We will hold a special member meeting before our October program to vote on revised bylaws. See details on the ABOUT page.
DUBUQUE AUDUBON
Peosta, IA
9/8/25
© Mary Leigh
Mines of Spain SRA
9/3/25
© Mary Leigh
Deere Dike Park
9/9/25
Deere Dike Park
(held pose for about 6 minutes!)
8/28/25
© Mary Leigh
Welcome!
Anyone interested in birdwatching, nature, or the quality of the environment is welcome to become a member of the Dubuque Audubon Society.
Our tri-state region is a great place for birds, and one of the great things about birds is that you can enjoy them at all levels of involvement. You may be surprised how many different species we have in the area at different times of year and how quickly you can begin to identify many of them once you start looking. (Binoculars help!) Any time of year is a great time to be a birder, and we hope you’ll join us!
Our Mission
The mission of the Dubuque Audubon Society is to provide educational opportunities to the people of the tri-state area and to preserve the natural habitat of birds and other wildlife.
Fall Raptor Watch 2024
Pop-up Event
Fall Raptor Watch
Sunday, 9/21/25
9:30 AM – 2 PM
Mines of Spain Cedar Ridge Viewing Platform
View Map
Fall raptor migration typically kicks into high gear the 3rd week of September, bringing large kettles of Broad-Winged Hawks (some as large as 300-800 birds!) and other birds of prey. Join Dubuque Audubon as we view and count hawks, falcons, eagles, and vultures from the Prairie Ridge viewing platform.
To access the platform, park at the Cedar Ridge parking lot at the south entrance to Mines of Spain and hike a short distance back to the platform. Come and go as you please. Expect ebbs and flows of migrant birds. Binoculars are recommended. This event is free and open to the public.
Dubuque Audubon Member Meeting
Special Member Meeting to Vote on Amended Bylaws
Before our October program, we will hold a special member meeting, where we hope to approve the amended bylaws. All are welcome to the program and to attend the meeting, but only those with an active membership may vote on the bylaws. Please arrive by 6:30 PM to participate. (Contact us if you’re not sure of your membership status. If you receive a mailed newsletter, your national and/or local membership expiration date should be shown on the mailing label.)
As stated in the President’s Corner of our Fall 2025 newsletter, we encourage those interested to review the amended bylaws in advance (found on the ABOUT page). Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Going forward, you can expect us to hold an annual member meeting for board elections, according to the bylaws.
Dubuque Audubon October Program
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge – Unique Birding Opportunity in Northwest Nebraska
Thursday, 10/9/25
6:30 PM Special Member Meeting
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
View Map
Wildlife photographer Paul Winer will present a program on Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Northwest Nebraska, featuring photos from his visit in April, 2025.
Paul is an active member of the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge, a “friends group” for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Savanna District. His photos are frequently posted on the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge Facebook page.
4/21/25 © Paul Winer
4/23/25 © Paul Winer
4/24/25 © Paul Winer
Calendar of Events
We hold monthly programs from September through May on a variety of topics related to nature and the environment.
We also hold an annual Christmas bird count, an annual Duck Waddle at Green Island (traditionally the 2nd Saturday in March), and an annual spring species count (traditionally the Saturday before Mother’s Day), and we offer additional field trips throughout the year.
You can tailor your birding to your interest and activity level, and all levels of experience are welcome.
Latest Newsletter
News Releases of Interest
- 5/2/25: Iowa DNR: Black bear sightings on the rise in Northeast Iowa
- 4/12/25: Iowa Audubon: April 2025 Newsletter
- 4/5/25: National Audubon Society: New Report Shows U.S. Birds Declining Sharply Across a Range of Habitats
- 4/5/25: Dubuque County Conservation Board: Dubuque Conservation Nature Talk (quarterly newsletter with events and more!)
- 1/29/25 Iowa DNR: Osprey are a migratory raptor species that breed in Iowa. The Iowa DNR began the Osprey restoration program in 1997. See the DNR’s Osprey page for a link to the yearly Osprey status in Iowa report.
- 1/28/25 Iowa DNR: Donations and donors to the Chickadee Tax Check-off decline
- 1/22/25 Iowa DNR: Taxes are for the birds…and other vulnerable wildlife
- 1/22/25 Iowa DNR: Iowa DNR, Pheasants Forever: Partners for decades to expand wildlife habitat
If you provide an email address when joining or renewing, you will automatically be placed on our regular email list. As an experiment in 2025, we are going to try creating a separate email list for those who would like more group birding opportunities.
Read more on our “More Birding” Email Sign-up page.
More Links of Interest
- Summer 2025: Iowa DNR: YouTube Video: Poison Ivy and Parsnip Identification (5:12)
- Spring 2025: National Audubon Society: How do Birds Keep Themselves Clean?
- 5/7/25: Iowa DNR: Leave wildlife babies where they belong — In the wild
- 4/14/25: Environment for the Americas: Earth’s Fastest Hunter: Meet the Peregrine Falcoln
Protecting Birds from Window Strikes Day & Night
National Audubon Society articles on efforts to reduce bird collisions:
Dubuque, IA
Most Recent Blog Posts
Articles
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
The next time you’re tempted to feed the birds from that bag of bread, think again! You might just be depriving your feathered friends of a broader range of nutrition they’ll need throughout the year.
While bread does contain carbohydrates, bird specialist Dr. David Shealer, Professor of Biology at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, points out that birds also need proteins and fats in their diet...
Articles
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
This summer, I went on a guided bird walk at Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Sapsucker Woods, in Ithaca, NY... During the walk, our guide shared some fun facts about American Goldfinch that make them unusual.
Articles
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
The next time you’re tempted to feed the birds from that bag of bread, think again! You might just be depriving your feathered friends of a broader range of nutrition they’ll need throughout the year.
While bread does contain carbohydrates, bird specialist Dr. David Shealer, Professor of Biology at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, points out that birds also need proteins and fats in their diet...
Articles
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
This summer, I went on a guided bird walk at Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Sapsucker Woods, in Ithaca, NY... During the walk, our guide shared some fun facts about American Goldfinch that make them unusual.
Projects
[from fall 2025 newsletter]
It was another successful season for the bluebirds nesting at the Mines of Spain. This year Tom Davis and Galen Mathis joined me in monitoring 30 bird houses on a weekly basis.
News
Events
Below are highlights from recent outings:
Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area
A group of 7, led by Bob Walton, went to Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday morning, 6/3/25. Trumpeter Swan including 6 young were a highlight.
Articles
Question: Is it OK to feed bread to birds?
Answer: No! Please help us spread the word that birds should not be fed bread, popcorn, crackers, chips, cereal, and most processed foods.
Bird Counts, Events
On Saturday, May 10th, 28 Dubuque Audubon members and guests participated in the Annual Spring Bird Count. This year’s count coincided with World Migratory Bird day and the Global Big Day.
Articles
[from spring 2025 newsletter]
Question: Why do birds flock to gravel roads in the wintertime? Answer: Because they have no teeth! Instead, birds have a gizzard, a muscular part of their stomach that helps them grind up food. Small rocks and sand (or grit) are ingested by birds to create “teeth” in the gizzard.
If you missed our 5/8/25 program on Bird Friendly Iowa with speaker Dan Cohen, a recording is available.
Scroll through past events for the program description.
eBird
eBird isn’t just a way for you to keep track of the birds you see; it’s a great resource for finding birds you’ve never seen.
Try out the links below to explore Dubuque County in eBird.
Learn about eBird on our Resources page.