PLAINS AND PEAKS

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This is the start of a wonderful time of year. Our first migrants are arriving, and soon we will have new birds arriving every day. It is interesting that the first sign of spring in Alaska was the arrival of the gulls, and gulls are one of the first migrants here too. It seems to me that the first mountain bluebirds are much more strongly colored than the ones you see in May and June. That is especially true if the sun is behind you and there is lots of fresh snow on the ground. I hope everyone can get out to enjoy
the spring migration.

Terry Creekmore, West Nile Project Coordinator for the Preventive Health & Safety Division of the Wyoming Department of Health, will be our speaker at the April General Membership meeting.

West Nile Virus (WNV) was first detected in North America in 1999 in New York. Since that time it has been spreading westward.

WNV is a disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Most often, the disease is contained in a mosquito-bird cycle. Occasionally humans, horses and other mammals may also be infected. In humans the most serious manifestation of WNV infection is encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

WNV surveillance and education in Wyoming is funded by a Center for Disease Control (CDC) grant to the department's Epidemiology Section. This surveillance includes humans, horses, birds and mosquitoes.

WNV has been identified in 12 counties in Wyoming; 64 horses and 14 birds have tested positive as of September 2002. The Wyoming Department of Health reported the first human infection on October 11, 2002.

For more information and links visit http://wdh.state.wy.us/WNV/WNV/htm.

Since territorial days, Wyoming has remained a poor, friendly, hard-working state that exports most of its resources, including its youth and talent. Author Samuel Western argues in his book Pushed off the Mountain, Sold Down the River; Wyoming's Search for its Soul that this reliance on exportation, and the boom-and-bust cycles that accompany it, have serious economic and social pitfalls, as a majority of the state's young people continue to leave Wyoming to pursue careers elsewhere.

"It's up to us, the people in this state, to take risks that are not related to natural resources," Western says. "The best resources are the resources we have between our ears." For this spring's Stroock Forum on Wyoming Lands and People, Western will compare Wyoming's myth of individualism to the reality of the state's historical
dependence on external forces. He will discuss how the solution to Wyoming's financial and commercial problems force us all to rethink our version of the state's mythology. Discussants include Tucker Fagan-Chief Executive Officer of the Wyoming Business Council, James Magagna-Executive Vice President, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Olin Sims-President of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts and a third generation rancher from McFadden, Wyoming, Governor Dave Freudenthal, will give his impression and directions for future policy.

The forum will take place Thursday, April 17, 2003 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. at College Center at Casper College (Corner of College Drive and Ash Street).

Sponsored by: Sroock Professorship ~ School and Institute of Environment and Natural Resources College of Business ~ Department of Economics and Finance.

Please register for the Stroock Forum on our web site at: http://www.uwyo.edu/stoockforum or contact Buffi Jones at (307) 766-2571, Bjones@uwyo.edu.

Our Fall Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2003. More information will
be available on our web site soon!

Starbucks Coffee and Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Society are co-hosting the reception to welcome visiting Partners in Flight Western Working Group members from the western states and the Audubon Wyoming Board members. Shade-grown coffee and cocoa will accompany cookies and desserts brought by CHPAS members.

The New Community House overlooks Sloan’s Lake, the centerpiece of Cheyenne’s first Important Bird Area. From the patio you may be able to spot some of the 24 warbler species seen in Cheyenne over the last 10 years, even if it is a couple weeks before the usual migration peak.

Displays pertaining to birds, bird watching, bird conservation and Audubon activities are welcome as long as they are designed to be free-standing on a table top or on the floor.

Join chapter members for a bird walk around the park. Meet in the parking lot by the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Greenhouse.

All Day Birding Field Trip – Laramie Plains - Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Jane and Robert Dorn, authors of Wyoming Birds, will lead this trip to the high plains and lakes west of Laramie. They will be leaving from the parking lot at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens Greenhouse. Dress for the weather and bring lunch. You may return to Cheyenne at your own convenience. Car pooling is available.

John James Audubon Birthday Dinner - Avanti’s Saturday, 6:30 p.m. Birding Trails and What They Mean in Wyoming – Gary Lefko

At this no-host dinner at Avanti Italian Ristorante, 4620 Grandview Ave., select items from the menu, or choose the Italian buffet for $11 per person. Maybe we’ll have birthday cake in honor of Audubon’s 218^th birthday!

Gary Lefko, director of the Great Pikes Peak Birding Trail, a program of the Aiken Audubon Society, will talk about how it and Colorado’s other trails are being developed and how the birding trail idea could be translated to Wyoming.

Audubon Wyoming Board Meeting - Saturday, 8:30 a.m. ~ 4 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 108 E. 18^th.

Please RSVP to Barb Gorges with which events you plan to attend and whether you will have a display Friday evening: bgorges2@juno.com, (307) 634-0463. Barb can also give you motel information, latest road construction detours and driving directions for all events and locations.

The following birds are being held pending recovery to be released: 3 Golden Eagles, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Swainson's Hawk, 1 A. Kestrel, 1 Turkey Vulture, 1 W. Kingbird, 1 A. Crow.

The following birds are being held as unreleaseable and being used for Education and or Foster Parenting: 2 GH Owls, 1 Golden Eagle, 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Prairie Falcon, 1 A. Kestrel, 1 W. Kingbird.

Frank and Lois Layton report that Murie's Bird Hospital and Rehab Center is in need of meat for the raptors.  If you have any lean meat, especially game meat, in your freezer or know of a friend or neighbor that has unwanted game meat in their freezer, we can use it for the birds.  Hearts are really good, or any lean cuts (no hamburger - too fatty, and no liver please).  Donations of money would be greatly appreciated, also, (we can send you a receipt for tax purposes) as we will be purchasing hearts to feed the birds.  It seems that the drought continues to effect all of the wildlife - even in the Hospital.  Wyoming Game & Fish usually gives us deer and antelope road kills, but even those are getting scarce.

    If anyone can help, give Frank and Lois a call (472-7009).

 Thanks once again to all of the sponsors for Audubon Adventures. The teachers have been assigned their sponsors and hopefully you will be receiving thank you notes from either the children or the teacher.

We have received the first sponsors for next year, Women in Wyoming Wilderness.

Songs of Western Meadowlarks and Red-winged Blackbirds in the last couple weeks of March are awakening the spring birding bug in many of us. A. Robin activity is also steadily increasing. In fact, the number of Red-wings seems to be increasing daily – and the girls are starting to show up – surely spring is almost here!!

Jim and Gloria Lawrence reported on southeastern Wyoming activity – waterfowl aplenty!! In addition, they had Ring-billed Gulls, Ca. Gulls, Killdeer, and a Virginia Rail, plus Eurasian Collared-Doves at Ft. Laramie, Sandhill Cranes in the Wheatland area, and a Hooded Merganser at Dave Johnston Power Plant.

At Alcova Lake, near the resort in the cottonwood trees, are Bohemian Waxwings. These were exceptionally hard to find in 2002 but this is 2003 and hopefully they will be more plentiful. Also at Alcova lake area in the junipers, Mountain Bluebirds have returned in large numbers. California and Ring-billed gulls are being sighted statewide. Redheads, in large flocks, can be seen on most open water. There was an unverified report of a Long-eared Owl at EKW park east of Casper. Three Sandhill Cranes were reported along the Platte River west of Casper. Killdeer can be heard calling from early thawed wetlands. Evening Grosbeaks have been reported at a Casper Mountain feeder. (From Gloria Lawrence)

Jean Adams from the WYOBIRDS list reported on March 18^th Black Rosyfinches are still coming to feeder but flock is down to about 30. She also had Mt. Bluebirds checking out nest boxes.

Greg Bergquist in Saratoga Wyo., also reported Mt. Bluebirds on March 12^th (WYOBIRDS list).

Activity on the Sage Grouse leks is being reported around the state (another indication that spring is almost here!!) Bruce and I saw an early Swainson’s Hawk between Orin Junction and Shawnee on March 16, (Dr. Scott notes a typical arrival date of the third week in April). While in NE last weekend, we found a Lincoln’s Sparrow, and birders in the Scottsbluff area found a Chipping Sparrow. So it would appear that some birds are coming back earlier than usual. Other items of interest: Richard Rosche in New York state reported a massive fall-out of Red-necked Grebes in northeastern U.S. on Feb. 27-28; and Bruce Bennett reported the 3^rd Feb. record of a N. Harrier in the Yukon. Spring migration 2003 could prove quite interesting!!

YARD BIRDS FOR FEBRUARY – Wayne Tree and I received a total of 170 yard bird picks from 17 states and Yukon Territory for February. The most reported bird was A. Robin, followed by Black-capped Chickadee; there was a 3-way tie for third place between N. Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, and Red-winged Blackbird.

Casper: Jim Herold – Downy Woodpecker; Norma McGee – Red-winged Blackbird; Jim Lawrence – Bald Eagle; Gloria Lawrence – Pinyon Jay; Ed Reish – Black-capped Chickadee; Chris Michelson – Red-breasted Nuthatch; Frank Odasz – Evening Grosbeak; Joanne Odasz – Dark-eyed Junco; Bart Rea – Steller’s Jay; Liz Rea – Song Sparrow; Bob Yonts – Steller’s Jay; Jan Scott – Mtn. Bluebird; Stacey Scott – Pine Siskin; Jan/Ed Whitney – N. Flicker (red-sh.); Rose-Mary King – Black-capped Chickadee; Dave Bishop – Steller’s Jay; Bruce Walgren – N. Flicker; Donna Walgren – House Finch; Garland: Nancy Ryan – Pine Siskin; Pat Ryan – Downy Woodpecker; Cheyenne: Barb Gorges – House Finch; Lander: Andrea Cerovski – Black-capped Chickadee; Laramie: Robin Grouse – Mtn. Chickadee; Lovell: Terry Peters – Dark-eyed Junco; Riverton: Bob Hargis – A. Tree Sparrow; Worland: Walter Van Dusen – A. Robin; Delores Van Dusen – Pine Siskin.

What bird seen in, over, or from your yard will be your species pick for March? Keep an eye on your yard – as spring approaches, bird movements will increase. Send your selection to Donna Walgren, 4311 S. Center, Casper 82601, (ph. 234-7455), or email bwalgren@coffey.com.