Q&A: American Robins
By Mary Leigh
[from winter 2024 newsletter]
Question: Do American Robins remain in the Midwest all winter?
Answer: Yes! Although American Robins are regarded as a sign of spring in the Midwest, they are here year-round.
2024 eBird Taxonomy Update
By Mary Leigh
[from winter 2024 newsletter]
I noticed recently that my eBird life list bird count increased by 1 when I hadn’t added any new species. The explanation was the annual taxonomy update! Every year, based on new insights by ornithologists, species are split, lumped, and renamed.
Magic – Chimney Swifts
By Marty Corfman
[from fall 2024 newsletter]
My husband and I were driving past Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque at dusk, and I heard and saw many swifts hunting insects in the sky. I said, “Pull over, honey! This is gonna be cool!”
Birding Ethics
By Bob Walton
[from fall 2024 newsletter]
All sports have rules to follow, and birding should be no different. It is important that the welfare of all our birds be respected, resulting in little or no disturbance to the birds. The American Birding Association (ABA) has developed a Code of Birding Ethics that promotes respectful, enjoyable, and thoughtful birding.
Fall Raptor Watch
Thanks to everyone who came out to the raptor watch at the Mines of Spain! We counted 53 Broad-winged Hawks. When they seemed to drop down on us from above, we speculated that there may have been many more that we couldn’t see due to the cloud coverage.
Birding @ Whitewater Canyon
We had a nice-sized group for our pop-up field trip yesterday at the Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Management Area. The warblers did not cooperate by showing up at the overlook, but we had an enjoyable morning!
Whitewater Canyon Survey Results
Dubuque Audubon’s 3-year survey of grassland birds at Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Management Area is complete!
Bluebird Monitoring Results
Our volunteers monitoring bird houses at Mines of Spain counted 99 Eastern Bluebird eggs, 72 nestlings, and 52 fledglings this year!
Birding @ Deere Dike Park
10 people joined us for our pop-up field trip today at Deere Dike Park! We didn’t see as many birds as we had hoped, but we had a fun time. Highlights included Green Herons, a Spotted Sandpiper, Bald Eagles, Tree Swallows, and Purple Martins.
Motus Wildlife Tracking Network 2023 Annual Report Published
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a collaborative global network of automated radio telemetry receivers for tracking small migratory wildlife (birds, bats, and insects) that have been tagged. In 2023, 151 birds were tracked in Iowa, from 21 species, all of which were tagged outside of Iowa!
Merlins Nesting in Dubuque!
On Sunday, July 28th, Dubuque Audubon members were able to confirm Merlin nesting in Dubuque for the first time in over a century!
Annual Spring Species Count
Our annual spring species count, held on Saturday, May 11, 2024, was a great success! Despite virtually no shorebirds and only one owl species, we were able to locate 145 individual species!