NPS Photo
Strix the Wonder Owl with her biggest fan - Sarah.
HawKWatch will return next year, October 2nd & 3rd, 2010. The events from 2009 are left posted below as an example of our annual activities at HawkWatch!
2009 Schedule
HawkWatch
at
Effigy Mounds
National Monument
Saturday & Sunday
October 3 - 4, 2009
HawkWatch is a volunteer sponsored event. The program listed below this picture is the general listing. A brochure will be available to download after September 29th.
HawkWatch at
Effigy Mounds
Schedule for 2009
Throughout The Day
Binoculars and spotting scopes are provided to assist raptor enthusiasts in identifying as many as eleven raptor species including Broadwings, Redtails, Swainsons, Sharp-shinned, and Coopers Hawks. Northern Harriers, Ospreys, and eagles can be included with all three falcons: kestrels, merlins and peregrines. A raptor banding station is staffed where migrating raptors are lured, banded, and released. The releases occur at the Effigy Mounds Visitor Center, so event participants can appreciate sharing the same air space with migrating birds.
Kid’s Activities
A variety of FREE “hands on” activities, such as drawing hawk silhouettes, falconry knot bracelets and making owl masks will run from 10:00am — 12:00pm and 1:30pm — 3:30pm each day. So enjoy yourself & go WILD!!!
Formal Program Presentations
Saturday, October 3rd
8:00 • Bird Hike with Dennis Carter. • Join Upper Iowa Audubon’s birding expert Dennis Carter for an early morning hike to find different species of songbirds, ducks, raptors and others. This hike is a great warm up for HawkWatch!
9:00 • Video “American Eagle” • This hour long video contains photography of three-time Emmy-winning wildlife cinematographer, Neil Rettig. This intimate portrait of North America’s most recognizable aerial predator features nesting, feeding, and everyday struggles of the Bald Eagle.
10:00 • Begin HawkWatch presentations, kids activities and live bird programs!
10:00 • 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 field marks in a fun atmosphere, and create your own i.d. guide.
11:30 • Kay Neumann of S.O.A.R. will present Lead Poisoning in Iowa Wintering Bald Eagles. With up to one-fifth of the lower 48 states' entire eagle population wintering in Iowa during the hunting seasons, lead poisoning has become an alarming problem. Eagles admitted to Iowa wildlife rehabilitators over the last several years have had over 50% abnormal lead levels. Getting the lead out of our recreational activities is the healthiest thing to do for our kids and our eagles!
1:00 • Return of the Peregrine Falcon • Bob Anderson, Director of the Raptor Resource Project, and special guest speaker at HawkWatch. Bob’s presentation will focus on Returning the "Falcon of the Rock" to the Mississippi River Cliffs: a Ten Year Review. Bob will speak about the efforts it took to return the peregrine falcon to its historic haunts on the Mississippi River cliffs.
2:30 • What do the birds have to teach us? • Naturalist and educator Mike Havlik will explore what birds can teach us about living in the modern world.
Sunday, October 4th
10:00 • Osprey Reintroduction • Pat Schlarbaum. This presentation will cover recent activity in the state of Iowa to bring back the Osprey.
11:30 • 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 live birds of prey for a closer look at what makes raptors unique and essential links in the natural food chain.
1:00 • Big Owls Hoot, Little Owls Toot • Mike Havlik. This program will feature legendary presenter Mike Havlik 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 and legends.
2:30 • Bird Monitoring and Raptor Migration along the Mississippi River • Jon Stravers.
