Play More in Iowa... Eagle Watching on the Mississippi River

January is a great month for Eagle Watches in Iowa.

Every year tens of thousands of people flock to the Mississippi River to take part in Bald Eagle Watches. They have come to catch a glimpse, perhaps for the first time, of our national symbol.

Up to 2,500 bald eagles winter along the Mississippi near the lock and dams. Turbulence created below the dams provide open water and a smorgasbord of stunned fish for eagles to feast upon. In addition, the wooded bluffs that overlook the Mississippi are excellent habitat for roosting and an increasing number of cases nesting.

Bald Eagle Watches occur throughout January and February, but eagles can be seen from mid December through early March. It all depends on the weather. As warm weather arrives, most eagles will begin their journey back north to northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada to prepare for the nesting season.

2010 Bald Eagle Watch Events

Quad Cities Bald Eagle Days
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 8-10
QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois
Hours: NEW 4:00p.m. - 8:00p.m. Friday, 10:00a.m.-7:00p.m. Saturday, 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Sunday

LeClaire Bald Eagle Watch
Saturday and Sunday, January 30-31, 2009
Outdoor viewing at Lock and Dam 14, Sat. 10:00 am - 1:00 pm; Sun. 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Indoor programs: Sat. at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 12:00 pm; Sun. at 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm & 3:00 pm

Indoor programs: Mississippi Valley Welcome Center
900 Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire, IA (I-80 exit 306)
For more information, please call 563-322-3911 563-322-3911 x120
http://www.iowawelcomecenter.com

Bald Eagle Safaris
Get an up close view on a Bald Eagle Safari with Bob Motz. He provides spotting scopes that magnify 15 to 45 times and mount on the car window frame for good viewing of eagles in trees. You can see the yellow of their eye, the nostrils in the beak, and the black talons of their feet. Binoculars are also provided to see eagles in flight. The safaris make good birthday and anniversary gifts. Cost is $20 per hour for one to four people. Two or three-hour safaris are recommended. Call Bob at 309-788-8389 309-788-8389 or email him at eaglemotz@aol.com to arrage a safari.

Live Eagle & Bird of Prey Programs by The World Bird Sanctuary
Special Attractions - Niabi Zoo
For more information contact the Mississippi River Visitor Center 309/794-5338 309/794-5338 or Arlynn Hartwig 309/788-2543 309/788-2543

Mississippi River Visitor Center - Eagle Watch / Clock Tower Tours
January 2-3 and January 16 - February 14, Weekends Only
Combination eagle watches and historical clock tower tours
Saturday and Sunday times are: 9:30, 11:00 and 1:00
Reservations required. Group size is limited. Call 309/794-5338 309/794-5338

Clinton Bald Eagle Watch
Saturday, January 9
Outdoor viewing: Lock & Dam 13, 8:30-3:30
Live Bird and Nature Programs: Clinton Community College, 9:30-2:00
Exhibits: Clinton Community College from 9:00 - 2:30
Free bus service from college to the outdoor viewing area.
For more information call: 815/259-3628 815/259-3628 .

Muscatine Bald Eagle Watch
Saturday, January 9
Outdoor viewing from 9:00 to 3:00 at Riverside Park & Lock and Dam 16
Live Eagle programs at 9:30 & 12:00 at the Riverview Center in Riverside Park
Eagle Dance performances at 11:00 and 2:00, Riverview Center
Conservation and environmental booths, Riverview Center
For more information call: 563/263-7913 563/263-7913

Dubuque Bald Eagle Watch
Saturday, January 23
Outdoor viewing at Lock and Dam 11 from 9:00–4:00
Live Eagle & Bird of Prey Programs by the University of Minnesota Raptor Center at 9:30, 12:15 & 3:00
Indoor Exhibits from 9:00 - 4:30 at the Grand River Center - Port of Dubuque
Trolley rides from Grand River Center to the National Mississippi River Museum and the outdoor viewing area.
For more information call: 563/556-4372 563/556-4372 or 563/582-0881 563/582-0881

Keokuk Bald Eagle Days
Saturday and Sunday, January 16 - 17
Indoor programs and Environmental Fair at the River City Mall, Keokuk, Iowa
Live Eagle Programs Saturday 9:00-3:00 and Sunday 10:00-3:00
Outdoor viewing along the River Front
For more information call: 1-800-383-1219

American Bald Eagle Information

Eagle Information Guide (for educators)

DNR Video Hot Link

Pine Creek Grist Mill Heritage Day - Wildcat Den State Park

Visitors to the Pine Creek Grist Mill Heritage Day will find several new additions to the annual celebration Saturday, Sept. 19.

Tom Hanifan, president of the Friends of the Mill, coordinators of the event, said new live demonstrations will include basket-making by a weaving team, lace- making, traditionally known as tatting, and an antique tractor display by residents from the Walnut Grove area near Eldridge.

A local wood carver has also volunteered to demonstrate his craft.

In addition to the traditional offering of homemade pies and ice cream, A Guy and a Grill of Muscatine will sell freshly grilled sandwiches.

Heritage Day is an annual fundraiser staged by the Friends of the Pine Creek Grist Mill. The non-profit group, which was formed in 1996, is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the 162-year-old grist mill located at Wild Cat Den State Park.

All proceeds from the event go toward Mill-related work and preservation.

On Heritage Day, visitors can see the results of the group’s restoration efforts as the mill once again grinds corn.

Tom Hanifan, president of Friends of the Mill, said it is difficult to track the number of people who attend Heritage Day, but he estimates the count between 1,500 and 2,000.

The free event includes a free shuttle service between the Pine Creek Grist Mill and the Buckskinners’ Rendezvous, which is held throughout the weekend at the upper campground area of the park.

The Buckskinners will set up a temporary village, similar to the ones mountain men lived in during the Gold Rush-era.

The Friends of the Melpine Country School also helps organize the event. That group oversees the preservation of the 1877 one-room school house located near the Grist Mill. That historical site is also open for tours during Heritage Day.

Returning activities include canoe rides, music by the Port City Pearl Chapter of Sweet Adelines International and model steam engines.

Tin-type photographer Haven Noble of Mount Pleasant will also return this year.

Hanifan said Noble, a member of the Friends of the Mill, restored his Civil War-era camera and taught himself how to use it.

Noble uses the camera to take photos and develops them as Heritage Day visitors watch the process.

Details

What: Pine Creek Grist Mill Heritage Day

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19

Admission: Free

Where: Wild Cat Den State Park , located between Muscatine and Montpelier on Iowa Highway 22.

Contact: 563-263-4808

Information: The annual Buckskinner’s Rendezvous will be held Friday-Sunday, Sept. 18-20, in the upper deck of Wild Cat Den State Park. A free shuttle service is available between the Pine Creek Grist Mill and the Rendezvous sites.

Online at http://www.pinecreekgristmill.com/
http://www.pinecreekgristmill.com/PDF/MillHours2009.pdf

'Primitive' Campsites Lure Those Looking for Getaway

'Primitive' campsites lure those looking for getaway



By Orlan Love, The Gazette
orlan.love@gazettecommunications.com



Campers who want to commune with nature rather than the occupants of recreational vehicles can find plenty of good places to pitch their tents.



Though the trend has been to accommodate RVs by upgrading campsites with electricity, water and sewer hookups and even wireless Internet access, most state- and county-operated parks still provide ample opportunities for campers to rough it, says Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the Department of Natural Resources Parks Bureau.



Iowa's state park system has 2,706 electrified campsites and 1,977 primitive sites. About half in each category can be reserved, with the other half available on a first-come, first-served basis.



The conservation departments in Iowa's 99 counties operate a combined 11,500 sites, about half of which are primitive, says Tom Hazelton, special programs manager for Linn County Conservation Department.



"People flock to scenic vistas and water, and the trend has been to improve the most popular sites with amenities, but some people just like to camp the old-fashioned way," Hazelton says.



One such person is Harry Graves, director of the Johnson County Conservation Department.



"We are tent people," Graves says of wife Ellie and himself. "When we go camping, we are out to enjoy nature rather than neighbors. We like being able to set up camp on a moment's notice, wherever we happen to be.



"Tent camping is no longer synonymous with primitive camping, though, Graves says.



"A fair number of tent campers pick electric sites for their fans, televisions and cell phone chargers," he says. Around holidays, like the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, primitive campers enjoy another advantage — less competition for sites. While most primitive sites do fill up, they are the last to do so, says Linn County's Hazelton.



The 1,624-acre Matsell Bridge Natural Area in eastern Linn County has about a dozen "pack-in" campsites along the Wapsipinicon River that provide rustic camping at its finest, he says. "You can't drive to them. You have to carry everything you need, including water, so they're generally not crowded," he says.



The 340-acre Wakpicada Natural Area along the Wapsipinicon, south of Central City, is also popular with primitive campers, Hazelton says. "It's dark at night at Wakpicada," he says.



Linn County provides 581 sites at 24 campgrounds, with slightly more than half of them unimproved.



In Johnson County, the Hills Access and the River Junction Access each provide about a dozen primitive sites along the Iowa River, and 48 of the 84 sites at F.W. Kent Park near Tiffin are non-electric, Graves says.



The Jones County Conservation Department offers 43 primitive sites at its Central Park, says director Larry Gullett."Tent camping really appeals to people who like to paddle and fish the river systems," he says.



The Wapsipinicon in Jones and Jackson counties is classified as a meandered stream, which means camping is permitted on its sandbars, Gullet says. The Maquoketa River is a non-meandered stream, which means landowner permission is required to camp on its sandbars, he says."Always ask first. Most of the landowners are cooperative as long as its not a large group intent upon partying," he says.



For campers who really want to get away from it all, Szcodronski recommends the three state forests in Eastern Iowa: Yellow River, 8,503 acres in Allamakee County; Shimek, 9,148 acres in Lee and Van Buren counties; and Stephens, 15,170 acres in Lucas, Clarke, Monroe, Appanoose and Davis counties.



"This is primitive camping at its best. ... You've got latrines, fire rings and picnic tables, and the rest is up to you," he says.

© 2009 Gazette Communications