DUBUQUE AUDUBON
2/6/17
© Ken Kiss
Green Island WMA
2/4/24
© Marty Corfman
Dubuque Arboretum
12/15/25
Peosta, IA
12/18/25
© Mary Leigh
Deere Dike Park
12/16/25
Deere Dike Park
12/16/25
Deere Dike Park
12/14/25
1/22/19
© Ken Kiss
Dubuque, IA
1/27/25
© Marty Corfman
Deere Dike Park
1/17/25
Deere Dike Park
1/17/25
Welcome!
Anyone interested in birdwatching, nature, or the quality of the environment is welcome to become a member of the Dubuque Audubon Society.
Our tri-state region is a great place for birds, and one of the great things about birds is that you can enjoy them at all levels of involvement. You may be surprised how many different species we have in the area at different times of year and how quickly you can begin to identify many of them once you start looking. (Binoculars help!) Any time of year is a great time to be a birder, and we hope you’ll join us!
Our Mission
The mission of the Dubuque Audubon Society is to provide educational opportunities to the people of the tri-state area and to preserve the natural habitat of birds and other wildlife.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Each February, the world joins in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) to report bird observations, in order to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world!
This year’s GBBC is February 13-16 (Friday – Monday). To participate, spend at least 15 minutes watching birds during the 4 days of the GBBC and report your birds using Merlin (mobile app) or eBird (mobile app or website).
There is no need to sign up. If you already report birds using Merlin or eBird, just keep doing what you’re doing; any birds reported over these 4 days count toward GBBC.
The GBBC website has full details on the count and how to participate.
Pop-up Event
Guided Birding Hike
Saturday, 2/14/26
11-12 AM
Swiss Valley Nature Center
13606 Swiss Valley Road
Peosta, IA 52068
View Map
As part of the Great Backyard Bird Count, Ken Kiss and Mary Leigh will lead a birding hike at Swiss Valley, departing from the Nature Center. All levels of experience are welcome! Binoculars are recommended.
Pop-up Education
Want more help with Merlin or eBird?
For in-person instruction on the Merlin or eBird apps (and an explanation of the difference), Mary Leigh could be available at 10 AM on Friday and/or Saturday morning at Swiss Valley Nature Center, but she’ll only be there each morning if at least one person signs up for that morning!
Participants would need to bring a smartphone in order to use either of the apps. We’ll include some birdwatching at the feeders while trying out the mobile apps.
Swiss Valley Nature Center
13606 Swiss Valley Road
Peosta, IA 52068
View Map
© Marty Corfman
Dubuque Audubon Annual Duck Waddle
Saturday, 3/7/26
(a week earlier than usual)
Green Island Wildlife Management Area
located in Jackson County, IA
Join us on our annual trip to Green Island Wildlife Management Area in Jackson County to observe migrating waterfowl! Green Island is one of Iowa’s largest wetland complexes and attracts thousands of ducks, geese, cranes, and other aquatic-based birds each March. Audubon guides will be on hand to help identify the numerous species. Binoculars are recommended.
To carpool from Dubuque, meet in the parking lot of EB Lyons Interpretive Center at 8991 Bellevue Heights Rd, Dubuque (View Map) at 6:00 AM.
Otherwise you can meet the group at Green Island in the big parking lot (View Map) between 6:45 and 7:00 AM. Note that this is a different location from last year.
To avoid having the earliest arrivals scare off the birds, we ask that all please remain in vehicles upon arrival, to await direction from one of the Audubon guides.
Normally the trip lasts most of the morning, and for those that wish, we end by going out for breakfast/lunch.
Dubuque Audubon March Program
Voyage to the Bottom of the World
Thursday, 3/12/26
6:45 PM Social Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
View Map
In December of 2014, Ty Smedes spent almost a month exploring the southern reaches of the globe on the Expedition ship Ortelius. The first stop was the Falkland Islands, the site of the largest Black-browed Albatross colony in the world, numbering 220,000 breeding pairs. In addition, Rockhopper Penguin pairs were breeding in various places among the albatross.
Next stop was South Georgia Island, the diamond in the Southern Ocean’s crown jewels of Sub-Antarctic islands, a spectacular glaciated landscape home to some of the greatest wildlife densities found anywhere on earth. Ty will take us ashore to visit the huge Fur Seal Colonies and to witness the titanic struggle between bull Elephant Seals, each battling to become beach-master. We will visit King Penguin colonies numbering 335,000 pairs or more. We’ll see and hear their struggles to survive in a challenging climate, where some of the roughest seas in the world meet. This island, just 100 miles long and with 100 million birds, is the most wildlife-rich island on the planet!
Along the Antarctic Peninsula, we will visit dazzling blue icebergs in shapes that defy the imagination. This stunning landscape hosts several penguin species and the leopard seals that hunt them – framed by a backdrop of endless glaciers and spectacular mountain scenics.
Join us for this educational and visually stunning presentation about this beautiful and wildlife-rich part of the world.
Ty Smedes is an accomplished and internationally recognized photographer. He has been featured by the Iowa DNR, numerous magazines, has published several books, and leads international photo tours. In his words, “My ultimate goal is to help others enjoy, appreciate , and value our often fragile and threatened natural eco-systems and natural heritage.”
A recording of our 1/8/25 Let’s Talk About the River – A Community Meeting with Big River Magazine and the Dubuque Audubon Society program is available.
Calendar of Events
We hold monthly programs from September through May on a variety of topics related to nature and the environment.
We also hold an annual Christmas bird count, an annual Duck Waddle at Green Island (traditionally the 2nd Saturday in March), and an annual spring species count (traditionally the Saturday before Mother’s Day), and we offer additional field trips throughout the year.
You can tailor your birding to your interest and activity level, and all levels of experience are welcome.
Latest Newsletter
News Releases of Interest
- 5/2/25: Iowa DNR: Black bear sightings on the rise in Northeast Iowa
- 4/12/25: Iowa Audubon: April 2025 Newsletter
- 4/5/25: National Audubon Society: New Report Shows U.S. Birds Declining Sharply Across a Range of Habitats
- 4/5/25: Dubuque County Conservation Board: Dubuque Conservation Nature Talk (quarterly newsletter with events and more!)
- 1/29/25 Iowa DNR: Osprey are a migratory raptor species that breed in Iowa. The Iowa DNR began the Osprey restoration program in 1997. See the DNR’s Osprey page for a link to the yearly Osprey status in Iowa report.
- 1/28/25 Iowa DNR: Donations and donors to the Chickadee Tax Check-off decline
- 1/22/25 Iowa DNR: Taxes are for the birds…and other vulnerable wildlife
- 1/22/25 Iowa DNR: Iowa DNR, Pheasants Forever: Partners for decades to expand wildlife habitat
If you provide an email address when joining or renewing, you will automatically be placed on our regular email list. As an experiment in 2025, we are going to try creating a separate email list for those who would like more group birding opportunities.
Read more on our “More Birding” Email Sign-up page.
More Links of Interest
- Summer 2025: Iowa DNR: YouTube Video: Poison Ivy and Parsnip Identification (5:12)
- Spring 2025: National Audubon Society: How do Birds Keep Themselves Clean?
- 5/7/25: Iowa DNR: Leave wildlife babies where they belong — In the wild
- 4/14/25: Environment for the Americas: Earth’s Fastest Hunter: Meet the Peregrine Falcoln
Protecting Birds from Window Strikes Day & Night
National Audubon Society articles on efforts to reduce bird collisions:
Dubuque, IA
Most Recent Blog Posts
Articles
[from winter 2025 newsletter]
Meet the elusive Eastern Screech-Owl. Nocturnal, they roost during the day and hunt at dusk and night. Despite the name, Screech-Owls don’t just screech...
Articles
[from winter 2025 newsletter]
Did you know there are different names for the flocks of birds? You might see a blush of Robins, a charm of Finches, or a confusion of Warblers.
Articles
[from winter 2025 newsletter]
Meet the elusive Eastern Screech-Owl. Nocturnal, they roost during the day and hunt at dusk and night. Despite the name, Screech-Owls don’t just screech...
Articles
[from winter 2025 newsletter]
Did you know there are different names for the flocks of birds? You might see a blush of Robins, a charm of Finches, or a confusion of Warblers.
Events
[from winter 2025 newsletter]
On September 21st, Audubon members participated in the annual fall raptor watch at Mines of Spain in Dubuque.
Articles
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
The next time you’re tempted to feed the birds from that bag of bread, think again! You might just be depriving your feathered friends of a broader range of nutrition they’ll need throughout the year.
While bread does contain carbohydrates, bird specialist Dr. David Shealer, Professor of Biology at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, points out that birds also need proteins and fats in their diet...
Articles
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
This summer, I went on a guided bird walk at Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Sapsucker Woods, in Ithaca, NY... During the walk, our guide shared some fun facts about American Goldfinch that make them unusual.
Projects
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
It was another successful season for the bluebirds nesting at the Mines of Spain. This year Tom Davis and Galen Mathis joined me in monitoring 30 bird houses on a weekly basis.
News
Events
Below are highlights from recent outings:
Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area
A group of 7, led by Bob Walton, went to Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday morning, 6/3/25. Trumpeter Swan including 6 young were a highlight.
eBird
eBird isn’t just a way for you to keep track of the birds you see; it’s a great resource for finding birds you’ve never seen.
Try out the links below to explore Dubuque County in eBird.
Learn about eBird on our Resources page.