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| NPS Photo by Ken Block | | "Sarah" at HawkWatch Kids Activities |
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HawkWatch
at
Effigy Mounds
National Monument
October 5 - 7, 2007
- Schedule -
A Celebration of the Annual Fall Hawk Migration on the Mississippi River
Join the hawks, eagles and other birds soaring above the autumn leaves during the annual Hawk Watch at Effigy Mounds National Monument – a family-oriented event in celebration of the annual fall hawk migration. There will be an evening program, the BBC film “Raptor Force" on Friday, October 5th at 7:00 p.m. in the visitor center.
Saturday, October 6th begins with an 8:00 a.m. bird hike, departing from the visitor center, led by Dennis Carter of the Upper Iowa Audubon Society. Hawk watching activities begin at 10:00 a.m. and run until 4:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
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 Effigy Mounds National Monument. The monument offers a wonderful museum, hiking trails, lookouts over the Mississippi River and, of course, the prehistoric American Indian ceremonial and burial mounds. The Mississippi River overlooks along the trails provide excellent opportunities to view migrating hawks using the Mississippi River flyway, one of the four major migration corridors in North America. Come to HawkWatch at Effigy Mounds and enjoy the fall colors, Iowa’s most diverse park, and celebrate the hawk migration.
Annually, HawkWatch weekend is made possible through the significant efforts of volunteers. 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 Effigy Mounds National Monument, the Iowa DNR and the Audubon Society. Funding comes from grants, private and business donations.
For more HawkWatch or volunteer information, contact Pam Kester, HawkWatch Coordinator via e-mail or 563-873-1236, or Ken Block at the Monument 563-873-3491.
All Hawk Watch activities are free of charge. Effigy Mounds is located in northeast Iowa on Highway 76, three miles north of Marquette or 17 miles south of Waukon. For more information please call 563-873-3491.
HawkWatch 2007 - Schedule of Events
Friday Evening, October 5th
7:00pm - ‘Raptor Force’ — Film:
With host falconer David Kester and his Redtailed hawk, ‘Smackers’. Humans have had a unique relationship with raptors for more than four thousand years, first through the ancient sport of falconry, and, more recently, as scientists and engineers have turned to these mighty birds-from golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures, to great gray owls and the peregrine falcon-as the inspiration for the latest in aircraft design. (Effigy Mounds visitor center).
Saturday, October 6th
HawkWatch hours 8:00 - 4:00pm
8:00 - Bird Hike, Dennis Carter, from Upper Iowa Audubon.
Join Upper Iowa Audubon’s birding expert Dennis Carter for an early morning hike to finddifferent species of songbirds, ducks, raptors and others. This hike is a great warm up for HawkWatch!
9:00 - Video, Eagle & The Hawk
While we are setting up for HawkWatch, enjoy ‘Eagle & The Hawk’ — Academy award-winningactress Joanne Woodward and her daughter, Nell Newman, watch as wildlife expert Morlan Nelson prepares to set free a Red-tail Hawk. (indoor auditorium)
Saturday & Sunday Programs
10:00am - 4:00pm
Morning Presentations
10:00 - ‘Hunters of the Sky’ - Kay Neumann of SOAR (Save Our Avian Resources). Kay 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, 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 - ‘Migration’ - around the world and back again with a bird’s brain - Helen Harvey of the Iowa Falconer’s Association This multimedia presentation looks at migration and homing ability in birds.You’ll get a glimpse of the winter vacation destinations of some North American raptors and a few other notable migrants. Insights from recent research will be shared probing the mysteries of how birds navigate, because they can, and do, go home again. (indoor auditorium).
12:00 - ‘Big Owls Hoot, Little Owls Toot!’ - Mike Havlik. Join legendary presenter Mike Havlik for a fun and factual look at owls! Owls hold a special place in our lives, dating back to Greekmythology. Get to know some of these nocturnal predators, their incredible adaptations to nighthunting, and find out why they have such a strong presence in our myths & legends. (outdoor amphitheater, located directly behind the visitor center).
Afternoon Presentations
1:00 - Hunters of the Sky - Kay Neumann of SOAR (Save Our Avian Resources). Kay 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, 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).
2:00 - Falconry - Hunting with Hawks - Helen Harvey of the Iowa Falconer’s Association — This presentation, featuring a falconry bird (or two), will provide an insider’s view of falconry and the daily life of a raptor. You’ll be able to examine falconry equipment and learn how the odds stack up in favor or against these elusive predators.
3:00 -Hawk ID for Beginners’ - Mike Havlik. 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 id. guide. (indoor auditorium)
Activities for Kids!
Kid’s Activities will run from 10:00am — 12:00pm and 1:30pm — 3:30pm
All activities are free! So enjoy yourself & go wild!!!
Dissecting Owl Pellets — Hey!
You never know what you’re going to find when you dissect an owl pellet! Don’t mistake these little treasures for something that they’re not! Owl pellets are the ‘coughed-up’ remains of prey that the owl can’t digest. That means skulls, bones, talons, fur and feathers! Even entire skeletons! They are all wrapped together in a tidy package — just waiting for you to explore!
Hawk Drawing — You don’t have to be an artist to have a great time with this activity! Using stencils, you can make fabulous pastel drawings of birds of prey! Get creative! Go Wild! See what kind of magic you can create with color and shape!
Face Painting! — Now is your chance to transform into a hawk! eagle! or owl! Become a raptor with a new mask of color and design!
Predator Tubes — Who’s eating Whom? What a great way to learn about food chains! Each tube has a picture of an animal who is part of the chain. Decorate them your way, with your own unique style — then fit them together to discover who’s eating whom!
Falconry Knot Bracelets — Accessorize the Raptor way! Learn a little bit more about hunting with a hawk and make a leather ‘jess’, or bracelet — just like a falconer would use. Decorate these awesome raptor accessories with different leather stamps.
Parents: We are always appreciative of your feedback and ideas regarding HawkWatch, ourpresentations and kid’s activiites. Please talk to a HawkWatch Volunteer, and let us know what you think.
HawkWatch is co-sponsored by the Upper Iowa Audubon Society, Effigy Mounds National Monument, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Diversity Program and National Audubon’s Upper Mississippi RiverCampaign. It is powered by the boundless energy of volunteers, and operated on a shoe-string budget...
...All of which add up to an event filled with enthusiasm & fun.
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