HawkWatch
at
HawkWatch
2006 dates
Sept. 22, 23, 24
2006 activities will
be posted soon
Click here for the 2006 poster!
See below for PAST (2005) activities.
A Celebration of the Annual Fall
Hawk Migration on the
HawkWatch 2005 Poster pdf
file
HawkWatch 2006 Schedule
pdf file
Schedule
is located below this narrative!
Join the hawks, eagles and other birds
soaring above the autumn leaves during the 21st annual Hawk Watch at
This year HawkWatch, made possible through the efforts of volunteers,
coincides with National Public Lands Day on September 24th – a federal government interagency Fee-Free
Day. All federal lands administered
by the Department of Interior and USDA Forest Service that charge an entrance
fee will honor National Public Lands Day by providing free admittance. All HawkWatch activities are free to the
public throughout the weekend.
HawkWatch offers a diversity of
opportunities that can be enjoyed by people with little knowledge of birds of
prey or those who consider themselves experts. Throughout the weekend presentations are
scheduled that will feature live hawks and owls. There will also be opportunities for
learning about raptor rehabilitation, the lives and behavior of owls,
identification techniques, the art and sport of falconry, and endangered
species. Hawks are also brought
down from the field research station after being banded; they are released
after a brief program and questions from visitors. It’s a wonderful opportunity to
see a wild hawk up close.
Activities for kids are a major part of the
event. Teachers and volunteers help
children with activities such as making owl masks, raptor mobiles, and hawk
drawing with pastels. The
activities are fun and educational.
HawkWatch at Effigy Mounds operates a count
site where Iowa DNR staff, Audubon members, Iowa Nature Mapping staff and
volunteers identify and count wild migrants as they fly overhead. Typically several hundred migrants are
counted each day, including Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Red-tailed,
Red-shouldered and Broad-winged Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Ospreys, eagles,
vultures and others. Spotting scopes
will be set up around the area, and there will be people to assist in using
them and identifying the hundreds of hawks flying over the park.
All the HawkWatch activities are located at
the visitor center of
Annually, HawkWatch weekend is made possible
through the significant efforts of volunteers. Traditionally, National Public Lands Day
is a time each year when Americans volunteer to come out and lend a hand to a
special conservation project as an opportunity to give back to the very lands we
use to hike, bike, climb, swim, explore, picnic or just plain relax. Due to HawkWatch, raptor education in a
fun learning environment is the focus; no conservation projects are scheduled.
However, persons interested in volunteering and giving back to their public
lands at Effigy Mounds are encouraged to attend HawkWatch events to meet
volunteers, learn of volunteer
opportunities and needs in the monument, and simply learn about and become
involved in raptor education.
What a wonderful event to share with the whole family. Don’t miss it!
Hawk Watch is coordinated by the nonprofit
Upper Iowa Audubon Society and sponsored in partnership with
For more HawkWatch or volunteer information,
contact Pam Kester, HawkWatch Coordinator at kestrel@alpinecom.net / 563-873-1236, or Ken Block at the
monument 563-873-3491 / www.nps.gov/efmo.
Please note, some programs on Saturday and Sunday may be
cancelled, or switched to different times.
Confirm the schedule with the monument on Thursday, September 23rd.
All Hawk Watch activities are free of charge. Effigy
Mounds is located in northeast
Schedule for HawkWatch
2005
Please
note, some programs on Saturday and Sunday may be cancelled, or switched to different
times. Confirm the schedule on Thursday, September 23rd at the Effigy Mounds
visitor center - 563-873-3491.
Friday, September 23rd - 7:00pm Evening Chautauqua
‘Birds of Prey in Peril’
All living organisms face the risk of
extinction. Meet some endangered
raptors and learn about the factors that have caused their populations to
decline. The Raptor Education
Group, from Antigo,
Saturday, September 24th
8:00 a.m. Early Birds Birdhike
with
9:00 Video ‘World of Raptors’ Join
Morley Nelson as he guides you through an intimate portrait of the power and
beauty of North America’s hawks, eagles, and falcons. (indoor
auditorium)
10:00 ‘Winged Wonders’ Have you ever met an owl face to face?
What about a hawk? A falcon? Meet some of
11:00 ‘Hawk ID for Beginners’ This program will give you
the basics on identifying different hawks in flight. Take this opportunity to learn some key fieldmarks in a fun atmosphere, and create your own i.d. guide. Mike Havlik (indoor Auditorium)
12:00 ‘Hunters of the Sky’ Kay
Neumann of SOAR will talk about birds of prey basics. Keen eyesight, a specially equipped
beak, and strong talons set raptors apart as hunters. Join Kay with her Bald eagle, Red-tailed
hawk, Peregrine falcon and Great horned owl for a closer look at what makes
raptors unique and essential links in the natural food chain. (outdoor amphitheater, located directly
behind the visitor center).
1:00 ‘Night Moves’ Owls are regal raptors of the
night sky. On silent wings, they stalk their prey. Discover features unique to
these mighty birds we so seldom see.
Raptor Education Group (outdoor amphitheater)
2:00 ‘Falconry – Hunting with
Hawks’ Learn some of the basics
about the sport of falconry in the
3:00
‘Wonderful World of TV’ A turkey vulture, a tea kettle, a rainbow, an
oven, a pumpkin, a flamingo, a garbage can, a compass, a balloon and fingers.
What do all these items have to do with each other? Find out when you discover
the wonderful world of turkey vultures. Raptor Education Group (outdoor
amphitheater, located directly behind the visitor center)
Sunday, September 25th
10:00 a.m. ‘Hunters of the Sky’ Kay Neumann of SOAR will talk
about birds of prey basics. Keen eyesight,
a specially equipped beak, and strong talons set raptors apart as hunters. Join Kay with her Bald eagle, Red-tailed
hawk, Peregrine falcon and Great horned owl for a closer look at what makes
raptors unique and essential links in the natural food chain. (outdoor amphitheater, located directly
behind the visitor center).
11:00 ‘Wonderful World of
TV’ A turkey vulture, a tea kettle, a
rainbow, an oven, a pumpkin, a flamingo, a garbage can, a compass, a balloon
and fingers. What do all these items have to do with each other? Find out when
you discover the wonderful world of turkey vultures. Raptor Education Group
(outdoor amphitheater, located directly behind the visitor center)
12:00 ‘Hawk ID for
Beginners’ This program will give you
the basics on identifying different hawks in flight. Take this opportunity to learn some key fieldmarks in a fun atmosphere, and create your own i.d. guide. Mike Havlik (indoor Auditorium)
1:00 ‘Falconry – Hunting with
Hawks’ Learn
some of the basics about the sport of falconry in the
2:00 ‘Winged
Wonders’
Have you
ever met an owl face to face? What about a hawk? A falcon? Meet some of
3:00 ‘Big Owls Hoot, Little Owls
Toot!’ Join legendary presenter Mike Havlick for a fun and factual look at owls! Owls hold a special place in our lives,
dating back to Greek mythology. Get
to know some of these nocturnal predators, their incredible adaptations to
night-hunting, and find out why they have such a strong presence in our myths
& legends. (outdoor
amphitheater, located directly behind the visitor center).
4:00 End of HawkWatch for
2005
Return to Activities Schedule
[About the monument] [Online Tours] [What's New]
[Online Teachers' Guide]
[Home] [ParkNet-EFMO] [ParkNet]
Most recently updated September 21, 2005