FE Warren AFB and Cheyenne From: Chuck Seniawski <chuckski AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:30:31 -0400 On the golf course and base lakes yesterday: Two "treats" -- a couple dozen Common Nighthawks and a tern (species could not be determined) feeding over and on the north lake in a stiff breeze Swainson's Hawk Black-crowned Night Heron (pair) Western Kingbird American Robin Common Grackle Redhead Mallard Yellow Warbler Yellow-headed Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird White Pelican Black-billed Magpie (one) Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Pie-billed Grebe Canada Goose Rock Pigeon Gadwall Also, in the "Cheyenne Backyard" yesterday, an American Goldfinch and Lesser Goldfinch on our thistle feeder at the same time. A great opportunity to study the differences in appearance! Chuck Seniawski Cheyenne - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Glossy Ibis at Hutton Lake NWR From: Pomjaeger <pomjaeger AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:43:56 -0600 Hi all: On my way over to the Saratoga Birding Festival last Friday, I stopped at Hutton Lake NWR near Laramie. At Rush Lake, in the southwest corner of the refuge, within the White-faced Ibis breeding colony were at least two adult Glossy Ibis. Neither were attending nests that I could tell, but their presence is interesting. This is the same location that Glossy Ibis nested in 2005. Thanks to the Bergquists and all of the Saratoga birders for their hospitality and a wonderful weekend of birding (despite the cold, wind, and rain). good birding, Doug Faulkner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Partial albino robin From: Donna and Bruce Walgren <Piranga AT BRESNAN.NET> Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:58:01 -0600 Yesterday morning near the intersection of 5th Street and Beverly St. in Casper, Donna and I observed a partial albino (for lack of better terms) American Robin. This bird had the normal looking red breast of a normal Robin, but the rest of the body was a creme colored white - really fun to see this bird as we had never seen anything like it. Sorry no pictures. Bruce & Donna Walgren Casper, WY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Birding Festival in Saratoga From: dwagner <dwagner AT WYOMING.COM> Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 11:34:05 -0600 Hello birders, If you weren't in Saratoga this weekend, you missed some birding fun. Even though it rained, snowed, was windy and wet, and cold, we still managed to see 93 different species of birds between the Berquist backyard, Battle Creek, Saratoga Lake/Storer Wetland, and Bob and Carol Randall's house along the river. We had birders from Colorado, Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Green River, Casper, Riverton, Saratoga,and Encampment. At the Berquist home we saw: Red winged blackbirds Red naped sapsuckers Black headed grosbeaks Evening grosbeaks Downy woodpecker Hairy woodpecker Western tanagers Bullocks orioles Pine siskins Cassins finches Robins Eurasian collared doves Mourning doves House finches American goldfinches Grackles Yellow warbler Broad tail hummingbird Yellow headed black bird Ruby crowned kinglet Brown headed cowbirds Red crossbills On way to Battle Creek and at Battle Creek we saw: Sandhill cranes Mountain bluebird Brown headed cowbird Red winged blackbird Kestrel Magpie Brewers blackbird Meadowlark Cliff swallow Gadwall Swainsons hawk Long billed curlew Mountain Plover Horned larks Wilson's Phalarope Canada geese Ravens Green winged teal Mallards Golden eagle Red tail hawk Spotted sandpiper Common merganser Kildeer American wigeon Northern harrier White crowned sparrow Junco, pink sided Townsends Solitair Northern flicker Stellars jay Western wood peewee Lincolns sparrow House wren Grey catbird Song sparrow American dipper Yellow rumped warbler Yellow warbler McGilvrays warbler Great blue heron Cinnamon teal Wild turkey At Saratoga Lake/Storer Wetlands we saw: Turkey Vulture Great Blue Heron Yellow headed blackbird American white pelicans Marsh wrens Caspian terns Forsters tern Common merganser Canvasbacks Redheads Lesser scaups Bufflehead Common yellowthroat Red winged blackbird Tree swallows Coots Spotted sandpiper Snowy egret Ruddy ducks Canada geese Gadwalls Brewers sparrow Western grebe Mallards Cinnamon teal Wilsons snipe Savannah sparrows Cliff swallows Violet green swallows Clarks grebe Black crowned night hereon Black tern Song sparrow Northern rough winged swallows Kildeer Yellow warbler Osprey Bank swallows Barn swallows Western kingbird Flicker Red tail hawk Vesper sparrow Mountain bluebird Peregrine falcon Swainson hawk At the Randall home we saw: White throated swift Grey catbird Broad tail hummingbird Pine siskins Robins Bald eagle flying over Debbie Wagner and Sharon Orange Riverton - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Fort Bridger From: Jim Ducey <jeducey AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 12:03:22 -0400 Would there be anyone on this group that would have information on the birds present in the immediate vicinity of Fort Bridger during April-June in 2008? Jim Ducey - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: white winged dove in RS From: Sandy Mitchell <sandymitchell AT SWEETWATERHSA.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 13:21:37 -0600 A white winged dove has made its appearance on my deck this morning in RS. I tried to attach photos, but the email was rejected. Sandy Mitchell - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Cheyenne Audubon field trips summer 08 From: Barb GORGES <bgorges4 AT MSN.COM> Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 12:01:52 -0600 Contact: Barb Gorges, 307-634-0463 Cheyenne - High Plains Audubon Society For Immediate Release June 5, 2008 Note to media: It is unlikely I'll be resending any of this information later. You are welcome to run it as often as you like and just knock off the trips that have already occurred, or run separate public service announcements for each made up with the introductory paragraph and the appropriate trip description. Thanks. Cheyenne - High Plains Audubon Society summer field trips listed Cheyenne - High Plains Audubon Society members invite the public to join in on summer field trips. Birding expertise is not necessary. All events are excellent opportunities to learn more about birds. All events are free. Some carpooling may be available. If you have your own transportation, you may choose to leave early. Please call trip leaders for more information about the duration, distance, and difficulty of the trip, plus what to bring and what to expect. June - July - Help with "Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship" bird banding west of Laramie Bird banding at a site between Laramie and Centennial is scheduled for several Sunday mornings in June and July, beginning at sunrise. To sign up to help, contact Alison Holloran at Audubon Wyoming, 307-745-4848 or aholloran AT audubon.org. June 14 – Help with Russian Olive Bird Survey near Wheatland Assist a Wyoming Game & Fish Department biologist with an initial summer bird survey comparing bird species where Russian olive has been removed and in existing stands in the Wheatland area. Leave June 14 at 7 a.m. from the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens parking lot or at 8 a.m. from the Sinclair Station at the north Wheatland exit on I-25. Bring a lunch or pick up food in Wheatland. Plan to return by mid-afternoon. Contact Mark Gorges, 634-463. June 21 – "Bird the Burn" with Laramie Audubon at Lake Owen The 2006 Isabelle fire on the Medicine Bow National Forest in the Lake Owen area has attracted woodpecker and flycatcher species. Meet June 21 at 7:30 a.m., Coal Creek Coffee, 110 E. Grand Ave., Laramie. Contact Tim Banks, Laramie Audubon Society, 307-742-3023. June 28 – Help with Important Bird Area monitoring in Cheyenne The chapter does seasonal monitoring of bird numbers at two Wyoming Important Bird Areas, Lions Park and the Wyoming Hereford Ranch, and two other local sites. Meet June 28 at 6:30 a.m., Cheyenne Botanic Gardens parking lot and plan to finish before noon. Contact Art Anderson, 638-1286. July 12 – Look for grassland and woodland bird species around Buford We will search for a variety of both grassland and woodland bird species in the Buford area west of Cheyenne. Hummingbirds, chickadees, woodpeckers, wrens and nuthatches can be expected. Leave July 12 at 8 a.m. from the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens parking lot. Come prepared for moderate hiking. Wear long sleeves and pants and bring lunch or a snack, water, hat and sunscreen. Expect to head back to town by noon. Contact Kim Stevens, 214-0015. July 19 – Help with Brown-capped Rosy Finch nest survey in the Snowy Range Brown-capped rosy finches nest on the rock faces of the Snowy Range and Audubon Wyoming has assisted with the nest survey for several years. Meet July 19 at 8:30 a.m. at the US Forest Service Visitor Center on Highway 130 above Centennial. Expect rigorous hiking at 10,000 feet, possibly through snow. Bring warm clothes, spotting scopes and binoculars, snacks and water. Contact Alison Holloran at Audubon Wyoming, 307-745-4848 or aholloran AT audubon.org. Aug 16 – Hike around Turtle Rock at Vedauwoo, west of Cheyenne The three-mile hike around Turtle Rock at Vedauwoo is moderately strenuous, however, we expect to take about three hours looking for ruby-crowned kinglets, canyon wrens, chickadees, nuthatches and jays. Leave Aug. 16 at 8 a.m. from the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens parking lot. Bring lunch or a snack, water, hat and sunscreen. Contact Mark Gorges, 634-0463. xxx - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: saratoga From: Drew Arnold <darnold AT WYO2U.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 10:38:52 -0600 Is anyone traveling to Saratoga bird festival this weekend? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Re: Cheyenne area From: RT Cox <birder1 AT BRESNAN.NET> Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 22:39:47 -0600 That reminds me , I saw swifts along the North Platte by the Events Center last week. RT Cox Gillette WY -----Original Message----- From: Wyoming's Birder List [mailto:WYOBIRDS AT HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM] On Behalf Of Fred Lebsack Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:06 PM To: WYOBIRDS AT HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM Subject: Cheyenne area Pardon the late posts Evening 5/29 Sloans lake Chimney Swift 8-10 Common Nighthawk 4-6 First of Year Morning 5/31 Holliday Park American White Pelican 10-15 Morning 5/31 Unitarian Church area Turkey Vulture Swainson's Thrush singing Red-breasted Nuthatch Mountain Chicadee Yellow Warbler Fred - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: orioles and tanagers feeding question From: sol <solbun AT SWEETWATERHSA.COM> Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 22:34:32 -0600 Lots of bullock's orioles and western tanagers, seems to be at least 20 individuals, maybe more. Today they ate a quart of jelly, 4 oranges, about 3/4 cup of raisins, and emptied the oriole syrup feeder. I got to wondering, is this harmful to them? Is it ok to keep up with their demands? LOL. I don't want to cause them any harm. thanks, sol - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Cheyenne area From: Fred Lebsack <fred AT OPENVISTAS.NET> Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 21:06:20 -0600 Pardon the late posts Evening 5/29 Sloans lake Chimney Swift 8-10 Common Nighthawk 4-6 First of Year Morning 5/31 Holliday Park American White Pelican 10-15 Morning 5/31 Unitarian Church area Turkey Vulture Swainson's Thrush singing Red-breasted Nuthatch Mountain Chicadee Yellow Warbler Fred - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: rock springs back yard From: Sandy Mitchell <sandymitchell AT SWEETWATERHSA.COM> Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 07:32:11 -0600 Good backyard birding in Rock Springs this spring. I had an Indigo bunting join the three Lazuli buntings at my feeder this morning. Also a pair of Black-headed grosbeaks the past few days. The Indigo bunting is my first in Wyoming in all of my 20 years here! Sandy Mitchell PS I also have an odd dove.slightly smaller than a Eurasian collared dove, the most numerous, without the neck ring but with the square tail. Is it likely to be a hybrid? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Casper Backyard From: Rose-Mary King <rking7453 AT BRESNAN.NET> Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 20:20:46 -0600 After all the excitement of the Lesser Goldfinch, a Western Tanager flew into the pond long enough for me to get a picture! I, also, got pictures of the Lesser Goldfinch. Birding is so exciting and you can do it from your own home! Rose-Mary, Casper - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Casper Back Yard From: Rose-Mary King <rking7453 AT BRESNAN.NET> Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 18:56:57 -0600 Birds today are: Cassin's Finches Pine Siskins House Sparrows American Goldfinches Common Grackles Blue Jays Eurasian-Collared Doves Mourning Doves American Robins Swainson's Thrush AND LESSER GOLDFINCH (MALE) !!!! confirmed by Ann Hines & Bobby Roberts Rose-Mary - Casper - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Cheyenne - mylar park 5-29 From: Gloria Pike <gloriapike AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 09:13:47 -0600 There was a hawk in the park today being harassed by two Blue Jays. I'm not entirely sure what kind of hawk it was. I thought Cooper's, from the size, (it wasn't a very large hawk, but not tiny, either) but it had a very plain white throat and breast with some brown streaks around the edges and down on its belly. It had at least one broad stripe on its tail that I could see - the tail seemed really too short for a Cooper's hawk, though. It had a light-colored supercilium and yellow legs. Its back was brown. Anybody have any ideas? Anway, I walked past the hawk again later and it had caught and was eating a snake. Also in the park were Common Yellowthroat, Lark Sparrow, and a couple of Western Wood Pewees. ~Gloria Pike, Cheyenne~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: MacGillivray's Warbler - WHR 5-28 From: Gloria Pike <gloriapike AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 20:18:56 -0600 Life bird for us! We saw a MacGillivray's Warbler this evening down the road from the reservoir (among the trees/bushes on the east side of the road at the beginning of the swampy area). Also of note, we saw a number of Yellow Warblers, a Wilson's Snipe, what MIGHT have been a Cassin's Kingbird... maybe... perhaps... And 3 Bullock's Orioles - 2 adult males and 1 first spring male. Oh, and there were a whole bunch of Ruddy Ducks on the reservoir, and, while driving up I-25, we saw a flock of White Pelicans settling on the lake by Little America. ~Gloria Pike, Cheyenne WY~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Re: orchard oirole? From: sol <solbun AT SWEETWATERHSA.COM> Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 16:26:11 -0600 Should have read "I can find nothing ELSE that resembles what I saw". paula carter sol wrote: > I can find nothing in my guides that resembles what I saw. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1470 - Release Date: 5/28/2008 7:20 AM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: orchard oirole? From: sol <solbun AT SWEETWATERHSA.COM> Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 11:20:19 -0600 I believe I had an Orchard Oriole yesterday afternoon. A very distinctive bird, I can find nothing in my guides that resembles what I saw. Unfortunately the Bullock's Orioles chased it off vigorously, and it hasn't come back. I realize this would be an unusual sighting for Green River, but is it necessarily impossible? thanks, sol (now see at least 7 orioles, 4 or more Western Tanagers, all finally eating jelly like crazy, LOL) (they like organic strawberry jam, too) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Bird Banter for May 28, 2008 From: Barb GORGES <bgorges4 AT MSN.COM> Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 09:46:35 -0600 This edition of Bird Banter, "Birding Naked - it's not nearly as fun as it sounds," appeared May 28, 2008 in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle's Outdoors section. Please contact the author, bgorges4 AT msn.com, for permission to reprint it in hard copy or virtual copy for commercial or nonprofit purposes. Thanks. The Cheyenne Big Day Bird Count species list is courtesy of Cheyenne - High Plains Audubon Society. Birding naked-not as much fun as I thought By Barb Gorges Birding naked is all the rage in southeastern Arizona. That's what Gloria Lawrence of Casper told me May 17 while she and five other Casper birders helped local Audubon members with the Cheyenne Big Day Bird Count. Gloria was not enthusiastic about the birding naked field trips. Actually, going au natural is what most people do when they look at birds without optics. Birding without binoculars and scopes means using your naked eye-eye glasses and contacts excepted. The morning of the count I put on my binoculars. With the elastic strap harness so many of us birders use, it really is like getting dressed. And getting dressed the last two weeks has been complicated by having my right hand in a splint. After 23 years, I opted to have pregnancy-induced carpel tunnel syndrome repairs. You know what? Binoculars, in addition to being made for two eyes, are made for two hands. While my left hand is pretty adept at many things, it couldn't hold the binocs up and focus them too. I'd like to find a skinnier and lighter pair anyway. When there was a blackpoll warbler directly overhead in a willow at Lions Park, I was able to lay the binocs on my upturned face and use the focus barrel more easily. But every time the bird flitted, I had to lift them off and locate the bird again. My usual technique of staring at the bird and then putting the binocs between me and the bird didn't seem to be working. At least the western tanager was close enough to be identifiable naked. Bright yellow body, black wings and red-orange head, there's no mistaking it for anything else. But I soon gave up on any birds that had to be differentiated by spots and streaks. I just couldn't get my binocs focused on them fast enough. Finally, I found my useful niche and pointed out bird blurs to other people in the group, "I saw a flash of orange head up into that tree." "Oh yes," someone replied, "a Bullock's oriole." I said, "A sparrow went into those reeds." "Ah, a Savannah sparrow," they said. Of course, I've never been able to tell that species apart from any of the other obscure sparrows anyway, so no loss. A boss I had years ago was blind in one eye and bought himself a monocular. Imagine-you could afford twice the optical quality if you were buying only half a pair of binocs. I looked forward to our stop at Wyoming Hereford Ranch Reservoir #1 where we'd set up spotting scopes to look for water birds. Once they are set up, it takes only one hand to use them though often the focus knob is on the right side. For years Mark and I didn't own a scope and pretty much bypassed checking out reservoirs on our own. The birds are always on the far side and it takes more imagination than I have to make blurs into birds. But the cheap scope (now selling for $300) we finally bought really made a difference. I can see the field marks and appreciate the variety of species. There are still many birds to be enjoyed even if you are birding naked. As long as your ears are working, a spring morning is full of different birds, starting with robins at 3 a.m. Many birds are large and unique. I can tell a turkey vulture (leading edge of the underside of wing is black, trailing edge is silver) from a Swainson's hawk (trailing edge is dark, leading edge is light) from a red-tailed hawk (tail is "red", reddish brown) even at 75 mph with sunglasses on providing the birds aren't soaring too high. Then there was the red-winged blackbird strolling towards me on the walk around Sloan's Lake the morning of the count. I'd fallen behind the rest of the group and decided I might as well enjoy a bird close up if I could. We stopped about two feet from each other, our eyes locking as if we were characters in a Harlequin romance. His black feathers were glossy and his fire-engine red epaulets were puffed out. His black eyes glinted in the sunshine. I hated to break our rapport, but I knew there was a female in stripy plumage who would appreciate him even more. By evening Mark and I hit the lakes at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. I was tired of not really seeing birds and having to depend on everyone else to identify the blurs. It was such a good birding day otherwise-little wind, warm, sunny, trees hardly leafed out, the crabapples at their peak and the appearance of a mourning warbler that almost everyone else saw. And then I saw them, a whole raft of sleeping white pelicans. The lake was small enough that they were close enough to enjoy. All together I'd say birding naked is just about as frustrating as birding without clothes would be uncomfortable-imagine sunburn, bugs, and thorns. What I didn't miss was my usual role as note taker for the group. But I missed having a close look at all my favorite little migrating feather balls and leaning to identify new ones. Remind me to avoid scheduling surgery on my left hand too close to the Christmas Bird Count. It would be kind of cold for birding naked. Cheyenne Big Day Count May 17, 2008 123 species overall L - Lions Park Wyoming Important Bird Area, 48 species W - Wyoming Hereford Ranch Wyoming Important Bird Area, 81 species R - High Plains Grasslands Research Station, 28 species B - F.E. Warren Air Force Base, 34 species O - Other observations, 39 species Canada Goose L W B O Gadwall W B American Wigeon W Mallard L W R B Blue-winged Teal L W R B O Cinnamon Teal W O Northern Shoveler W O Northern Pintail W Green-winged Teal W O Redhead W B O Ring-necled Duck W Greater Scaup W Lesser Scaup L W B Bufflehead W Ruddy Duck W B Pied-billed Grebe R B Eared Grebe W B Western Grebe L W O American White Pelican B O Double-crested Cormorant L W O Great Blue Heron O Black-crowned Night Heron L O White-faced Ibis W O Turkey Vulture L Cooper's Hawk L Broad-winged Hawk O Swainson's Hawk W R B Red-tailed Hawk W R American Kestrel W Prairie Falcon W Sora L W American Coot W O Killdeer W R American Avocet W Lesser Yellowlegs W Willet W O Spotted Sandpiper L W B Marbled Godwit O Baird's Sandpiper O Stilt Sandpiper W Wilson's Snipe W Wilson's Phalarope W Red-necked Phalarope W Ring-billed Gull B O Black Tern O Rock Pigeon L B Eurasian Collared-Dove L W R B O Mourning Dove L W R B O Great Horned Owl W R Chimney Swift L Belted Kingfisher W Downy Woodpecker L R Hairy Woodpecker R Northern Flicker L Olive-sided Flycatcher R Least Flycatcher W Dusky Flycatcher L Say's Phoebe W Cassin's Kingbird R Western Kingbird W Eastern Kingbird W Plumbeous Vireo L W Blue Jay O Black-billed Magpie R American Crow L B O Horned Lark W Tree Swallow W Violet-green swallow W N. Rough-winged Swallow W R Bank Swallow W R Cliff Swallow W Barn Swallow W Black-capped Chickadee R Mountain Chickadee O Red-breasted Nuthatch R House Wren L W Ruby-crowned Kinglet L W Blue-gray Gnatcatcher W R B Eastern Bluebird R Townsend's Solitaire R Veery W Swainson's Thrush L W B American Robin L W B O Gray Catbird L Northern Mockingbird L Brown Thrasher R European Starling L W B O Orange-crowned Warbler L W B Virginia's Warbler W Yellow Warbler L W B O Black-throated Blue Warbler L Yellow-rumped Warbler L W R Blackpoll Warbler L W R B American Redstart W Ovenbird W Northern Waterthrush L Mourning Warbler W Common Yellowthroat L W O Wilson's Warbler W Western Tanager L W Spotted Towhee W Chipping Sparrow L W B O Clay-colored Sparrow R Field Sparrow B Lark Sparrow L R O Lark Bunting W Savannah Sparrow R O Song Sparrow L W B Lincoln's Sparrow L W White-throated Sparrow W White-crowned Sparrow L W Lazuli Bunting O Red-winged Blackbird L W R B Western Meadowlark W B Yellow-headed Blackbird L B O Common Grackle L W B O Great-tailed Grackle O Brown-headed Cowbird W B Bullock's Oriole L W House Finch L B O Pine Siskin L O American Goldfinch L W O House Sparrow L B O xxx - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Cheyenne backyard From: Barb GORGES <bgorges4 AT MSN.COM> Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 11:14:07 -0600 Wow, new bird for our yard this morning: Yellow-breasted Chat, first in the front yard and then in back (I was waiting for the drywall guy). It seems to be another species that likes poking in the leaf debris under our shrubs. Also, since yesterday, a male Black-headed Grosbeak and thrushes on the lawn every time I look as well as a handful of Pine Siskins hanging out still. And a Gray Catbird last week. Based on the grosbeak, a species which we see almost every spring, migration seems to be running a week late in our yard. Barb Gorges Cheyenne P.S. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds up at North Crow Reservoir Sunday (and tasty trout). Up there I see them up close, perching on the willows. I can't imagine what nectar they are finding. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: EKW this morning From: Chris Michelson <Michelsonce AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 15:28:49 EDT Greetings birders Migration is about over for the spring. This morning the number of Swainson's thrush was much diminished. There was still a Tennessee warbler present which was found yesterday. Many flycatchers most of which were silent. Least flycatcher is calling when the rain stops. The flow of the river has been reduced so there is some shore again. Good birding to all. Chris Michelson **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Jackson South Park WMA Migratory Bird Count results From: Susan Patla <susan_patla AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 04:15:05 +0000 Migratory Bird Count 5/24/08 0700-1030 South Park WMA On Saturday, we had our annual bird count at our South Park Wildlife Management Unit 8 miles south of Jackson. Was cold and quiet but still found quite a few species. 18 observers. COMMON NAME Approx. Number Notes Canada Goose 25 No young yet Trumpeter Swan 2 Gadwall 60 American Wigeon 24 Mallard 14 Cinnamon Teal 22 Northern Shoveler 10 Green-winged Teal 4 Redhead 6 Ring-necked Duck 12 Lesser Scaup 28 Common Goldeneye 1 male Barrow's Goldeneye 70 Common Merganser 12 Ruddy Duck 15 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Eared Grebe 5 Western Grebe 4 American White Pelican 1 Great Blue Heron 10 8 on nests White-faced Ibis 2 Bald Eagle 4 2 nestlings Northern Harrier 1 male Red-tailed Hawk 3 American Kestrel 4 Sora 1 American Coot 40 Sandhill Crane 2 Killdeer 3 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Willet 1 Wilson’s Phalarope 21 Franklin’s Gulls 2 Calliope Hummingbird 1 Seen 5/23 Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-naped Sapsucker 2 Seen 5/23, 5/25 Downy Woodpecker 1 5/23 Northern Flicker (red-shafted) 4 Dusky Flycatcher 1 Eastern Kingbird 3 Black-billed Magpie 5 Common Raven 5 Tree Swallow 200 Violet-green Swallow 6 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 Bank Swallow 2 Cliff Swallow 5 Barn Swallow 10 Black-capped Chickadee 3 House Wren 1 5/23 Marsh Wren 1 Mountain Bluebird 1 American Robin 1 Gray Catbird 1 South end European Starling 2 Orange-crowned warbler 1 5/23 Yellow Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 25 Mrytle’s form of yellow-rumped 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Chipping Sparrow 200 Lark Sparrow 1 In flock of chipping Savannah Sparrow 5 Song Sparrow 5 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 White-crowned Sparrow 3 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Pink-sided Red-winged Blackbird 15 Western Meadowlark 1 Yellow-headed Blackbird 50 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Bullock's Oriole 1 Pine Siskin 10 5/25 American Goldfinch 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Green River backyard From: sol <solbun AT SWEETWATERHSA.COM> Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 20:16:48 -0600 1 grey catbird (first ever in yard, life bird for me) 1 yellow-breasted chat (first ever in yard and life bird) both eating orange/grape jelly paula - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Saratoga birds From: Francis and Janice <fcbjmb AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 22:07:43 -0400 Lots of variety at the feeders in my yard--today I had an immature blue grosbeak, first ever for here, well, he was actually a brown grosbeak with clumps of blue feathers scattered over his body, he had a long way to go!!! I also had Black-headed and rose-breasted grosbeaks evening grosbeaks (17) nice to see them back Bullock's orioles Western tanagers Cassin and house finches Lesser and American goldfinches pine siskins downy and hairy woodpecker Northern flicker red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds grackles and cowbirds broad-tailed hummingbirds white-crowned sparrow yellow warbler mourning and EC doves also saw the snowy plover on Saturday at the lake Francis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: pewee invasion From: Fred Lebsack <fred AT OPENVISTAS.NET> Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 18:50:00 -0600 This morning at Wyoming Hereford Ranch: Cliff and Bank Swallows many, with good looks as a lot were resting along fence line by Reservoir #1 Barn and Rough-winged Swallows few, also on fences Mallard N. Pintail Eared Grebe Black-crowned Night-Heron Common Snipe Killdeer Mourning Dove Eurasian Collared-Dove Swainson's Hawk 4 One pair swooping an (see next entry) Bald Eagle immature BE that landed on a fence post (huge!) by Campstool Rd. next to a pasture north of creek crossing Northern Harrier American Robin Swainson's Thrush Eastern Kingbird Western Wood-Pewee 20-30 starting on fence along road between Res. #1 and main ranch, mostly around office/scale area Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat Yellow-rumped Warbler (Aud. race) Northern Parula First of Year and first for me in about three years; by office area Chipping Sparrow Lark Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird American Goldfinch many House Finch House Sparrow Fred Cheyenne - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Copper Mountain Birds~ From: Elaine Baumann <songbird827 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 15:46:51 -0400 We've had our first Western Tanagers today --- first ones in about 3-4 years. They're here in droves...attacking the oranges....both male and female. Several Black Headed Grosbeaks in the yard, -- males and females. At least 6 Clark's Nutcrackers with their noisey babies hang out on the suet feeders, and there are still one or two female Bullock's Orioles at the oranges. Lots of Brown-Headed cowbirds gleaning whatever falls out of the feeders, and lots of Mourning Doves and American Goldfinches. A few Lazuli Buntings are still here and lots of Cassin's Finches. There aren't as many Juncos or Pine Siskins. One House Finch, one White Breasted Nuthatch and one Chipping Sparrow make up the rest of the lineup on Copper Mountain where it's 42 and a light rain. Many birds seeking shelter under the deck. Elaine Baumann North of Shoshoni, WY on Copper Mountain. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Re: re. Sandhill Cranes -North Crow Creek From: Pomjaeger <pomjaeger AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 11:42:00 -0600 Hello, There are no breeding records for Laramie County, but Sandhills have recently bred south of there in Colorado. A pair successfully fledged one chick near Fort Collins in 2004 (also present in 2001 and 2003, but without evidence of breeding). A pair also nested near Greeley, Weld County, in 2005 (also present in 2007 w/o confirmation). So, it's conceivable that Sandhills could breed along North Crow Creek assuming there is appropriate habitat. good birding, Doug Faulkner In a message dated 05/26/08 10:57:33 Mountain Daylight Time, swinak AT GCI.NET writes: According to the breeding bird survey, Sandhill Cranes nest through the western 3/4's of the state. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/ra2003_red/ra02060.htm Steve W. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: re. Sandhill Cranes -North Crow Creek From: Steven Waltz <swinak AT GCI.NET> Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 08:57:15 -0800 According to the breeding bird survey, Sandhill Cranes nest through the western 3/4's of the state. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/ra2003_red/ra02060.htm Steve W. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net Subject: Sandhill Crane - North Crow Creek From: Jan McKee <jpmkee AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 25 May 2008 20:53:17 -0400 North Crow Creek - 20 miles west of Cheyenne, elevation 6900. We saw a sandhill crane walking across the meadow next to North Crow Creek about an hour ago (5:30 pm). We only saw one, but we didn't pursue it; it was about a 1/2 mile across the creek from where we are. We saw a pair along the creek last year, but that was in early April. Isn't it late for migrants? Do Sandhills nest this far south? Thanks, Jan & Mac McKee - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you have any problems, questions, etc... e-mail willcornell AT onewest.net