- Yellowtail Habitat Field Trip, September 15, 2007, by Suzanne Morstad
- Heart Mountain Field Trip, July 10, 2004, by Suzanne Morstad
- Sunlight Basin Field Trip, June 12, 2004, by Suzanne Morstad
- Bear Canyon Field Trip, June 3, 2004, by Suzanne Morstad
- Heart Mountain Field Trip, May 22, 2004, by Suzanne Morstad
- Shoshone River Trails Field Trip, April 24, 2004, by Suzanne Morstad
- Sage Grouse Lek and Ducks, April 3, 2004, by Suzanne Morstad
- Beartooth Mountains Field Trip, July 19, 2003, by Joyce Cicco
- Heart Mountain Field Trip, June 14, 2003, by Jennifer Miller
- Bear Canyon in West Pryor Mountain, May 22, 2003, by Suzanne Morstad
- Bighorn Canyon Nat'l. Recreation Area, May 17, 2003, by Suzanne Morstad
- Bragonier's, on the Willwood, April 12, 2003, by Dorothy Bunn
Yellowtail Habitat Field Trip, September 15, 2007. Leader: Suzanne Morstad.
by Suzanne Morstad
The tremendous edge effect of the Yellowtail Habitat again produced a lovely assortment of birds, this time just before duck hunting season.
It was a lovely warm fall day and the numbers steadily decreased as the temperatures rose. At the last stop at the causeway, the only birds found was a loggerhead shrike hiding in the shade of a rabbitbrush and a lame Baird’s sparrow.
About 10 birders tromped the ponds and open woodlands of the Yellowtail Habitat and Lovell Lakes to find over 50 species of birds. The list included:
1. Sandhill Cranes
2. Canada Geese
3. Double-crested Cormorants
4. White Pelicans
5. Great Blue Herons
6. Western Grebes
7. Pied-billed Grebes
8. Common Coots
9. Mallard Ducks
10. Gadwall Ducks
11. American Widgeon
12. Redhead Ducks
13. Cinnamon Teal
14. Pintail Ducks
15. Canvasback
16. Wood Ducks
17. Sora
18. Kingfisher
19. Wilson’s Phalaropes
20. Killdeer
21. Baird’s Sandpiper
22. Yellow-headed Blackbirds
23. Red-winged Blackbirds
24. Northern Harrier
25. Red-tailed Hawk
26. Harlan’s Hawk
27. Swainson’s Hawk
28. Turkey Vulture
29. Kestrel
30. Loggerhead Shrike
31. Ring-neck Pheasant
32. Mourning Dove
33. Rock Dove
34. Northern Flicker
35. Hairy Woodpecker
36. Bank Swallows
37. Barn Swallows
38. Common Starlings
39. Common Raven
40. Black-billed Magpies
41. Western Meadowlarks
42. Brown-headed Cowbirds
43. White-brested Nuthatch
44. Audubon’s Warbler
45. Wilson’s Warbler
46. Horned Larks
47. Cedar Waxwings
48. English Sparrows
49. Song Sparrows
50. White-crowned Sparrows
51. Vesper Sparrows
52. Chipping Sparrow, and
53. American Goldfinch.
The condition of the grasses and shrubs on the habitat suggested adequate rain (for this desert area) this summer that bodes good for the Kane Christmas Bird Count this December.
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Heart Mountain Field Trip, July 10, 2004. Leader: Dennis Saville.
by Suzanne Morstad
On July 10, Dennis Saville led a group of hiker-birders through a private ranch to the northwest side of Heart Mountain. The day was warm with clear blue skies and a light wind. The views were stunning and there were frequent stops on the way where Dennis would point out different features like the "natural corrals." Heart Mountain has a completely different aspect on the northwest side including a large shallow depression filled with spring fed wetlands and clumps of aspen. Elk have been seen in this area but the birders found only elk dung. Mule deer, antelope and rabbits were present.
The wildflowers remained in full force but the species were different from those of June. This time the purple loco, harebells, lupine and sego lilies were at their best.
The group met a family of blue grouse with the female perched in a low tree and the babies so well hid in the grass, one almost stepped on them before they flew. Other birds seen or heard included: Mountain Chickadee, Brewer's Blackbirds, Lark Buntings, American (Black-billed) Magpies, Western Meadowlark, Clark's Nutcrackers, Chipping Sparrows, Pinyon Jays, Vesper Sparrows, Pine Siskins, Brewer's Sparrows, Green-tailed Towhees, White-crowned Sparrows, Common Ravens, Say's Phoebe, Yellow Warbler, and a falcon (? species).
The result was a day that all who tromped the four miles on Heart Mountain will long remember.
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Sunlight Basin Field Trip, June 12, 2004. Leader: Nova Brown-Young
by Suzanne Morstad
The group assembled at Two Dot Flat, then went in a caravan to Ron and Nova's place in Sunlight Basin. The day was cool and partly cloudy. The group explored Nova's place for about an hour before having lunch. The birders had a real problem attending to birding without being distracted by the wonderful wildflowers and the view of Clark's Fork Canyon and the Beartooth Mountains. During lunch we were entertained by a pair of Mountain Bluebirds attending a nest in the side of the cabin. After lunch we went to a Wyoming Game & Fish preserve just west of White Mountain. The weather had turned cold and windy, so initial birding was slow. The area has a lot of diversity in habitat including a river, marshes, aspens, conifer forests and open sagebrush flats.
Two Dot Flat to Nova's place: Lark Buntings, MacGillivray's Warbler, American (Black-Billed) Magpie, Barn Swallow, Common Raven, Common Grackle (pounding on a ground squirrel), Veery, Western Meadowlark, Northern Harrier, Green-tailed Towhee, Clark's Nutcracker, Rock Wren, and American Robin. Also seen: a vole, mormon crickets and tent caterpillers.
Nova and Ron's place: Green-tailed Towhee, Mountain Bluebirds, Northern (Red-shafted) Flickers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadees, Warbling Vireos, Red-tailed Hawks, Western Tanagers, Clark's Nutcracker, Pine Siskins, American Robins, MacGillivray's Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a noisy pine squirrel.
Game & Fish preserve by White Mountain: Momma Common Merganser with a raft of ducklings, American Magpie, Pine Siskins, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrow, Vesper Sparrows, Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler, Common Raven, Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco, Eastern Kingbird, Turkey Vulture and Violet-green Swallow. Ground squirrels were everywhere, including youngsters. Moose scat was seen in the willows.
A total of 32 bird species was seen and/or heard.
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Bear Canyon Field Trip, June 3, 2004. Leader: John Roland.
by Suzanne Morstad
The day of the Bear Canyon trip, led by John Roland, was absolutely glorious with deep blue skies and very light breeze. Even though there was not surface water in the creek, the birds were out in force, including the Calliope Hummingbird on his usual tree at the lunch break. From the sagebrush flats at the mouth of the canyon to the conifers just beyond the lunch break area, a total of 41 different species was seen or clearly heard, including some real surprises such as a Brown Thrasher, female American Redstart, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Canyon Wrens.
Other birds included: American (Black-billed) Magpies, Green-tailed Towhees, Horned Larks, Loggerhead Shrike, Clark's Nutcracker, Rock Wrens, Pinyon Jays, Brewer's Blackbirds, Mountain Chickadees, Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker, White-throated Swifts, Warbling Vireos, Cassin's Finch, House Wrens, Violet-green Swallows, Spotted Towhees, Pine Siskins, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Western Tanagers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Turkey Vulture, Yellow Warblers, Mac Gillivray's Warblers, Dusky Flycatchers, Western Wood-Pewee, Lazuli Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Townsend's Solitaires, Say's Phoebes, Mourning Doves, Chipping Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warblers, Calliope Hummingbirds, Dark-eyed Junco, Vesper Sparrows and Lark Sparrows.
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Heart Mountain Field Trip, May 22, 2004. Leader: Dennis Saville.
by Suzanne Morstad
The Heart Mountain birding expedition was led by Dennis Saville on a Wyoming May day that started with glorious sunshine and ended with rain, wind and hail. The route followed a series of seeps and draws below the main trail and was prolific for both birds and wildflowers. A big treat of the day was an Olive-sided Flycatcher showing off his stuff on a dead tree.
A total of 34 species was seen, including: Northern Harrier, Golden Eagle, American Kestrel, Gray (Hungarian) Partridge, Chukar, Greater Sage-Grouse, Long-billed Curlews, Mourning Doves, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Say's Phoebes, Western Kingbirds, Eastern Kingbirds, Horned Larks, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, American (Black-billed) Magpie, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Rock Wren, Mountain Bluebird, American Robins, European Starlings, Warbling Vireos, Mac Gillivray's Warbler, Lark Buntings, Green-tailed Towhees, Chipping Sparrows, Brewer's Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Meadowlarks, Brewer's Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbird and House Sparrows.
A repeat trip is planned for July 10th, with the route going up the west side of the mountain. This trip will also be led by Dennis Saville. The meeting location and time will be Mentock Park on Blackburn Ave. in Cody across from Fremont Motors and the Cody BLM office at 8:00 a.m.
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Shoshone River Trails Field Trip, April 24, 2004.
by Suzanne Morstad
As part of the Arbor Day celebrations in Cody, birding strolls were led along the trails on the Shoshone River in Cody. In the dark, two groups of birders did not hook up with each other, so one went on the trail south from the Belfry Bridge and the other north from the bridge. The early migrants were mostly gone and the neotropical migrants weren't in yet, but the trails have a great deal of habitat diversity including the river, multiple marshes and ponds, brushy woodlands, rocky cliffs, cottonwoods and sagebrush steppe. The potential for birds during migration was exciting.
As it was, a total of 24 species was seen, including: Mallards, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebe, Bufflehead (duck), Redhead (duck), Canada Geese, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker, American Kestral, Turkey Vulture, American Robins, Song Sparrows (everywhere), Red-winged Blackbirds, American Crows, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Killdeer, American (Black-billed) Magpies, Mourning Doves, European Starlings, Common Ravens, Cedar Waxwings and Rock Doves. Mammals seen included muskrat, cottontails and a hunting cat. These trails are certainly worth checking out for birds on a regular basis for people living in or near Cody.
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Sage Grouse Lek and Ducks, April 3, 2004. Leader: Dennis Saville.
by Suzanne Morstad
A small fleet of four-wheel drive vehicles met at Mentock Park before sunrise to carpool to the annual spectacle of Greater Sage-Grouse dancing. The group was led by Dennis Saville to Chapman Bench to a large and very active lek. With the vehicles acting as a blind, the group was able to get close enough to get a good look at the action and the magnificent feather patterns of the males.
After sunrise the group dispersed and reassembled at the Edelweiss in Clark. Roxy Corbett led the birding entourage through a series of ponds and lowlands, including Hogan Lake. On these small ponds and marshes, there were not great numbers of birds, but the diversity was astonishing.
Birds of Chapman Bench area included: Greater Sage-Grouse, Western Meadowlarks, American (Black-billed) Magpies, Common Ravens, Wild Turkeys (Chief Joseph Hwy turnoff) and American Kestrels. West of Clark, the species included: Common Mergansers, Canada Geese, Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, Ruddy Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaup, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Goldeneye, Gadwalls, Buffleheads, American Wigeons, Canvasbacks, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, American Coots, Sandhill Cranes, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ring-billed Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Killdeer, Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-necked Pheasant, Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mountain Bluebirds, American Robins and Rock Doves. The mammals were out as well, including: elk, mule deer, pronghorns, coyotes, muskrats and cottontail rabbits. A total of 37 bird species were seen.
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Beartooth Mountains Field Trip, July 19, 2003
by Joyce Cicco
What's that...? The alarm clock! 4:30 a.m. and time to get up for the 2003 Beartooth Mountains birding trip. Wake up the granddaughter, get dressed, have a quick breakfast, put the blue ice in the cooler and fill it up with the lunch items which were packed the night before, and we're off. This is granddaughter's first birding trip and grandmother is hoping it will be the beginning of a lifetime of a love of birds.
We pull into the Crazy Creek Campground around 6:40 a.m. and find our leaders', Neil and Jennifer Miller's, camp. Suzanne Morstad is also there, just finishing her breakfast. We hear that another birder from Casper, Rose-Mary King, is also camped nearby. Off we go to the Crazy Creek Trailhead where granddaughter, Merrissa Cicco, and I take a short walk up the trail to view the thundering waterfalls.
Back down at the trailhead, we meet Sara Hastings and her sister, Hazel "Hazy" Scott, summer residents in the Cooke City area.
Carpooling into three vehicles, we proceed to explore Beartooth campgrounds and picnic areas for birds and wildflowers. Neil Miller hears a Yellow Warbler and shares with us the birding I.D. tip that it may be identified by its song, "Sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet." Other birds are located by sight or song and then identified with binoculars or scope.
We drive up to the Clay Butte Fire Lookout and find Meadowlark member Lona Quillen on fire lookout duty. Jennifer accompanies Merrissa to the top of the tower, where Lona treats granddaughter to a Smoky Bear snap bracelet, stickers, and a poster, while other birders remain below to view the Mountain Bluebird tending her nest up under the rafters of the top floor of the tower. A Rufous Hummingbird samples sugar water at a nearby feeder. The view is spectacular, as always , but smoke from the Deep Creek forest fire in the Clark area veils the distant mountains in a haze. Far below we can see Long Lake, where we stop for a leisurely lunch.
Once again we start our ascent, finding fewer birds as we gain altitude, and notice the change in the landscape to treeless tundra, covered with a profusion of alpine wildflowers. Passing the Top of the World store, we can hardly believe the number of bikers and cycles parked there, although we had seen heavy motorcycle traffic all along the way. Continuing on to the summit, we are greeted by billowing gray clouds and a loud clap of thunder. Heeding our better judgment, we bid all a hurried thank-you and farewell and hasten home to Cody by way of Red Lodge, Montana.
Birds seen, in order of their sighting, were: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Flicker, Yellow Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Violet-green Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, Clarks' Nutcracker, Mountain Bluebird, Warbling Vireo, House Wren, Sora (adult and juvenile), Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's), Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon), Pine Siskin, hummingbird sp., Lark Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Gray Jay, Red-winged Blackbird, a pair of scaup (probably Lesser), Rufous Hummingbird, American Robin, White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper, and Red-tailed Hawk.
Many thanks to Neil and Jennifer Miller, and also to the other members of our party, for making this first birding experience of my granddaughter's such a happy and memorable one.
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Heart Mountain Field Trip, June 14, 2003
by Jennifer Miller
Hear! Hear! Raise your walking sticks in praise of Dorothy Bunn, Meadowlark's Field Trip Chair, and Laura Bell, TNC Director for the Heart Mountain Ranch, for this successful and stimulating field trip.
Coffee and warm muffins greeted the arriving trekkers at the Heart Mountain Visitors' Center located at The Nature Conservancy's Heart Mountain Ranch. Beautiful bulletin boards, thanks to Harold Perry and John Ross, decorate the walls and brand new posters are on display informing visitors about the birds, plants, and geology of this unique Mountain.
The large group divided itself among the group leaders as we all headed up Heart Mountain. The delicious but difficult choices included Kent Houston, a forest ecologist from Cody, whose group explored the fascinating array of plant life on the mountain; Sean Sheehan, a wildlife biologist from Cody led his group up the mountain in search of birds and wildflowers with a special emphasis on exotic species and their effects on the habitat; another birding group was led by Dennis Saville from the BLM office in Cody, who discussed the birds, plants, insects, and trees as we trekked up the mountainside; Dave Henry, biologist from Clark, led his group on a plants and wildflower excursion. All participants wanted to follow each leader as each had so much to offer. The wildflowers were awesome, especially the large-flowered bearded penstamons. White and purple vetch, False Mallow, Pale Larkspur, Long-plumed Avens, Blue Flax, Balsamroot, Wild Onion, and Salisfy along with many others dressed the mountainside with spectacular colors.
As we drove up Heart Mountain to the starting point, Long-billed Curlew circled and called in protest to our presence. A doe pronghorn we suspect was hiding her fawn on the lush sagebrush prairie foothill. As we started our hikes Vesper Sparrows sang from the brush tops as Rock Wrens rang their song from every outcrop. When Dee Oudin checked one of her bluebird boxes, a battle ensued overhead between the Mountain Bluebirds and the Violet-green Swallows as to future ownership! Along the edge of a juniper lined canyon Magpies and Green-tailed Towhees hung out belting out their songs. As we approached a small pond Red-winged Blackbirds flocked about, a Spotted Sandpiper worked the shoreline, and unknown duck took off, and a possible Virginia Rail lurked in the lush vegetation. Up ahead perched on the tallest dead evergreen branch sang a Lazuli Bunting, always a treat! The group then turned to watch a Golden Eagle cruise over being harassed by a possible Prairie Falcon. Chipping Sparrows sang from every treetop that wasn't occupied by a Western Wood-Pewee, and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet and the Yellow-rumped Warbler Audubon's Race made their brief appearances. A special sighting was the Dusky Flycatcher singing his song. American Robins, Common Ravens, and Mourning Doves helped us as we descended the mountain.
A grand time was had by all thanks to the hard work of the organizers.
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Bear Canyon in West Pryor Mountain, May 22, 2003
by Suzanne Morstad
On Thursday, May 22, John Roland led another small group of eight birders up beautiful Bear Canyon in West Pryor Mountain. It was another perfect spring day capped with a Calliope Hummingbird entertaining everyone at the lunch stop. The two-mile hike was on a nearly level surface with wonderful bird activity the entire distance. a total of 28 species and a coyote were seen in Bear Canyon and the sagebrush lands at its mouth.
The birds seen included: White-throated Swifts, Violet-green Swallows, Rock Doves, Rock Wrens, House Wrens, Calliope Hummingbird, Cooper's Hawk, Turkey Vultures, Dusky Flycatchers, Mountain Chickadees, American Robins, Swainson's Thrush, Mountain Bluebirds, Sage Thrasher, Townsend's Solitaire, Western Meadowlarks, Spotted Towhees, Green-tailed Towhees, Ring-necked Pheasant, Common Ravens, Clark's Nutcracker, Yellow-breasted Chats, Warbling Vireos, Audubon's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, Lazuli Buntings and Chipping Sparrows.
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Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, May 17, 2003
by Suzanne Morstad
On May 17, a small group of eight birders set out to once again confirm Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area's place on National Park and Conservation Magazine's List of the top ten national parks for birding. The weather was perfect and the birding hot. There are so many different habitats in the Bighorn Canyon that the group could only do a sampling. The highlights were the four Black-crowned Night-herons sitting in a tree overlooking the visitor center pond and the Lewis's Woodpecker posing on a fence post at the Tillet Fish-rearing station in between forays to the ground for a little nosh.
Birds seen included: Pied-billed Grebes, Eared Grebes, Western Grebes, Black-crowned Night-herons, Great Blue Heron, American White Pelicans, Forster's Terns, Sandhill Cranes, Mallard ducks, Gadwall ducks, Northern Shoveler ducks, Blue-winged Teal, American Widgeons, Lesser Scaup, Canada Geese, Wilson's Phalaropes, Spotted Sandpipers, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilts, American Coots, Belted Kingfisher, Barn Swallows, White-throated Swifts, Mourning Doves, Rock Doves, Ring-necked Pheasant, Marsh Wrens, Rock Wrens, House Wrens, Osprey (on nest), Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Black-billed (American) Magpies, European Starlings, Red-shafted Northern Flickers, Lewis's Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwings, Say's Phoebes, Western Kingbirds, Eastern Kingbirds, Western Tanager, Horned Larks, American Robins, Swainson's Thrush, Mountain Bluebirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Meadowlarks, Northern Orioles, Spotted Towhees, Common Grackles, Common Raven, American Crow, Gray Catbird, Pinyon Jays, Loggerhead Shrikes, Yellow-breasted Chats, Warbling Vireos, Audubon's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, White-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Lark Sparrows, American Goldfinches, Lazuli Buntings, Chipping Sparrows and House Finches, for a total of 75 species. The group did not even make it to the Yellowtail Habitat or the higher altitudes around the Lockhart Ranch.
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Bragonier's, on the Willwood, April 12, 2003
by Dorothy Bunn
We arrived at the Bragonier's at 8:30 a.m. and were greeted by many Rock Doves and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. From the Bragonier's house, species seen were Red-tailed Hawk, Say's Phoebe, Killdeer, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow, American Coot, Canada Goose, Sandhill Crane, Western Meadowlark, and Ring-necked Pheasant. The female Canada Goose and Sandhill Crane were both nesting.
On the pond, there were male and female Bufflehead, and on the river, we saw Green-winged Teal and Mallard. Nearby there was a Black-capped Chickadee.
Those attending were: owners Dave and Germaine Bragonier, Dorothy Bunn, Carol Cole, John Roland, John and KaCey Ross, and Pat and Nancy Ryan. The Bragoniers served Coffee and snacks to the group and everyone enjoyed the treats, as well as the warm and sunny day.
Another trip may be scheduled later when the young cranes and geese might be seen.
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