Happy fall migration from Iowa Young Birders! I hope you had a great summer.
Twenty-nine young birders, parents, grandparents, and volunteers enjoyed three full days of birding the diverse and beautiful habitats of Colorado on our trip to the Ft. Collins area in July. We tallied a whopping 94 species on the trip, which included many life birds for young birders and even some for the volunteers! However, most numerous was not the number of life birds, but the number of fantastic memories young birders, their families, and the volunteers will cherish forever.
I'd like to take the opportunity to do something we can't do enough - thank our many members, sponsors, and volunteer leaders who help make our programs and field trips possible. The list is large and continuously growing! Even if you aren't on this list, you're receiving our eNewsletter which means you're still supporting us! Thanks to all of you for helping Iowa Young Birders shape birders and conservationists of the future!
We've got an exciting fall birding season planned including a unique experience at Hitchcock Hawk Watch and Raptor Banding Station, a morning of birding at Ada Hayden Heritage Park near Ames, and a day viewing migrating waterbirds and restoring habitat at Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge. Each sounds like fun doesn't it? Register today on our Events page...we'd love to have you join us!
Take care,
Tyler Harms
Executive Director
Iowa Young Birders
Don't Miss These Upcoming Young Birder Events!
September 24 Hitchcock Hawk Watch - Each year, the Hitchcock Hawk Watch provides valuable information on migrating raptors and other migratory birds. Join us as we team up with staff and volunteers at the Hawk Watch for a morning of "eyes to the skies" counting migrating raptors. We will also join raptor bander Jerry Toll in the bird blind to learn about banding raptors. We may even have a chance to band a migrating hawk! This trip is free and limited to the first 12 participants. Advanced registration is required.
October 8 Ada Hayden Heritage Park - October is a fantastic time to see migratory sparrows and other wetlands birds. Join us for a morning of birding at Ada Hayden Heritage Park, a unique area situated just north of an urban landscape. This premier birding area hosts a variety of habitats including native grasslands, wetlands, and a large lake. This trip is free but advanced registration is required.
November 12 Waterfowl Migration and Conservation Day - Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most important stopover sites for migratory waterfowl in Iowa. Each year in the fall, thousands of ducks, geese, and other waterbirds utilize the wetland habitats at Port Louisa to rest and re-fuel on their southward journey. Join us for a day of birding and conservation as we take a tour of Port Louisa and experience fall waterfowl migration in full swing. In the afternoon, we'll help restore some of the important habitats these birds use by planting trees as part of a floodplain forest restoration effort. This trip is free but advanced registration is required.
December 17 Red Rock Christmas Bird Count - We're assisting with the Audubon Christmas Bird Count at Red Rock Reservoir again this year! Young birders will join experienced trip leaders as we count birds in a 15-mile radius around Red Rock Reservoir. Count for the morning or for the entire day. We would love to have you join us! This trip is free but advanced registration is required.
All of our field trips are open to young birders ages 8-18. Parents are encouraged to attend. No cost to participate (except for special events) but advance registration is required. For more details and to register, visit our Events page.
COLORADO 2016
Despite the many great birds, great memories were far more numerous on our Colorado 2016 trip in July! READ MORE HERE!
LOST ISLAND/TRUMBULL LAKES
The weather was hot and so were the birds on our morning of birding around Lost Island Lake in northwest Iowa! READ MORE HERE!
Interested in writing poems or short stories about Iowa's birds? Consider contributing to Iowa Bird of Mouth, a crowd-sourced poetry project about 12 of Iowa's birds! Share your thoughts, stories, or favorite things about a different bird each month. Learn more about the project HERE!
Become a Member!
Young birders ages 8-18 can connect with new friends from across Iowa, get the inside scoop from our e-newsletters, and have the opportunity to contribute and participate. Youth members also receive a discount for any of our special events which may have a registration fee. An annual youth membership is only $10.What a great gift idea for your young birder!
Have up to four young birders in your family? Consider our new family membership ($40 annually). Up to two adults and four related young birders will become members of Iowa Young Birders, and all young birders will receive the same benefits as an individual youth membership!
Adults (age 19+) can support Iowa’s young birders by becoming an Adult Member ($35 annually.) Your support will help us to encourage young Iowans to develop and interest in Iowa’s birdlife and conservation issues. Plus, your Adult Membership helps keep our Youth Membership dues very low.
You can also use this same link to renew your current membership!
