Iowa City Bird Club Shorebird Trip scheduled for 21 August

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On August 21, Sunday, the Iowa City Bird Club will have a field trip to Hawkeye Wildlife Area or other local areas for shorebirds and other early fall migrants.   This is prime time for shorebird [sandpipers, plovers] migration as well as a good time to see waders [herons, egrets].  Throughout most of Iowa, our ability to see these shorebirds depends on water levels.  If the water in the res is to high, shorebirds will fly past Eastern Iowa.  The ideal situation is a ring of wet mud around the bodies of water at Hawkeye.

Iowa is visited by over 30 species of shorebirds and most all of them have been seen at Hawkeye.  They range from the peeps to the large Willets and Godwits.

Early this month, over 20 or more shorebird species seen at Hawkeye included Black-bellied Plover, American Golden-Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Piping Plover, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Willet, Spotted Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwit, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpiper, * Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, American Woodcock, Wilson's Phalarope, and Red-necked Phalarope; as well as Sandhill Cranes, a variety of waders and nearly 1000 American White Pelicans, Caspian Terns, and Peregrine Falcons.

We will meet at leave at the Dodge Street Hy-Vee in Iowa City.  Meet in the SW corner of the parking lot at 7:30 a.m.  You do not have to be a member of the Bird Club to join us on any of our trips or meetings, all that is required is an interest in nature.   If you plan on joining us, leave me a comment and I will put you in touch with the trip leader.