2024 Hindsight

Welcome to the online version of the Loess Hills Audubon Society’s 2024 Holiday celebration! Here are highlights of the year from our chapter’s photographers and videographers. Each contributor has their own section. Contributors are organized alphabetically by their last name. Please explore and enjoy!

Jeanne Bockholt

Brian Hazlett

A few views from the Ecuadoran Amazon/Andes trip January 2024

Departing down the Napo River for Yacuma Ecolodge
Yacuma Ecolodge
Forest near Yacuma Ecolodge
Bob aiming a blowgun
Jerry aiming a blowgun
Bob grinding cacao
Cooking chocolate over a fire
Pouring chocolate over fruit
Heading out on a bird trip
In the western Andes near the end of the trip

Ed & Karleen Hohenstein

Bill Huser

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Snow Bunting
Ruffed Grouse
Turkey Vulture
Say’s Phoebe
Cattle Egret
Long-billed Dowitcher
Ruddy Turnstone
American White Pelican
Black-headed Grosbeak
Ferruginous Hawk
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
LeConte’s Sparrow
American Dipper
Golden Eagle 1
Golden Eagle 2
Kevin Costner Lookalikes

Kevin & Marla Kerr

F Black-throated Sparrow at Boyce Thompson Arboretum AZ.png

A Seeds & interested White-breasted Nuthatch.png

B Seeds - Downy thinks it looks tasty.png

C Seeds - Goldfinches enjoying a few bites.png

D Seeds - Downy and incoming chickadee.png

E Seeds with White-breasted Nuthatch.png

F Seeds - Hairy Woodpecker & Goldfinch Discussion.png

G Seeds - Looking for the perfect seed.png

A. Deer in Olympic National Park

B. Northern Flicker-yellow shafted

C. Redbellied Woodpecker

D. Tree Swallow-Custer State Park SD

E. Eastern Bluebird-Juvenile

F. Black-throated Sparrow at Boyce Thompson Arboretum AZ

G. Stellar's Jay in Oregon

H. Buffalo in Badlands SD

I. Bobcats Surprise (Family of 5)

J. Baltimore Oriole

Bird & Raccoon Interaction

A. Seeds & interested White-breasted Nuthatch

B. Downy thinks it looks tasty

C. Goldfinches enjoying a few bites

D. Downy and incoming chickadee

E. Seeds with White-breasted Nuthatch

F. Hairy Woodpecker & Goldfinch Discussion

G. Looking for the perfect seed

H. Seeds with Hairy Woodpecker

I. Chickadee and Snow

J. Missing an ear (and more)

Tuker Lutter

Broken Kettle Flowers
Spraying Crown Vetch with Interns
Turkey Nest at Broken Kettle
Ringneck Snake
Fire Exercises at Broken Kettle
Glacial Hills Preserve
Chainsawing Red Cedars with Interns
Massive Bur Oak
Western Prairie Fringed Orchid
Wallowing Bison at Broken Kettle

Jerry Mennenga

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No comments provided with the images. Images from Snyder Bend County Park and Owego Wetlands Complex.

Jan Null

1. N. Harrier over the Prairie at the Square JN 01 2.25.24 07 RSCN1336.JPG

2. Pileated Woodpecker Stone Park 4.10.24 JN 02 RSCN1545.JPG

3. Black-bellied Plover Sandhill Lake 5.11.24 JN 03 DSCN1951.JPG

4. Black Tern Brower's Lake 5.27.24 JN 04 RSCN2049.JPG

5. Scarlet Tanager Stone Park 5.17.24 JN 05 DSCN2006.JPG

6..Red-headed Woodpecker 6.29.24 JN 06 DSCN2204.JPG

7.American Goldfinch 7.4.24 LWAN JN 07 B DSCN2229.JPG

7. American Goldfinch 7.4.24 LWAN JN 07 DSCN2228.JPG

08 .Prairie Flowers 7.17.24 JN DSCN2249.JPG

9. Monarch on the Prairie 7.17.24 JN 09 DSCN2270.JPG

10. Red-tailed Hawk 10.12.24 Prairie Park JN 10 DSCN2512.JPG

11. Prairie Park 10.12.24 Jan Null 011 DSCN2513.JPG

The photos I’m showing tonight are memories of birds through this year of 2024. Thanks to my navigator, Jerry Von Ehwegen, that I can find the birds to photograph, and to all the super talented photographers in this group that share tips with me through the year!

We spotted the regal Northern Harrier soaring low over the Prairie at the Square looking for small mammals or birds to pounce upon. He was far away, so we were happy that the photo captured the white rump plumages. Did you know the Harrier has an “owl” looking face?
It was exciting to SEE and PHOTOGRAPH a Pileated Woodpecker this year!! I’m in my 80’s and I have never seen “Woody” in Iowa close enough to take his picture! I photographed a whole Pileated family in Florida a few years ago, but not in Iowa! Bob and Phyllis had let us know that they had seen a pair by the feeders at Stone Park. So on April 10 we headed for Stone Park. First we heard his “Woody Woodpecker” laugh (see video, below) and then we saw him and his partner taking turns whacking out a cavity. (Did you know they have separate bedrooms?) This was the best birding photo shoot of my year!!
It was a pleasant surprise to see this royal looking Black-bellied Plover walking through the mudflats by Sandhill Lake on May 11 looking for his dinner.
It was a joy to see water in Brower’s Lake on May 27 and a bonus to see many Black Terns gracefully swooping down to pick food off the surface.
The other wish for the season was to photograph a Scarlet Tanager! On May 17, this blindingly gorgeous bold red Tanager, high in the forest canopy, posed for me as he sang rich, burry songs.
This beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker, so boldly patterned that it's been called a “flying checkerboard,” is enjoying a big juicy Mulberry at Brown’s Lake on June 29.
On the 4th of July we saw this stunning bright bold American Goldfinch perched on a stalk surrounded by the pretty blooming prairie flowers!
This is the same Goldfinch enjoying the enchanting flowers on the prairies at the Luton Wildlife Area North. There were also 3 Goldfinches in one little tree in the same area! The active and acrobatic little finches cling to weeds and seed socks, and sometimes mill about in large numbers at feeders or on the ground beneath them. Goldfinches fly with a bouncy, undulating pattern and often call in flight, drawing attention to themselves.
Wildflowers of the Midwest prairies with their enchanting rainbow colors provide great breathtaking entertainment with a ride through the countryside! Many ah’s and ooh’s!
A bonus when you get to photograph a beautiful Monarch Butterfly on a pretty, pink Swamp Milkweed! It’s hard to believe these pretty little butterflies can fly thousands of miles from the Northeast to overwinter in Mexico and then commute back up to Texas.
Have you been to Prairie Park? Right under our noses and easy to reach! Fishing, birding, hiking with beautiful birds, flowers and trees! This impressive looking Red-tailed hawk is guarding Prairie Park! Check it out!
Prairie Park Again!!! These beautiful trees provide the setting for a grand walk through Prairie Park!

VIDEO OF PRAIRIE PARK GREAT BLUE HERON: 15 seconds

This Great Blue Heron was hunting at Prairie Park. When they are hunting, they wade slowly or stand statue-like, stalking fish and other prey in shallow water or open fields. They can be eloquent, funny, and famous (especially when they get on the Sioux City evening news), It is fun to watch this elegant, but sometimes comical Great Blue Heron and all of our wonderful birds in Siouxland and surrounding areas!! Join us on our outings! Thanks to Loess Hills Audubon for many educational and adventurous meetings and outings!

VIDEO OF PILEATED WOODPECKERS AT STONE PARK ON APRIL 10: 17 seconds

The female is whacking out a cavity in the tree and in the distance you can hear the male calling.

Maria Rundquist

A late February 2024 trip to the Yucatan to see Mayan ruins — with birding!

Reddish Egret
Royal Tern
Female Anhinga
Brown Pelican, Black Skimmers, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, Laughing Gulls and one large, immature gull
Altamira Oriole
Ycatan Jay
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Yucatan Wrens
Tropical Yellow Warbler
Mangrove Cuckoo
American Flamingos

Rex Rundquist

A late June 2024 trip through North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.

Western Grebes with young
Marbled Godwit
Yellow-breasted Chat
Adult American Avocet
Young American Avocet
Young American Coot
Eared Grebe with young
American Dipper
Rock Wren
Lewis’s Woodpecker

Ed Sibley

Barred Owl
Cliff Swallow
Getting a drink
Hoary Redpoll
Immature Barred Owl
Lunch Time at Palmer Co.
Herring Gull
Pelagic Cormorant
Pine Grosbeaak
Red Tailed Hawk on Feeder

Pam Smith

No comments provided with the images or video.

Jerry VonEhwegen

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A COUPLE OF ‘RODNEY DANGERFIELD’ BIRDS.

001. Limpkin — Birders always enjoy finding those rare species like the Limpkin that decided to land right here in our backyard at Bacon Creek.
002. Magnolia Warbler — Or those beautiful Spring and Fall migrants like a Magnolia Warbler that migrate through here in Spring and Fall.
003. Sage Thrasher — And who can forget that melodic singing Sage Thrasher that visited us from the sagebrush of the arid southwest and serenaded us from atop an Iowa manure pile for several days in Plymouth county!

But tonight I’m going to highlight a couple ‘Rodney Dangerfield’ birds that I find on walks at Graceland Cemetery. And maybe show how differences in Bird Species make birding more enjoyable.

004. Turkey Vulture — The first one is the Turkey Vulture. I’ve never heard a birder say ‘Wow, what a pretty bird!’ They usually just say vulture!
005. Turkey Vulture — It may not look pretty perched on the ground, but it is a majestic, graceful flyer and with a wing span of 65 to 70 inches it can soar long distances without ever flapping its wings. I enjoy watching their kettles as they seem to be out enjoying the day and looking down at all those other birds working their tail off trying to find something to eat!
006. Turkey Vulture — But with their excellent sense of smell, all the Turkey Vulture has to do at suppertime is to fly close to the ground until it smells something good to eat and then land and enjoy supper! They are a skillful scavenger, cleaning up the countryside one bite of their sharply hooked bill at a time, and never mussing a feather on their bald heads. So next time you see a Turkey Vulture, say ‘Thank You!’
007. Chimney Swift — I also find Chimney Swifts at Graceland. It has a wing span of 10-11 inches (compared to the T.V.’s 65-70 inches). And Chimney swifts beat their wings at a rate of around 10 to 20 beats per second, or 600 to 1200 beats per minute. (Try that Mr. Vulture!)
008. Chimney Swift — Chimney Swifts are among the fastest flying birds in the world, capable of reaching speeds of over 50 miles per hour. (While a T.V. may be floating along with no wing beat!) They eat airborne insects. They grab large insects with their bills; small ones go right down the throat. Its tiny body, curving wings, and stiff, shallow wingbeats give it a flight style as distinctive as its fluid, chattering call. (Birders say it looks like a cigar with wings!). Swifts even bathe in flight: they glide down to the water, smack the surface with their bodies, and then bounce up and shake the water from their plumage as they fly away. This little bird spends almost its entire life airborne. They eat, drink, mate, and sleep while flying. (Imagine a Vulture trying to do that!). If all birds looked and acted the same, birding would not be as enjoyable. So comparing the Chimney Swift to a Turkey Vulture is one example of how birds can be so different! And that is why birding is such a great thing to do!
009. EasternBluebird — One last thing: The Eastern Bluebird has also returned to Graceland! I counted up to 20 one evening with a mixture of adults and young. I wasn’t finding any during those dry years.