PAST EVENTS
MOST RECENT FIRST
Dubuque Audubon October Program
Birds of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge
Thursday, 10/10/24
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Wildlife photographer Paul Winer will present a public program entitled “Birds of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge.” Paul’s program will feature photographic images from his numerous ramblings within the Savanna District of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge.
Pop-up Event
Fall Raptor Watch
Mines of Spain Cedar Ridge Viewing Platform
Sunday, 9/22/24
9:30 AM – 2 PM
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 September Program
Mowing to Monarchs
Thursday, 9/12/24
6:15/6:30 – 7:30 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Arrive at 6:15 for some social time before the meeting and an introduction of our 2024/2025 board members.
At 6:30, Kaytlan Moeller, Dubuque County Conservation, will present Mowing to Monarchs. Please join us as Kaytlan educates us on what we can do in our own yards to create pollinator-friendly pocket prairies!
Mowing to Monarchs (M2M) is a program established by the Dubuque County Conservation Board and the Dubuque County Master Gardeners. The M2M program provides accessible training & information and an experience base to guide urban and suburban homeowners in successfully adding high-value native plants into their yards. The program offers a combination of workshops, private coaching, planting guides, and funding for native pollinator planting in lawns.
As usual, this event is free and open to the public.
Pop-up Field Trip
Guided Birding for Fall Migrants @ Mines of Spain
Location Change: Starting at Farmstead Picnic Area
Saturday, 9/7/24
7 – 10 AM
Mines of Spain Rd, Dubuque, IA
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Join Dubuque Audubon as we look for southbound fall warblers, vireos, and other migrant songbirds at the Mines of Spain. Audubon field trip leaders will be on hand to assist with identification! Binoculars are recommended. Come anytime but know the group may move away from the Farmstead Picnic Area after 8:00.
As always, this event is free and open to the public. All ages and skill sets are welcome!
We changed the location based on recent warbler sightings being better at the new location. We’re posting the change on Facebook as well and will send a broadcast email. (If you’re not on our email list, contact us to be added.) For those who might miss this announcement, we’ll have someone at the original location for half an hour, and we will also post signs.
Pop-up Field Trip
Chimney Swift Bonanza!
TONIGHT
Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA
Thursday, 9/5/24
7:20 – 8:10 PM
Join Dubuque Audubon Society member Marty Corfman for a pop-up birding event! Watch as hundreds of Chimney Swifts circle a chimney before pouring into it one by one until each and every one of them is gone!
Comments from Marty: We saw them on Wednesday night, and it was an incredible sight to behold. You don’t need binoculars, but they might be nice to have. I recommend a bag chair and bug spray. Meet at Wartburg behind the seminary in their parking lot at the location linked above. The entire swarm of hundreds (thousands?) of twittering birds went from a huge, circling flock to a condensed group that darked the sky above the chimney as they poured down into the chimney for the night. Hope to see you there!
Pop-up Field Trip
Birding @ Whitewater Canyon
Wednesday, 9/4/24
7:30 – 9:30 AM
Whitewater Canyon Rd (off Curoe Rd), Bernard, IA
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Join Dubuque Audubon at the Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Management Area! We plan to walk to the scenic overlook, looking for any remaining grassland birds, and then we hope to find some migrating warblers at the overlook. No birding experience is required.
We’ll meet in the parking lot. Binoculars are recommended, and you may want to bring a water bottle. Check back for an update if the weather looks questionable.
Pop-up Field Trip
Birding @ Deere Dike Park
Sunday, 8/25/24
8-10 AM
18714 Riverside Rd.
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Join Dubuque Audubon members Mary Leigh and Bob Pape at Deere Dike Park, Dubuque’s top wetlands complex. All skill levels are welcome.
Binoculars are highly recommended, and you may want to bring a water bottle. Be advised that there are no rest rooms.
We’ll meet in the parking lot. We may opt to end by viewing birds through Bob’s scope on Riverside Road. Email AudubonDubuqueWeb@gmail.com with any questions. Check back for an update if the weather seems questionable.
Branching Out Dubuque Kick-Off and Planting Event
Hosted By: Dubuque Trees Forever
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024
Time: 9 AM
Location: 16th Street Detention Basin Pavillion (View Map)
The City of Dubuque, in partnership with Dubuque Trees Forever, was awarded a US Forest Service grant for $1.5 million dollars and will be planting thousands of trees throughout the community over the next 5 years.
Join us as we kick-off this exciting project and plant trees around the detention basin to provide resting places for migratory birds visiting our community.
Training and tools provided.
See Dubuque Trees Forever – Get Involved or the event’s Sign-up Page for further details!
Joe Davies Conservation Foundation (JDCF) and the Galena Center for the Arts invite you to:
“A Visit from Will Dilg”
Date: Friday, August 23, 2024
Time: 7 – 9 PM
Location: Galena Center for the Arts, 971 Gear Street, Galena, IL (View Map)
Cost: $25
See a multi-media performance about the founding of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge!
Minnesota Opera baritone, American Cruise Lines actor, and “riverlorian” (river historian) Steven Marking brings to life the true and inspiring story of Will Dilg in a multi-media show you won’t soon forget. It is a must-see performance if you treasure beautiful views of the Mississippi River backwaters, or if you enjoy birding, fishing, boating, or hunting in those fish and wildlife-rich backwaters. Because one hundred years ago all of that was about to go away as wetlands throughout the upper Mississippi were being drained to satisfy the insatiable demands of settlers for factories, farms and towns. In “A Visit from Will Dilg,” Marking as Dilg recounts how he rallied the nation in two short years to stop what he called the “drainage crime of the century” and create the Upper Mississippi Refuge, protected 100 years ago, in 1924. Marking’s performance includes stunning images of the River, riparian landscapes and species of the Refuge, which borders all of Jo Daviess County and in all, from Wabasha, Minnesota to Rock Island, Illinois, spans 261 river miles and 244,000 acres of river land habitat. As a supporter of JDCF’s mission to preserve and steward land and water, we hope you will want to learn about the single most significant conservation achievement in our nation’s history, the creation of our own Refuge.
Tickets are only $25/person and are available now at Galena Center for the Arts. You may also call the Center for the Arts at 815-402-3111, Thursdays through Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm. Complimentary popcorn; beer, wine and soft drinks for sale.
13th Annual Pelican Festival
Hosted By: Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources, Iowa Audubon, Iowa City Bird Club, Cedar Rapids Audubon Society, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Date: Sunday, August 18, 2024
Time: 11 AM – 4 PM
Location: Hawkeye Wildlife Area, 2564 Amana Road NW, Swisher, IA 52338
See the event flyer for the program schedule, list of exhibitors, and a map.
Pelican viewing for visitors will be assisted by birding volunteers with binoculars and spotting scopes.
Summer Opportunity
Tag Along for Bluebird Monitoring at Mines of Spain
May – August 2024
Friday afternoons/Saturday mornings (by appointment)
Love birds? Love being outside? Want to tag along on the bluebird trail? Join Lynn Schroeder of the Dubuque Audubon Society at the Mines of Spain and help her monitor nests, count eggs, and count baby bluebirds. All ages are welcome. Call or text her at 608-330-3227 if interested.
Hosted By: Dubuque Area Land and Water Legacy
Music, Art and Story Fest to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
Date: Sunday, June 9, 2024
Time: 1:30 – 7 PM
Location: Smokestack community cultural venue, 62 E. 7th St., Dubuque, IA
The event will start with a story-telling slam, followed by musical performances by Big Blue Sky at 3:00 and Sun Green at 5:00. Big Blue Sky is led by Jon “Hawk” Stravers, leader of the Driftless Area Bird Conservancy. Included will be a reading of a state resolution adopted by the House of Representatives marking June 7 as Upper Mississippi River Refuge Day in Iowa, the day of its establishment by Congress in 1924. The “Echoes of the Mississippi” art exhibit will open with an artist reception as part of the fest. The exhibit will reflect on the “majestic beauty of the Mississippi River refuge and its rich biodiversity,” said Ivonne Fals of Dubuque Area Arts Collective. “The art will play a vital role in commemorating the refuge centennial and the anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, inspiring others to appreciate and protect these invaluable treasures for generations to come,” she added.
To start the event, personal stories of encounters with the river and its inhabitants will be highlighted in the story slam coordinated by Dale Easley. People with short stories to tell in a Moth Radio Hour-like format can contact Easley at easleydale@gmail.com.
Hosted By: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge – 100th Anniversary Celebration in the Savanna District
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024
Time: 10 AM – 2 PM
Location: Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center, 7071 Riverview Road, Thompson, IL 61285
Join us for a special event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Refuge! We will be hosting an open-house style event with presentations, demonstrations and activities for all ages! These will include, but not be limited to, conservation partner exhibition booths, a presentation of the first 100 years, meeting the faces of the Refuge, live fish identification, boat and river safety talks, flora walks, golf cart tours, an exhibition of the Friends of the Refuge Headwaters photo contest winners, arts and crafts, face painting, and lots of other free fun for everyone!
Questions? Call the Savanna District Office at 815-273-2732. We will update our Facebook post as we continue to develop event activities! Please stay tuned for more details!
More events, hosted by our partners and partners and Friends Groups, will be hosted up and down the river! Find out more at the 100th anniversary website.
Dubuque Audubon May Program
Reintroduction of Whooping Cranes to Wisconsin!
Saturday, 5/18/24
12:30 – 1:30 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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George Archibald, Co-Founder and Senior Conservationist of the International Crane Foundation and author of My Life with Cranes, will share the amazing story of how Whooping Cranes were reintroduced to Wisconsin.
Captive-raised birds learned the route to Florida by following three ultralight airplanes, outfitted with crane puppets to look like their parents. George will bring one of these crane puppets to demonstrate how they are used to prevent the chicks from imprinting on humans. His presentation will include how ICF breeds Whooping Cranes in captivity, releases them to the wild, and monitors their movements using radio transmitters attached to a leg band that communicates with satellites.
We are very fortunate to have George be the one to share this incredible success story!
NEW OPTION (WEATHER PERMITTING): To join a birding group with George beginning around 10 AM near EB Lyons, please call Marty Corfman at 563-542-8511. Optionally bring your lunch for an 11:45 lunch break.
© Marty Corfman
© Mary Leigh
Dubuque Audubon Annual Spring Species Count
Saturday, 5/11/24
View Map for Initial Location
View Map for Potluck Picnic
Join us for our annual fun day of spring birding! You’re welcome to spend as much or as little time as you like. We’ll meet up for a potluck picnic at the end of the day. (For those who might want to plan ahead for other years, we traditionally hold this event on the Saturday before Mother’s Day.)
This event is free, and no birding experience is required. Audubon guides will be on hand to help you identify species. Binoculars are recommended.
Arrive as early as 6 AM for birding around the Julien Dubuque Monument, but be sure to arrive in the monument parking lot by 8 AM if you want to continue to other locations.*
After 8 AM, we’re no longer guaranteed to be in the monument area. We’ll likely start on some trails at Mines of Spain, and we’ll drive between locations. Some may opt to go out to lunch and continue birding into the afternoon, where the destination will be determined as we go.
At 5 PM, we’ll gather at Swiss Valley Park (not to be confused with Swiss Valley Nature Center) for a potluck picnic at the Sycamore Pavilion. We’ll provide brats and hotdogs, and we’ll tabulate the birding results. To help with our planning, please give us your brat and/or hot dog counts no later than noon on the day before, either by filling out a Contact Us form or by sending an email to AudubonDubuqueWeb@gmail.com. If you birded with us for part of the day, we’d be glad to have you return for the picnic! Optionally bring a dish to pass and/or table service, but neither are required! Bottled water will be provided.
* If you cannot arrive by 8 AM, you may make other arrangements by filling out a Contact Us form or by emailing AudubonDubuqueWeb@gmail.com no later than noon on the day before.
Pop-up Event
Dubuque 16th Street Basin Cleanup
Sunday, 4/21/24
The 16th Street Basin is an important stopping point for migratory birds. This basin drains directly into the Mississippi River. Unfortunately this area is littered with thousands of plastic bottles, cans, etc. Please join Dubuque Audubon as we attempt to put a dent in this trash buildup. Gloves and bags will be provided. Please meet at the 16th St. basin overlook pavilion by 2 pm to help.
Dubuque Audubon April Program
Churchill, Manitoba – Past & Present
Thursday, 4/11/24
6 – 7 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Dubuque Audubon board members Maggie O’Connell, Bob Walton, and Sandy Walton will speak about their 1986 and 2019 trips to Churchill, Manitoba.
Churchill, Manitoba is known as the polar bear and beluga whale capital of the world and is considered a bird watcher and aurora borealis viewing paradise. The program will focus on excerpts from a 1986 canoeing and camping trip on the Churchill River, which ended with a stay in the town of Churchill, as well as their 2019 stay in the modern Churchill of today.
© Bob Walton
Dubuque Audubon March Program
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge—The First 100 Years
Thursday, 3/14/24
6 – 7 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Ed Britton, manager of the Savanna District of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, will summarize the history of the refuge, which was created in 1924 and celebrates its 100th Anniversary in 2024.
The Refuge stretches 261 miles from Wabasha, Minnesota to Rock Island, Illinois, protecting over 240,000 acres of Mississippi River floodplain. He will also discuss recently completed habitat improvements within the Savanna district and proposed future projects.
Dubuque Audubon Annual Duck Waddle
Saturday, 3/9/24
Green Island Wildlife Management Area
located in Jackson County, IA
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Join us on our annual trip to Green Island to observe migrating waterfowl! Green Island is one of Iowa’s largest wetland complexes and attracts thousands of ducks, geese, cranes, and other aquatic-based birds each March. Audubon guides will be on hand to help identify the numerous species. Binoculars are recommended. This event is free, and you may come and go as you choose.
To carpool from Dubuque, meet at Banworth & Udelhoven Furniture World at 9396 Bellevue Heights Road (View Map) at 6:00 AM. Otherwise you can meet the group at Green Island on Fish Lake Road where it intersects Green Island Road (View Map) between 6:45 and 7:00 AM.
Normally the trip lasts most of the morning, and for those that wish, we end by having breakfast/lunch at a restaurant.
Dubuque Audubon February Program
Iowa Wildlife Action Plan
Thursday, 2/8/24
6 – 7 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Katy Fullin, Iowa DNR Wildlife Action Plan Manager, will speak about the Iowa Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP) and what is being done to implement it.
First approved in 2006, this plan is a 25-year strategy for conservation of all wildlife in Iowa. It is a proactive plan designed to conserve all wildlife in Iowa before they become rare and more costly to protect.
Dubuque Audubon January Program
eBird
Thursday, 1/11/24
6 – 7 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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David Shealer, professor at Loras College, will give a demonstration on eBird, including some advanced tools.
With its launch in 2002 as a joint project by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, eBird allows birders of all experience levels to enter when, where, and how they went birding, entering checklists of all birds seen and heard during their outings (both past and present).
You can access this accumulated birding data, looking up which birds have been seen where. If you create an eBird account, then you can start reporting your sightings.
(Read about eBird on our RESOURCES page.)
© Tony Moline
Dubuque Audubon Annual Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, 12/30/23
(Backup Date: 12/31/23)
Start: 8 AM
Result Compilation: 5 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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The annual Audubon Christmas Bird count is the longest running organized citizen science project in the United States. Join Dubuque Audubon field trip leaders as we split into groups to identify and count birds within a 10 mile radius of Center Grove Methodist Church, Dubuque, IA. Sectors include Swiss Valley, Mines of Spain, City of Dubuque, Western Dubuque, Deere Dike/north of Dubuque, Dubuque Airport, and western Grant County.
You may also sign up to participate by feeder-watching from home (read details below).
Meet at EB Lyons at 8 AM. All skill levels are welcome. As we move between locations, you can carpool with leaders or drive separately, depending on space and preference. Compilation will be at 5 pm inside EB Lyons. All data will be submitted to the National Audubon Society and used to track trends in bird diversity.
If you want to participate by watching a birdfeeder at home, please sign up in advance by emailing audubondubuque@gmail.com.
You would need to be within the radius we cover, which is essentially Dubuque, Asbury, East Dubuque, Sageville, Durango, and Centralia, and to follow the protocol of keeping track of your total birding time and counting how many you see of each species. If you count periodically throughout the day, you should add up your total time spent, and you should not double-count birds. For example, if you are watching your bird feeder and see 2 Blue Jays at once and then see 1 later that looks the same as the earlier birds, then your Blue Jay count would remain at 2.
On the day of the count, submit your results by emailing your name, birding location(s), total time spent, and your species list with corresponding counts to audubondubuque@gmail.com by 5 PM.
© Tony Moline
Dubuque Audubon December Program
Sax Zim Bog
Thursday, 12/14/23
6 – 7 PM
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
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Dubuque Audubon field trip leader Tony Moline will discuss winter wildlife watching at Sax Zim Bog. Located in northern Minnesota, Sax Zim offers excellent opportunities for viewing boreal bird species and several owl species, including the Great Gray Owl. Learn how and when to visit, what species to expect, and how you can help preserve this special wilderness area. This program is free and open to the public.
© Tony Moline
If you missed our December program on Sax Zim Bog, a recording is available, thanks to a sponsor who arranged and covered the taping.
History: 2023 Posters
Dubuque Audubon November 2023 Program
Dubuque Audubon October 2023 Program
Dubuque Audubon September 2023 Program
Dubuque Audubon Annual Spring Species Count & May 2023 Program
Dubuque Audubon April 2023 Program
Dubuque Audubon Annual Duck Waddle & March 2023 Program
Dubuque Audubon February 2023 Program
The February 2023 program was canceled due to the weather.
Dubuque Audubon January 2023 Program
