Iowa Audubon's Pelican Festival 9/25, 11 am to 3 pm Hawkeye WMA

Bring your family and friends to DNR's Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area on Old Amana Road, Swisher, Iowa (north of the river and just west of Iowa Highway 965) for Iowa's annual PELICAN FESTIVAL. We will be celebrating the migration of thousands of White Pelicans through Iowa each fall, where they stop to rest and feed on our large reservoirs. Join us September 25th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For the first time this year, the festival is moving to the Iowa City area and is co-sponsored by Iowa Audubon, Iowa DNR, the US Army Corps of Engineers, McBride Raptor Center, Iowa City Bird Club and Johnson County Conservation Board.

All images below are thumbnails, click on them.  Thanks to Iowa City Bird Club members for the pictures.

Come and see pelicans through high-powered spotting scopes staffed by local bird experts. [If water levels and wind cooperates, we could have some nice views.] Other activities include booths and exhibits by many conservation and civic groups, free pelican tattoos (non-permanent), special presentations about pelicans, birds of prey and other bird topics, face painting and more.

American White Pelicans are one of our largest flying birds, carrying over 16 pounds on their with their 9 foot wingspans.  The increase in local White Pelican populations has been one of the real treats for birding in the past 20-30 years. They used to be extremely rare in Eastern Iowa.  I can remember being very

excited when I saw my first White Pelicans at the Hawkeye Wildlife Area. Now they are very common in the Spring and Fall and some loaf into summer.   We see them feeding and resting on the Res and other local bodies of water or soaring overhead almost daily in season.

Exhibitors include the Iowa Ornithologists Union, Eastern Iowa Beekeepers Association, Iowa Native Plant Society, Johnson County Conservation, Johnson County Heritage Trust, Johnson Co Songbird Project, MacBride Raptor Project, Prairie State Mushroon Club, UI Museum of Natural History.

Special Programs and times

Mushroom Foray at 11:15

American White Pelicans at 11:30

MacBride Raptor Center at 12:15

Ospreys 1:15

Chimney Swifts 2:00

Falcons 2:35

After this FREE PUBLIC event Iowa Audubon will be having its major annual fundraising event, the Pelican Gala, in Iowa City from 5-9, also on the 25th. The Pelican Gala will include a large selection of appetizers, beverages and dessert, entertainment by John Stravers and his band Big Blue Sky, silent auction and door prizes. This will be at the Kirkwood Room, 515 Kirkwood Av, Iowa City. For pricing details see this mail-in reservation sheet [pdf].

Iowa Audubon is not connected with the National Audubon Society.  Except for a small amount of money sent to benefit species that migrate to Iowa, all monies raised by Iowa Audubon stay in-state.