Sandhill Crane Migration Ticket Sales Now Open at Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary

On January 8, 2026 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

Ticket sales are now open for this year’s great Sandhill Crane Migration at Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon, NE.

Here in Wyoming, we are just a few hours away from this annual migration spectacle that has taken place for millions of years along the Platte River. Just east of us, Central Nebraska is the epicenter of Sandhill Crane migration, drawing thousands of tourists to communities like Gibbon, Grand Island, and Kearney NE each spring. Tours start in March and run through early April. Tickets sell out quickly, so be sure not to miss this opportunity if you plan on viewing. Crane numbers generally peak during mid to late March.

Whether you purchase tickets or not, thousands of cranes may be viewed feeding in cornfields throughout the area during the day, and opportunities to view them along the Platte River are available each morning and evening. The Sandhill Cranes return to the shallow bars of the Platte River each evening to roost, leaving again at dawn to feed in the area. A lucky few might even see a Whooping Crane; often found flying with the Sandhills as they stop over in Central Nebraska to rest and refuel.

Can’t make it there in person? No problem! Rowe Sanctuary has a free “Crane Cam” powered by EXPLORE.org that allows you to view the migration from the comfort of your home. Remember to view at dawn and dusk to see thousands of cranes on the Platte River.

Another opportunity to see the Sandhill Cranes will happen closer to home in late March when CHPAS schedules their annual guided field trip to Table Mountain near Torrington, WY. More about this trip in future posts.

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Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary: https://rowe.audubon.org/

Rowe Sanctuary “Crane Cam”: https://explore.org/livecams/national-audubon-society/crane-camera

November CHPAS Calendar

On November 4, 2025November 18, 2025 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

November 15, 8:00 a.m. – Field Trip: Laramie Plains Lakes
This is a free event open to the public. Everyone, no matter what your birding skills, is invited.
We will meet at the Lions Park parking lot between the Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and the picnic shelter. We will leave the park at 8:00 a.m. and drive to Laramie. From there we will drive southwest to head to a series of lakes.
At some of the lakes we will take short hikes over rough ground, birding as we go. We should see a variety of migrating waterfowl. Rarities often seem to make appearances on these lakes.
Bring lunch or snacks and water. Be sure to dress for variable weather. Bring binoculars if you have them. The more eyes we have, the more birds we will see. We should be back to Cheyenne no later than 4 p.m.
If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, and he can let you know if the plans change for any reason like bad weather. Please let him know if you will need a ride from Cheyenne and back.

NOVEMBER 18, 6:30 p.m. – Program: Feather Trails-A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds
Sophie Osborn will join us via Zoom. This is a free event open to the public. Everyone is invited to the Willow Room, Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave.

Sophie A. H. Osborn is an award-winning environmental writer and wildlife biologist whose work has included the study and conservation of more than a dozen bird species in the Americas. She contributed to reintroduction efforts for several endangered birds and served as the field manager for the California Condor Recovery Program in Arizona for four years.

Her first book, Condors in Canyon Country, won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment. Reviewers for the American Birding Association (ABA) chose her second book, Feather Trails, as their favorite bird book of 2024.

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If you are unable to attend the meeting in the library, use the following information to join us on Zoom:

Time: Nov 18, 2025 06:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada) / Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85418680424?pwd=F3zVx8hIZdEwxsusJQNYPVpErF2qlf.1

Meeting ID: 854 1868 0424 Passcode: 457483

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November 25, 6:00 p.m. – Monthly Board Meeting
Contact us, cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com, if you would like to attend and participate in helping to plan chapter activities, or if you are interested in volunteering in some of our activities. This meeting will be held at the Laramie County Library in the Sage Room.

November 28, 8:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey
Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These outings are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming.

December 20 – Cheyenne Christmas Bird Count
Mark that on your calendar and look for details in next month’s newsletter.

September CHPAS Newsletter

On September 2, 2025September 11, 2025 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

September 14, 10:00 a.m. – Greenway Cleanup
Cheyenne Audubon is hosting a Greenway cleanup event, Sunday, September 14th. The public is invited to help. The starting location is the parking lot adjacent to the intersection of Van Buren Avenue and Laramie Street (just north of East Lincolnway and east of its intersection with Pershing Blvd.). Work will proceed to the north along Dry Creek and should take a little over an hour. Trash bags and light-weight gloves will be provided. Participants should wear sturdy footwear (preferably waterproof) and heavy gloves and bring rakes and hoes, if available, for fishing trash out of the creek.

September 16, 6:00 p.m. – Program: Lions Park Audubon Projects and Evening Birds (note the starting time)

This is a free event open to the public. Everyone is invited, no matter what your birding skills.
We will meet in the Lions Park parking lot between the Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and the picnic shelter. Our plan is to hike around the lake, doing an evening bird walk. But we will make strategic stops along the way to talk about the new signs that the chapter has commissioned to highlight the fact that the park is an official State Important Bird Area. We hope to have a dedication ceremony for the newly installed signs with the park in early October.
In addition, we will stop to look at and discuss some of the on-going and future work to establish native plants that are appropriate for our native pollinators. These are some of the areas in the park that are not mowed by the city.

September 20, 9:00 a.m. – Field Trip: Fall Migrants at the Wyoming Hereford Ranch

This is a free event open to the public. Everyone, no matter what your birding skills, is invited. Carpooling should be available.
We will leave from the Lions Park parking lot between the Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and the picnic shelter. WHR is about a ten-mile drive east of town. We expect to hike a mile or two over sometimes rough ground before returning to our vehicles.
We should see a variety of resident and migrating birds including any fall warblers we can find.
Bring water and dress for variable weather. Bring binoculars if you have them. The more eyes we have, the more birds we will see. We should be back in town by noon.
If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, and he can let you know if the plans change for any reason like bad weather

September 23, 6:00 p.m. – Monthly Board Meeting
Contact us, cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com, if you would like to attend and participate in helping to plan chapter activities, or if you are interested in volunteering in some of our activities. This meeting will be held at the Laramie County Conservation District Office

September 26, 8:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey
Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These outings are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming.

Membership Drive & Special Projects

On August 10, 2025 By cheyenneaudubon3 Comments

If you are a current member of Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon, you will receive membership renewal information in the mail in the coming week. Members of the National Audubon Society (in our three-county area – Laramie, Goshen, and Platte) will also receive membership information from us in the coming week.

We are still the best bargain in town with an annual membership of only $ 12.00! We hope that our members will renew and that some non-members will consider joining us this year. Most of our activities are free and open to the public but your support as a member helps us engage in activities throughout our area. Click here to get a membership request form.

What did we accomplish in the past year? (Partial listing)

Co-sponsored our 11th annual Habitat Hero Workshop
Maintained our Habitat Hero Demonstration Garden at Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
Continued a multi-year weed control & habitat enhancement project at our beloved Wyoming Hereford Ranch – one of two of Cheyenne’s “Important Bird Areas” (IBA)
Provided environmental education to children and adults with partners including The Wyoming State Museum, St. Mary’s School, and the Laramie County Public Library
Monitored Bluebird nest boxes at High Plains Arboretum … and this year (the third year for our boxes), we had baby Bluebirds!

This year we have a special request for support for a very special project at Lions Park; our other local IBA!

Thanks to the work of our IBA Committee, three public education signs are planned which will be enjoyed in the park for years to come. The themes for the three signs are “Duck, Duck Goose … And So Much More“; “The Trees That Keep On Giving“; and “A Place for Pollinators“. Check out our “Special Projects” tab to learn more about how YOU can help!

August CHPAS Calendar

On July 31, 2025August 2, 2025 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

August 16, 7:00 a.m. – Field Trip: Snowy Range Birding Hike

This is a free event open to the public. Everyone, no matter what your birding skills, is invited. Carpooling should be available, but let Grant know when you call him (see below).
We will leave from the Lions Park parking lot between the Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and the picnic shelter and drive to Libby Lake Picnic Site parking lot. This is about a 90-mile drive (an hour and a half) to the start of our hike in the Medicine Bow National Forest. We expect to hike a mile or two over rocky and sometimes wet ground before returning to our vehicles.
We should see a variety of mountain birds such as White-crowned Sparrow and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We will be searching for the Fox Sparrow and any warblers we can find.
Bring lunch or a snack; bring water and dress for variable weather. Bring binoculars if you have them. The more eyes we have, the more birds we will see. We should be back in town before 5:00 p.m.
If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, and he can let you know if the plans change for any reason like bad weather.

August 16, 9:00 a.m. – Cheyenne Habitat Hero Open Gardens The Cheyenne Habitat Hero Committee invites you to visit three local registered Habitat Hero gardens on Saturday, August 16th from 9 am until noon. Gardens belong to Earl DeGroot and Donna Griffith, Eric Dalton, and Bella Fuoco Wood-fired Pizza. More information (including addresses) is included in the August “Flyer“. Join us for this viewing and learning experience!

August 26, 6:00 p.m. – Monthly Board Meeting
Contact us, cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com, if you would like to attend and participate in helping to plan chapter activities, or if you are interested in volunteering in some of our activities. This meeting will be held at the Laramie County Library in the Sage Room.

August 29, 7:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey
Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These outings are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming

July CHPAS Calendar

On July 2, 2025July 18, 2025 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

Did you know that our Audubon Chapter adopted a section of the Cheyenne Greenway in 1992? We clean the creek and grounds from the U.S. 30 Underpass to Rawlins Street twice annually; in spring and fall. But did you know the history of this area adoption?

In June, Mark Gorges went through our history to pull out important notes from 1992 to 2025, highlighting our work planting and maintaining this section of the Greenway. We wanted to make it bird and pollinator-friendly. So when you walk there, know that your Audubon Chapter helped to make it beautiful! Check out July’s issue of “Flyer” for more details.

That said, friendly goats were recently allowed to graze throughout the section, purportedly to reduce vegetation near the creek. While we generally support the use of goats for weed control, we want to thank the members who contacted us about the placement of goats this spring. Rather than controlling noxious weeds like Leafy Spurge, they were eating trees (like Cottonwood, above) and shrubs that were planted to benefit wildlife. CHPAS representatives intend to meet with the City of Cheyenne to discuss the proper use of goats along the Dry Creek area and throughout our parks. Watch our website for a Position Statement on using goats for weed control, currently in development.

Calendar

July 19, 9:00 a.m. – Field Trip: The North Glendo Wildlife Management Area
This is a free event open to the public. Everyone, no matter what your birding skills, is invited. Carpooling should be available, but let Grant know when you call him (see below).
We will leave from Wyoming Game & Fish (5400 Bishop Blvd) by the Pronghorn Statue and drive to Glendo. This is about a 100-mile drive north of Cheyenne on I-25. We should see a variety of birds in a wide array of habitats.
Bring lunch or a snack; bring water and dress for variable weather. Bring binoculars if you have them. The more eyes we have, the more birds we will see. We should be back in town before 5:00 p.m.
If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, and he can let you know if the plans change for any reason like bad weather.

July 22, 6:00 p.m. – Monthly Board Meeting
Contact us, cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com, if you would like to attend and participate in helping to plan chapter activities, or if you are interested in volunteering in some of our activities. This meeting will be held at the Laramie County Library in the Sage Room.

July 25, 7:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey
Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These outings are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming

June CHPAS Calendar

On June 1, 2025June 2, 2025 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

Welcome Summer! May was such a busy month for our Chapter. Many of us were out birding nearly every day – and this edition of the newsletter documents the many species identified as they migrated through Wyoming. Check out our June edition of “Flyer” for details.

We also want to thank Chris Hoffmeister of Western Sky Design for her contribution of our new logo! Our Chapter bird is the Mountain Plover; a bird that requires well-grazed, nearly bare prairie for it’s nest on the ground. Learn more about Chris and our logo on our “About” page!

Calendar

June 21, 7:00 a.m. – Field Trip: Blair-Wallis for a Big Sit

We will leave from the Lions Park parking lot between the Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and the picnic shelter and drive to the Blair Picnic Site. This is about a 40-mile drive west of Cheyenne in the Pole Mountain area of the Medicine Bow National Forest. Continue reading “June CHPAS Calendar” →

February 2025 CHPAS Calendar

On February 4, 2025February 4, 2025 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

February 14-17, Great Backyard Bird Count
From Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Spend time in your favorite places watching birds—then tell us about them! In as little as 15 minutes notice the birds around you. Identify them, count them, and submit your counts to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world.

If you already use eBird or Merlin, your submissions over the 4 days count toward GBBC. You can get detailed information about this event at https://www.birdcount.org/

February 15, 1:00 p.m. – Field Trip: Tie City Trailhead – Medicine Bow National Forest
We will leave the Lions Park parking lot south of the Children’s Village at 1 p.m. Carpooling should be available for the 40-mile drive to the trailhead.

Steller’s Jay at Rocky Mountain National Park

Be prepared for snowy conditions. The trip is free, open to the public, and non-birders of all ages are encouraged to join us to learn about the birds we see. We can watch the feeders that Don Jones keeps stocked from the warming hut. We expect minimal walking and nice conditions on a winter day.

We may see a variety of winter forest birds including Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Steller’s Jay, woodpeckers, nuthatches and more. We may even see a rosy-finch. We expect to be back in town by 4:30 p.m. Be sure to bring water, and dress for changing weather. If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, and he can let you know if the plans change for any reason like bad weather.

February 18, 6:30 p.m. Program: Chris Madson
Cheyenne Audubon invites the public for a free program, at 6:30 p.m. in the Cottonwood Room at the Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave., featuring guest speaker Chris Madson.

Chris, the retired, long-time, award-winning editor of Wyoming Wildlife magazine, will re-give his May 2024 Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon banquet talk, “From the Grass Up” that leads us through the fascinating history of the Audubon movement and highlights some of the Wyoming conservationists, such as Frank Bond, who were important in the early Audubon Society. Chris’s talk will be professionally recorded that night and archived for public access at the Wyoming Heritage Center. Also, see the President’s Message for more information about Chris’s presentation (February Flyer).

February 25, 6:00 p.m. – Monthly Board Meeting
Contact us, cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com, if you would like to attend and participate in helping to plan chapter activities, or if you are interested in volunteering in some of our activities. This meeting will be held at the Laramie County Library in the Sage Room, 2nd floor.

March 7, 8:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey
Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These outings are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming.

January 2025 CHPAS Calendar

On January 4, 2025 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

January 18, 1:00 p.m. – Field Trip: Tie City Trailhead – Medicine Bow National Forest

We will leave the Lions Park parking lot south of the Children’s Village at 1 p.m. Carpooling should be available for the 40-mile drive to the trailhead. Be prepared for snowy conditions. The trip is free, open to the public, and non-birders of all ages are encouraged to join us to learn about the birds we see.

We may see a variety of winter forest birds including Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Steller’s Jay, woodpeckers, nuthatches and more. We may even see a rosy-finch.

We expect to be back in town by 4:30 p.m. Be sure to bring water, and dress for changing weather.

If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, and he can let you know if the plans change for any reason like bad weather.

January 21, 6:30 p.m. Program: Motus Wildlife Tracking System—what it is and how it’s used
(Note our new start time.)

Cheyenne Audubon invites the public for a free program, at 6:30 p.m. in the Cottonwood Room at the Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave., featuring guest speaker Matt Webb.
Matt uses Motus, a worldwide automated telemetry network, for grassland bird species migration studies for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. The information can help conservation efforts stem the decline of these species.
Motus is also used to study the movement of other kinds of animals, including bats and large-bodied insects. Matt is looking for a site in southeastern Wyoming for a new Motus radio tower – there are very few Motus systems in Wyoming. Help our Chapter make a difference – join us to learn about this important information system.

January 28, 6:00 p.m. Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Chapter Board Meeting

We are always looking for volunteers for our Board of Directors! Please let us know if you would like to attend. cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com.

January 31, 8:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey

Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These counts are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming.

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Remember – the 2025 Habitat Hero Workshop will take place on Saturday, February 1st at LCCC. Registration is now open! Check out the January edition of “Flyer” for more information or look under “Habitat Hero” on our website.

habitat-hero-photo

December CHPAS Calendar

On December 2, 2024December 2, 2024 By cheyenneaudubonLeave a comment

December 7, 1:00 to 3:00 pm – Introduction to the Christmas Bird Count

This is a class and outing for families and kids of all ages. We will meet at the Children’s Village in the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and introduce you to some of the local winter birds. Then we will take a short hike in the park to see what birds we can find and record their numbers.
We will talk about the upcoming official Cheyenne Christmas Bird Count planned for December 14th.

December 9, 4:00 to 5:00 pm – Bird Counts and Birds Count!
Join us at the Laramie County Library in the Early Literacy Center on the 2nd floor: for kids from the 2nd through 6th grades.
Meet a volunteer from the Cheyenne High Plains Audubon Society who will tell us how and why we count birds. Discover how to find and identify birds then test your skills at spotting feathered friends (or their look-alikes) and learn about the library’s birding backpack program and the upcoming Christmas Bird Count.

December 14 – Cheyenne Christmas Bird Count

(Meet at the downtown Post Office at 8 a.m., 2120 Capitol Ave.) Or be a field observer on your own.

If you are interested in participating, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, so he can let you know if the plans change for any reason such as stormy weather.
Grant will have a list of regular spots within our count circle and will encourage people to spread out to specific areas so that we can have good coverage of all hot spots first thing in the morning to assure a good count on the number of each species in the Cheyenne area, i.e. the number of geese before they all start flying around. Novice birders will be paired with experienced counters. – Tally sheets and more details about the area and process in the December issue of FLYER.

December 14 – CBC Tally Party, 6:00 p.m., Perkins on Dell Range Blvd.
For the tally party have ready the numbers of each species you observe and the amount of time and distance you walk and the amount of time and distance you drive. Keep track of where and when you saw species of note so we can tell if you counted the same bird or flock as someone else. Feeder watchers can bring their counts too. Please contact Mark Gorges at 307-287-4953 if you plan to attend the Tally Party so that we can arrange for enough room.

After the tally party contact Grant with any species that you see three days before or three days after December 14 that were not listed at the tally party. They are entered in the CBC data as “Week of the Count” species.

December 27, 8:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey
Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These counts are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming.

January 1 – Guernsey/Ft. Laramie Christmas Bird Count
If you are going to join the count, please let Jane Dorn know at 307-640-4002. Also call her if the weather turns nasty; she will set an alternate date. Bring water, lunch, warm clothes, binoculars, and a scope if you have one, and whatever you need for a day watching birds at Guernsey State Park, Ft. Laramie National Historic Site, the Oregon Trail Ruts and Hartville.