FeaturedMurie Audubon General Meeting and Program Thursday February 13, 2025

Published on by MurieAudubonAdmin Category: General Meeting, Programs

MURIE AUDUBON PRESENTS: REDDS SPAWNING HABITAT ENHANCEMENT

The Redds Spawning Habitat Enhancement is located on BLM lands about 30 miles southwest of Casper within the North Platte River’s famed Gray Reef section. Gray Reef is designated a blue ribbon trout ?shery that attracts anglers from around the world who are seeking numerous trophy rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout. Additionally, trout spawned in this section populate the rest of the North Platte River to Dave Johnston Power plant as temperatures and sediment loading become detrimental below Government Bridge. The Redds Spawning area consists of three channels; the main southern channel receiving all of base ?ow (500 cfs) and includes around 250,000 ft² of potential spawning habitat. As ?ows increase beyond 700 cfs, the middle and northern channels are engaged opening an additional 159,000 ft² of potential spawning habitat. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Platte River Foundation are pursuing Redds spawning habitat enhancements including: diverting ?ow from the main channel to the middle channel at base ?ow taking advantage of an additional 112,000 ft² of potential spawning habitat, buffering middle channel ?ows using the Northern channel as “relief” while adding an additional 47,000 ft² of potential spawning habitat, adding favorable spawning gravels to rif?e and glide habitats, incorporating favorable hydraulics including glide-like features, stabilizing nearby eroding banks decreasing ?ne sediment inputs, and allowing adjacent low lying wetland areas to be used by young of year trout as rearing habitat. These areas will be constructed to hold water year round serving as refuge for waterfowl and amphibians including the leopard frog. John McCoy, Aquatic Habitat Biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will be our guest speaker to update us on the efforts for habitat improvements not only for aquatic fauna but also for all species along the river.

Public and Audubon members are invited to come to the Murie Audubon free talk on
February 13, 2025 at 7 p.m., at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse, at 4205 Fort Caspar Road.

Riverton Area

Published on by Hustace Scott Category: 

As of Saturday morning at 7:05, the weather looks good for the trip to Riverton.  We will visit the Riverton Area on Saturday, Feb. 15.  We will leave from the Game and Fish Parking Lot at 8:00 AM; bring warm clothes, lunch and water.  This field trip is dependent on dry roads and good weather.  Call Stacey Scott at 307-262-0055 for more details.

Field Trip to Gray Reef and Alcova

Published on by Hustace Scott Category: 

At 7:25 AM.  The snow is predicted to be light this morning.  I will run the field trip as scheduled.  Stacey Scott

We will meet at the Game and Fish Parking Lot at 9:00 AM on Saturday, Jan 11 for a trip to look at wintering waterfowl on Gray Reef and the Alcova Dam outlet.  For more information, call Stacey Scott at 307-262-0055.

Bates Hole Christmas Bird Count

Published on by Hustace Scott Category: 

The Bates Hole Christmas Bird Count will be Wednesday, Jan 1, 2025.  We will meet at Charlie Scott’s house on the Two-Bar Ranch at 7:30 AM.  This is one of the only mostly rural counts in the country, and a great way to start the New Year.  Call Charlie Scott at 307-473-2512 or Stacey Scott at 307-262-0055 for more details.

Christmas Bird Count, Saturday December 14, 2024

Published on by MurieAudubonAdmin Category: Christmas Bird Count

MURIE AUDUBON’S 77TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14, 2024

Murie Audubon will conduct the 77th annual Casper Christmas Bird Count on December 14, 2024. Last year 57 people (37 observers in the field and 20 feeder watchers) helped to find and count 9,592 birds representing 58 species inside a 15-mile diameter circle encompassing most of the Casper area. We can use lots of help for this project – 177 square miles is a lot of ground to cover. The Center of the circle is near the vicinity of the junction of Coates Rd and Prairie Rd. Generally the boundaries are: the east boundary is Wyoming Blvd, the west boundary is Speas Fish Hatchery, the north boundary is just beyond exit 191 on I-25 north, and the south boundary is the south edge of Casper Mountain including parts of Circle drive.

You don’t have to be an expert birder to participate; we need lots of eyes and ears, and we need people to help record data, and to help drive. And we need feeder watchers to report what they have at their feeders, so if you live within the boundaries of the circle, have a bird feeder, and would like to participate, please contact us. On the day of the count, participants are asked to meet at the SonRise Room of the First United Methodist Church, 302 East 2nd Street in Casper at 7:30 AM for instructions, maps, carpooling and area assignments. At 5 PM, we will meet again at SonRise Room for a potluck dinner, and tabulation of the day’s data. Please contact Stacey Scott at 262-0055 or Bruce Walgren at 234-7455 (bruce_walgren@bresnan.net) for more information.

Murie Audubon General Meeting and Program November 14, 2024

Published on by MurieAudubonAdmin Category: General Meeting, Programs

MURIE AUDUBON PRESENTS: NON-GAME BIRDS IN WYOMING

This month’s Speaker is Zach Wallace, the statewide Nongame Bird Biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, based in Lander. His presentation will cover the Department’s long-term monitoring programs for nongame birds, including Trumpeter Swans, Peregrine Falcons, Bald Eagles, and Harlequin Ducks, as well as current projects investigating the habitat needs of American Goshawks, sagebrush songbirds, and Pinyon Jays. He will highlight ongoing collaborations with academic researchers, community scientists, and other partners, all aimed at increasing our knowledge and ability to conserve Wyoming’s birds.

Wallace previously served as the Biometrician for the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database at the University of Wyoming, and he brings a strong background in research and coordination from leading projects on birds and other wildlife in Wyoming and across the western United States.

He received his master’s degree in wildlife science from Oregon State University in 2014, where his research focused on the nesting ecology of Ferruginous Hawks and Golden Eagles in Wyoming. Wallace’s graduate research was done in close collaboration with WY Game and Fish.

Murie Audubon members and the public are invited to this free talk on November 14, at 7 p.m., at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse, 4205 Fort Caspar Road.

Murie Audubon General Meeting and Program October 10, 2024

Published on by MurieAudubonAdmin Category: General Meeting, Programs

MURIE AUDUBON PRESENTS:

In Wyoming, 15% of all reported vehicle collisions involve big game wildlife. Over 6,000 deer, pronghorn, elk, and moose are hit by vehicles and killed on our roads every year. These collisions are costing nearly $50 million annually for damages to vehicles, human injury expenses, and loss of wildlife. Serving as a partner foundation to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, The WYldlife Fund is uniquely positioned to have a profound positive impact. Specializing in grant agreements, the Fund ensures precise and efficient allocation of resources on the ground to advance wildlife projects across Wyoming. The WYldlife Fund has helped raise $377,028.78 to send to the I-25 Wildlife Crossing Project. These contributions have been made possible by numerous partners throughout Wyoming and the United States! This stretch of highway between Buffalo and Kaycee is the second deadliest stretch of roadway for mule deer in the state. This cost effective project will act as a model for other projects like it across the west, as existing agriculture underpasses are being utilized to provide safe passage for wildlife crossing the busy highway.

Approximately 18 miles of fencing has been installed to funnel wildlife to these existing agriculture underpasses. A camera study has proven these existing underpasses to be successful currently, as wildlife already navigate them and by installing fencing this success rate should skyrocket even higher and virtually eliminate wildlife being hit on this stretch of highway. Chris McBarnes, President of the WYldlife Fund, will be our guest speaker for our next Murie Audubon meeting to tell us more about the WYldlife Fund and to update us on existing projects and projects being planned to benefit wildlife across Wyoming.

Murie Audubon members and the public are invited to this free talk on October 10, 7 p.m., at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse, 4205 Fort Caspar Road.

Bruce Walgren