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Welcome to The Red Tail Newsletter for September 2023!
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September Meeting Program
The program for the September program is Hawk ID: Learning the River of Raptors by Naturalist Mike Havlik on Tuesday, September 12, at 7 PM, in the First Presbyterian Church, 902 Main St. in Cedar Falls. We are hoping to have the technology smoothed out, so here's the Zoom info for those who may want to try connecting virtually. Click this Zoom link; should you need it, the meeting ID is 581 087 8571 and the passcode is 1999 Can you ID the hawks in the photos?
Have you ever looked up at a hawk and said, “That’s not a red-tail.” There are more than a dozen different kinds of hawks that migrate through Iowa in the fall. This fun, fast-paced program will give you identifying field marks for different hawks in flight. Every participant will make their own field guide while the naturalist draws it on an overhead projector. Great preparation for upcoming Hawk Watch events. Photos by Ken Heiar: left - Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), right - Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus).
Mike Havlik is a passionate naturalist, gonzo birder, and amateur musician. He is currently employed by Dallas County Conservation Board. Mike is a very popular naturalist and speaker - one of the most popular speakers we have had at PRAS. We welcome him back, and you back, for another season of learning and sharing our passions for the out of doors together. Bring a pencil, and a friend. All are welcome.
Upcoming programs:
Oct. 10 Jayden Bowen - Birds and Disease
Nov. 14 Jacob Pitzenberger - Nature Photography
Nov. 16-17 - First ever Iowa Nature Summit at Drake University. Early bird discount registration on line.
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Meeting Minutes for the May 9, 2023 Meeting
Submitted by Kris Rash. President Tom Schilke called the PRAS May 9, 2023 meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. after a potluck dinner. He followed with a report that Waterloo mayor, Quentin Hart, has once again issued a proclamation that Iowa’s first Bird Friendly City will continue to stress the importance of birds in the community of Waterloo. For the rest of the minutes, click here.
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Things Change
“Hey Mr. Dennehy! Put a dime in the jukebox.” says Joe the Bartender. It’s for Crazy
Guggenheim. When the music began to play he would transform from his goofy, hilarious character to a singer of song with his beautiful tenor voice. I bust up laughing every time I watch one of these old Jackie Gleason Show clips from my childhood, and wish I had one of Frank Fontaine’s (Crazy Guggenheim) soothing record albums.
Things change. Black and white TV, jukeboxes, characters like old Crazy, and even dimes are pretty much things of the past. A dime back then could also get you a phone call at the phone booth. You know - the tall booth on the corner with the folding door. Inside a black phone receiver was attached to a cord and a big ragged phone book hung from a chain next to it. It was where Superman would change his clothes, kids would try to set a record for the most people they could cram into it, and it was where I went to call a girl without my mom listening in. I smile thinking about stuff like that.
Today I am looking at a thin piece of metal, smaller than my wallet, with a screen that talks to me, answers my questions, takes photos and videos (in color), knows where you are, buys stuff, and makes phone calls without inserting a dime. It’s like the “Jetsons” man! Boy, do things change.
Change has come to PRAS, too. As you may know, it is no longer feasible for us to print, mail, and distribute our Redtail newsletter as we have done in the past. In keeping with the times, the “Redtail” will be available digitally and can be viewed on the gopras.org website, Facebook, or by email. With less restrictions and much less cost, we can now add more content and photos to enhance your newsletter. For those without electronic access, a newsletter could be printed off and delivered by a PRAS friend. We are also continuing to work to provide a smoother live broadcast of our monthly meetings through zoom or another means, and record the presenters
for later viewing.
One certainty is that change is a constant. As fast as things can change for us, changes for our animals and plants generally evolve over a longer span of time. We know what to do to protect and enhance the habitats and natural environments they live in and PRAS is behind those efforts. We thank you for your interest and financial support, too. Hope to see you at the meetings. -- Tom Schilke, PRAS President
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Field Trips: Wednesday Morning Birding
We look forward to gathering for field trips as they serve as a catalyst to renew friendships and share stories of our summer and past adventures! Click here for a listing of field trips. The next field trip is tomorrow, September 6 at Big Woods Lake in Cedar Falls. Meet at the south entrance on Big Woods Drive. GPS point: https://goo.gl/maps/cAmP4Ex55jABkjKy9
All field trips begin at 8:30 AM and generally last about 2 hours or so. Remember to check your email before attending--cancellations will be sent out via email by 6:30 AM the morning of our scheduled field trip in case of inclement weather. Suggestions for locations are always welcome as are individuals to lead field trips!
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In the Sky During September
For the full article, click here. Of special interest will be the fall equinox and public star party on September 23.
"This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius." - Gerome Ragni and James Rado for the 1967 musical "Hair." (The Age of Aquarius will not arrive for 600 years when the precession of Earth's axis takes the spring equinox into Aquarius.)
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Hartman Happenings
There are some awesome events and new programs firing up at Hartman Reserve Nature Center this month. There will be a grand opening of Pollinator Parkway, and specifically, an open house for the classroom nest mural by local artist Caylin Jayde. A sample of Caylin's work is above, left. The open house will be from 5-7 PM on Friday, September 22 and will also be the first day of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting at Hartman, celebrating their 100-year anniversary.
Tales from the Trail is a new book club offered by Hartman Naturalists - click here for details. With new picks monthly, members will have the opportunity to expand their world view while learning about conservation, wildlife, and natural sciences.
The new monthly Nerdy Birdy Club is a bird club for folks interested in all things birds! These first few meetings will cover the basics of birding and foster discussion about what kind of topics/direction the club will take. There will be a weekday morning option and a Sunday afternoon option. More info at blackhawkcountyparks.com.
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Fontana Happenings
Save the monarchs! Click here for a great article by Naturalist Sondra Cabell about monarchs and the mission to preserve the species. Participate in collecting and tagging wild monarch butterflies in Buchanan County Conservation parks at two upcoming events. Women in the Woods with Wine will focus on the biology and migration of monarch and we will be tagging monarchs as we visit the butterfly gardens at Fontana Park on Wednesday, September 13 at 5:30 PM. This program is for women age 21 and over who are interested in becoming more comfortable in and knowledgeable about the natural world. Come relax with a glass of wine, unwind, and have fun with other women interested in getting outside. Please dress for the weather and a short walk outdoors after social gathering.
Public monarch tagging will be Saturday, September 16 at 1 PM. Location(s) will be determined by nectaring flowers. Cost $4/person or $10/family. Most ages and abilities can participate – we are often in tall prairie areas and children may not be able to see well if under 3 feet tall. However, they can follow adult or older youth on “paths” they create and catch. Walking up to ½ mile and mobility on uneven surfaces is needed to catch butterflies at most of our tagging locations. We will have some monarchs to share and tag at parking areas for those less mobile. Registered participants will be notified of tagging location the week of the program.
You'd better hurry to enter the Buchanan County Natural Areas Photo Contest! Any photos taken by amateur photographers in Buchanan County Natural Areas are eligible if they have not previously been entered in our contest, so look back on your phone or camera for images taken last fall, winter or spring as well. Entries for the 2023 contest are due by 11:59 PM on September 15 and can be emailed to scabell@co.buchanan.ia.us, or mailed or brought to Fontana Nature Center (1883 125th St, Hazleton, IA 50641).
To learn more about and register for Fontana public programming and events, click here. Photos: (child in prairie) by Trenton Cabell, (tagged monarch) by Sondra Cabell, Dickcissel by Tom Moon, all past winners in the photo contest.
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Birds and Climate
Climate change is predicted to bring more frequent and more severe heatwaves that can have severe consequences for people and wildlife, including birds. All will need to find ways to escape the heat. According to information from the National Audubon Society, birds lose heat through their bills and feed. They also can reduce their temperature somewhat by breathing rapidly and by finding shady places to escape the heat. However, nesting birds may have few options for escaping the heat. They must stay close to their nest.
Although birds will be more at risk, there are things we can do. Lowering carbon emissions will help slow global warming and reduce the risk to birds. More immediately, we can make our backyards a safe and shady haven for birds. We can plant native vegetation that is both a ready food source and shade. We also can provide a water source, such as a bird bath, and we can place bird boxes where they will not be exposed to long hours of direct sunlight. When this cannot be avoided, as with Bluebirds that require open areas, bird boxes should be orientated so the opening is on the north or shady side. There is much we can do. Let’s get started. -- David Voigts
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A great photo from John McCormick!
John captured a hummingbird taking off from a branch on his deck and created a composite photo. There is only 0.05 seconds between each position. Do you have photos to share? Please send them to praudubon@gmail.com along with your name, location of the subject, and date/time the photo was captured. We try to share photos now and then and one of them might be yours!
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Bird Strikes on Wind Turbine Blades
Something as simple as black paint could be the key to reducing the number of birds that are killed each year by wind turbines. Read more here.
Bird Migration Forecast Maps
Bird migration forecast maps on BirdCast.info show predicted nocturnal migration three hours after local sunset and are updated every six hours. The night of September 6 shows high migration intensity with an estimated 323,000,000 birds in flight!
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Another great photo from John McCormick!
The editor of this newsletter is a big fan of John's photography. As she turned her Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation calendar over to September last week, John's featured photo of a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) appeared. John captured this photo from his canoe at Big Woods Lake. You can see more photos by PRAS members at this flickr web site.
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