So many exciting activities are happening in April! First and foremost, migration is underway! Every day, Laramie, Platte, and Goshen Counties welcome birds flying north from as far away as South America. The Sandhill Cranes (left) are likely part of the Rocky Mountain population and winter in New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. April, May, and June are prime birding months in our region so get out there and enjoy this incredible opportunity. Not sure where to go? Check out our website (locations) for prime birding areas in our three-county area.

As always, more details are available in our monthly “Flyer” newsletter.

Calendar

April 16, 6:00 a.m. – Field Trip for Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek Viewing, We will meet at the Pilot Truck Stop in the front parking lot (off I-80 Exit 367, also known as the WHR exit, 8020 Campstool Road) for departure at 6:00 a.m. sharp. It is about a 40-mile drive to the lek area. We will be driving east on I-80 then north to an area north of Hillsdale. We hope to see grouse dancing on their lek as well as other spring prairie birds.

We will carpool to the lek site to keep the number of vehicles to a minimum. The outing will be about three hours, so we should be back to the truck stop by 9 a.m. If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected and can let you know if the plans change for any reason.

April 19, 7:00 p.m. – Program: “Greater Sage-Grouse – The Largest Conservation Effort in U.S. History: The Ups and Downs,” given by Daly Edmunds, Audubon Rockies Policy and Outreach Director, and Vicki Herren, retired Bureau of Land Management National Sage-Grouse Coordinator. This presentation will be held at the Cottonwood Room at the Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. It can also be accessed virtually by using this Zoom link: Sage Grouse.

April 26, 6:30 p.m. – Board Meeting

             Contact Wanda Manley, cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com, if you would like to participate in helping to plan chapter activities.

April 29, 8:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey

            Contact Chuck Seniawski to take part or to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the County Clubhouse’s main parking lot.

April 29, 7:00 p.m. – “Bird Photography Using Blinds with Elizabeth Boehm”

This special presentation will be held at the Trout Room of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department headquarters at 5400 Bishop Road.

Award-winning Pinedale, Wyoming, wildlife photographer Elizabeth Boehm will be presenting a free talk open to the public. She will discuss different blinds and how to position, set up and use them as well as blind etiquette. She will end with a slide show of her photography.

Elizabeth Boehm has been photographing birds for more than 20 years and spends most of her time exploring and birding Sublette County, Wyoming. She is always seeking unique images of birds and wildlife in a natural setting. Using blinds, her goal is to be able to approach her subject a bit closer and to capture natural behavior.

She is an award-winning photographer having placed in the Top 10 photos in the North American Nature Photography Association Showcase, first place in the 2019 National Audubon professional bird photo contest, and grand prize in the Wyoming Wildlife Photo Competition along with numerous images published in books and magazines.             

The next day (April 30th), just us at 7:00 a.m. for a Free Workshop “Bird Photography Using Blinds Demonstrations with Elizabeth Boehm”. This event will take place at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens’ Paul Smith Children’s Village, 710 S. Lions Park Drive. Boehm will demonstrate various kinds of blinds and she will discuss any other tools needed for comfort and working with the weather conditions.

April 30, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Spring Bird Identification: “Meet the Birds!” a class for adults and children 12 and older (Bring your own lunch) at Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Paul Smith Children’s Village and Lions Park (some walking will be included). Registration required: $15 via Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. Class limited to 40 participants. Registration is required via https://bpt.me/5390763  or the Botanic Gardens. Just before the peak of migration, let Cheyenne Audubon members introduce you to 50 of our local birds. A combination of classroom discussion and short walks into Lions Park, a Wyoming Important Bird Area, with borrowed binoculars or your own, will make spring so much more interesting for you.