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Sioux City was recently awarded the title of Bird Friendly City through the Bird Friendly Iowa program. The public is invited to celebrate the awarding of this title by Bird Friendly Iowa officials.

Doug Harr, Bird Friendly Iowa representative, will present the award to Councilman Matthew O’Kane. Our Bird Friendly Iowa partners will have informational tables inside the Presentation Room to allow people to visit and learn more about their organizations.

A representative from Saving Our Avian Resources (SOAR) will be present to release a rehabilitated raptor.

This event is hosted by the Loess Hills Audubon Society and Woodbury County Conservation-Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center,

See Sioux City's page on the Bird City Network website.

Migration continues for many of our song birds through the month of October.

Many southbound birds stop at Union Grove's large burr oak woodland which is surrounded by miles of open agricultural land and serves as an 'island' of habitat for southbound woodland species. In addition to burr oaks, the Park offers a pine plantation and an extensive eastern red cedar grove which also entice worn out migrants to stop and 'refuel.'

LHAS Board member Phil Breed, who lives adjacent to the Park, will be our host and will introduce us to the features of the Park and surrounding area. Experienced birders will be present to help find and identify the migrants, which may also include hawks and waterfowl.

Bird enthusiasts of all levels of experience will be present to assist beginners. Our birding effort will mostly be casual walks around the Park's picnic and camp grounds and roadside birding outside the Park. More extensive trails may appeal to some of us. Bring a sack lunch for a noontime hawk watch from the Park's high point.

Those interested should meet at Chris Larsen City Park's public boat ramp at 7:30 AM, Saturday, October 19. We will proceed by car caravan the 40 miles to the Park. Those wishing to meet us there will find us at the park entrance about 8:15.

A SD Park annual pass or daily permit (available on site) will be required for each car.

For more information call 712-574-3107 for Bill or billfhuser@gmail.com

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Enjoying a morning at Sioux City Prairie Park tallying migrant birds as they pass through Siouxland. The conservation theme this year is Protect Insects, Protect Birds, and focuses on the importance of insects as essential food sources for migratory birds.

Prairie Park activities, supporting designation of Sioux City as a bird-friendly community, begin at 9:00 AM and go until Noon. Binoculars, spotting scopes, and field guides will be available for use at Prairie Park. Prairie Park is accessible for visitors of all abilities.

For more Prairie Park information, please contact Randy Williams.

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

When was the last time you explored the 2,700 acres of wildlife habitat, hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, ponds and river accesses and campgrounds that Plymouth County Conservation manages?

Join Naturalist Victoria DeVos for a visual tour of the land and facilities managed by the conservation staff. Maybe you will discover your next camping destination, fishing hole, or favorite hiking trail.

New Loess Hills Audubon member Diana Howard will grace our program with a brief selection of poems from Nature’s Grace, her second chap book. Author Howard will invite us to ponder how often we think about the natural world that surrounds us.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Victoria’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Flycatchers, vireos and warblers are on the move. These insect eating birds are among the first to head south in advance of colder weather. The drab flycatchers, green vireos and colorful warblers are all more difficult to find in the Fall as they now rarely sing and spend their time silently foraging in the very dense foliage. Additionally, identification challenges abound with this year’s hatchlings accompanying, and often outnumbering, the adults. These young birds with their muted colors and patterns may only offer hints of the colors and patterns that make the adults so striking and easy to identify.

Meet us at 7:30am, Saturday, the 14th, at the public boat ramp in Chris Larsen City Park. Those wishing to meet us later in the morning, should look for us in Pammel Valley in the southern part of Stone Park. Look for the signs near the Ranger’s house to find this secluded spot.

Birders of all levels of experience can help each other find and identify songbirds as they pass through our woodlands. This event is ideally suited to those beginning birders looking for tips in finding and identifying birds. Birding will be by slowly walking park roadways and the woodland edges at picnic sites. Those with more patience can even bring a lawn chair for more casual birding.

For more information call 712-574-3107 for Bill or billfhuser@gmail.com

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

This will be a Zoom presentation to the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.

Steve Backus is an avid birder, captain and naturalist who has gotten to see many corners of the planet and delights in sharing his experiences of this stunning world.

The Antarctic region is one of the more difficult places to reach. The Antarctic and nearby islands are often of great interest to those in love with the natural world.

Holding some of the spaces on the planet that were the last to be explored, we'll talk about the abundant wildlife and particulars of the ecological systems that sustain them.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Steve’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

We will search for the woodland and grassland birds along Butcher Road and the Joy Hollow entrance road by car or foot. Expected birds include both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler and Pileated Woodpecker.

A couple late changes to the orignal announcement.

1.  The Chris Larsen public boat ramp parking may still be closed on the 3rd. I will be there early in either case to direct those to nearby parking, if necessary. The last announcement posted by the City of Sioux City on 9 July 2024 indicated the boat ramp should be open. But that may be fluid.

2. Tucker Lutter just informed me Joy Hollow is leased by the Girl Scouts that morning. We will simply restrict our birding to Butcher Road, Ridge Road, Broken Kettle Grasslands and Deer Creek and avoid Joy Hollow. We had no special targets or activities planned at Joy Hollow, anyway.

And most importantly, there are NO changes to the food and hospitality! Following our tour of Broken Kettle Grasslands, we have the opportunity to visit Zale’s Prairie Hills. Dotty and Bill Zales have graciously invited us to join them for lunch at their homestead, ‘Prairie Hills,’ around 11:00 AM.

Those interested in the day’s activities should join the group at Chris Larsen Park’s public boat ramp parking lot at 7:30 AM for the caravan to Joy Hollow. Those wishing to meet us later in the morning, can meet us at Prairie Hills on North Ridge Road at 11:00 AM.  In either case, please R.S.V.P. to Dotty Zales or myself (see below) if you plan to join us for lunch.      

For more information call Bill at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Come experience the beauty, charm, and wonder of our awesome Loess Hills Prairies. Field trip leader Dr. William (Bill) Zales has inspired numerous students during his college professional career with trips to Appalachia, the Rocky Mountains, and many other protected natural areas in the Midwest. He now enjoys leading groups to appreciate the wonders of nature in Iowa’s Loess Hills. Loess Hills Audubon is partnering with Bill Z., Five Ridge Prairie, and Plymouth County Parks for our July outing.

We will meet at Five Ridge Prairie State Preserve on:

• Saturday, July 13, 2024 from 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Come prepared to learn about the birds, plants, other animals, and microbe diversity that makes the Loess Hills special, and what sustainability is all about.

• Five Ridge Prairie State Preserve is located at 15561 260th St, Westfield, Iowa.

See the Five Ridge Prairie State Preserve website for park details.

For more information call Bill at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

CORRECTION and sincere apologies. Arrangements did not work for our original destination. So Loess Hills Audubon is joining forces with Adams Homestead for a joint bird walk.

Meet at the Adams Homestead Visitor Center at 9:30 AM for a bird walk along the trails around the homestead and preserve.

For more information, please contact Randy Williams or Jody Moats.

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

The Loess Hills Audubon Society will participate in the World Migratory Bird Day on this busy Saturday. We will be dividing into teams to survey our favorite locations, where we will record species observed and count or estimate their numbers. This date has been selected so as to see the most species of birds. Opportunities exist both to locate early migrants, like waterfowl, that may be lingering in our wetlands and to locate the newly arriving shorebirds, flycatchers, sparrows and warblers. These observations will be entered into eBird, the Cornell University Ornithology Lab’s immense database.

Teams will be determined at our monthly meeting Thursday, May 2nd. Experienced birders will lead teams while less experienced birders can select a team or a location they wish to bird. Final assignments and coordination of the teams and members will be communicated to all participants by Thursday, May 9th. Interested members of the Chapter or the public will be asked at the meeting how much of the day they wish to participate, where they want to go or which team they wish to join.

Team 1: Prairie Park activities, supporting designation of Sioux City as a bird-friendly community, begin at 9:00 AM and go until Noon. Binoculars, spotting scopes, and field guides will be available for use at Prairie Park. Prairie Park is accessible for visitors of all abilities.

Insects and their importance to migratory birds is the focus of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day. To celebrate this global campaign, families are invited to participate in some fun educational activities at Prairie Park. Join Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Naturalist Kari Sandage at 10:00 AM for a bug hunt, learn about insects, and look for birds with experts from the Loess Hills Audubon Society.

Insects are essential sources of energy for many migratory bird species, not only during the breeding seasons but also during their extensive journeys. The loss and disturbance of insect populations at breeding sites and along avian migration routes threaten bird survival and well-being.

For more information regarding Prairie Park activities, please contact Randy Williams.

Team #2: Bill Huser group at Ponca State Park — contact me directly at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com.

Other teams will be determined at the Thursday meeting, 5/2/24.

Loess Hills Audubon members will also be doing much, much more as they take to the field. They will be participating in the Chapter’s annual Birdathon, our annual fundraiser that makes possible chapter activities and funds our conservation grants for deserving conservation and educational efforts in the area.

Loess Hills Audubon Chapter’s members will be soliciting funds much like other “-athons,” accepting donations or pledges based on chapter members’ ability to find as many species of birds as they can on Saturday. This collective effort will find over 100 species so budget accordingly as either an amount per species found or a flat amount for the effort.

Most importantly, the Chapter thanks all of you who have participated or donated to Chapter projects and those of you who considered such.

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Phil Breed is a beekeeper who loves to share what he has learned about the bee world. You will learn the anatomy of a honey bee, the role and responsibilities of a beekeeper, and the components of a beehive. You will also have interactive activities on the life a honeybee, bee communication, and an opportunity to observe an interactive colony. In addition, learn about the cohabitation of honey bees and indigenous bees and other pollinators.

Phil's first experience with bees was in his uncle's apiary in mid '70s.  Ever since, he has had an interest in apiculture. Phil and his wife, Donna, live on the east side of Union Grove State Park (south of Beresford, SD). Their goal is to have a self-sufficient apiary. Phil posts about their bees and experiences on his Facebook group Birdsong Bees. In addition to working on Master Beekeeper certification through UNL’s GPMB program, Phil is employed part-time as a beekeeping technician at Dordt University through a USDA grant. 

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Phil’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Because many of our wetlands are still dry, we will attempt to find shorebirds, waders and marsh species where the water is more permanent. Our leader for our January outing to the Waterman Creek area, Dana Seifer of Storm Lake, has agreed to lead us around this glacial lake to see its open water, beaches and associated marshes. He also knows of more obscure wetlands and temporary water that may also host these migrants.

Meet us at 7:00 AM at the Singing Hills Walmart parking lot, northwest corner (across from 4 Brothers restaurant) for carpooling and the 90-minute caravan to Storm Lake.

For more information call Bill at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Tonight’s program will include photographs of birds on a tall grass prairie remnant and other areas. The presentation will depict other aspects of nature as well as birding.

Above banner image provided by and copyright 2024 by Jon Nylen, used with permission.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Jon and Leesa’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Join us for a traditional waterfowler’s experience – a trip to a blind for up close views and photo opportunities of migrating swans, geese, ducks and others. We have arranged for use of Ponca State Park’s wildlife blinds on their North Unit’s wetland.

Meet us at the Ponca State Park Resource Center at 3:30 PM SUNDAY, March 17. We will tour the Park and the riverfront for waterfowl, eagles and other migrants. Following that, we will guide you to the Park’s North Unit grasslands for pheasants, hawks and migrating waterfowl overhead. The riverfront there also gives us opportunities for viewing migrants.

Dress in warm clothing and footwear as we will enter the blind around 6:00 PM to await the arrival at the marsh of feeding or migrating waterfowl. Temperatures plummet as the sun goes down so prepare for temperatures well below those during the afternoon. (On this particular day, GREEN camo will be quite appropriate.)

A daily or seasonal park pass will be required on each car entering the park. Arrange for carpooling with others to avoid unnecessary expense. For more information call Bill at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Artificial lighting has been shown to have many consequences - both positive and negative - for humans and wildlife. David Hoferer, local Sierra Club member and Briar Cliff University biology professor, will introduce us to this growing phenomenon, and explore with us what steps individuals can take to improve the impact on our natural surroundings.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Dave’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Join us as we count birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This citizen science project gathers bird occurrence data much like the Christmas Bird Count. Audubon teams will visit the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve, the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center and other natural areas known to host wintering birds. Teams will include feeder watchers situated in warm interiors, roadside birders in cars and hikers venturing further afield and into colder environs.

At our meeting on Thursday, February 1, we will form teams and each team will select their territories for their effort on the 17th. If you cannot make the meeting, contact Bill Huser at 712-574-3107 billfhuser@gmail.com for suggestions regarding partners or territories.

Each team will be free to choose their starting time, lunchtime plans, methods and quitting time.

Those unable to join us on this day are urged to participate in the GBBC on this date or anytime during the February 16 - 19 count period. The Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center is hosting a GBBC Bird Walk at 10:00 AM on Friday, February 16. Data may be submitted through the eBird mobile app or at the eBird website. For more details search for ‘Great Backyard Bird Count’ online.

POSTPONED! Due to impending weather forecast for this weekend! A new date has not yet been determined.

Two for the price of one! Join Northwest Iowa Group of Sierra Club and Loess Hills Audubon for a joint venture on Saturday, February 10, at the First Unitarian Church (2508 Jackson). Visit with friends both old and new and enjoy your choice of over a dozen chilis.

This is Sierra Club's only fundraiser — donations from the door, beverage table, and the chili-to-go options support Northwest Iowa Group of Sierra Club's conservation and outreach efforts. Cash and checks are preferred, but we can process cards for a fee.

Loess Hills Audubon was graciously invited to participate and LHAS is conducting a silent auction fundraiser. Auction items will be on display and bids accepted during the chili social. Auction items are cash or check only, please.

Do you wish to contribute something for the auction? Items will be accepted at the LHAS January meeting, Thursday, January 4, 2024. Or, email Marla Kerr or Sharon Polifka to make other arrangements. Deadline for contributions is Saturday, January 6, 2024. The chilis will be served from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the church basement, but our doors will open at 3:30. Enjoy these happenings on the main level:

• Learn more about our friends, the Loess Hills Audubon Society, and browse great finds offered in their silent auction fundraiser. There just might be something you can't live without, and you'll be supporting a good cause!

• Live piano music by Terry Brooks

• Contribute to "Change for Change", the church's effort to help our neighbors and community organizations.

• Enjoy a slideshow of 2023 memories contributed by Sierra Club members and friends. (Have some photos you’d like to show off? Call/text 712.986.6210)

We'll keep our fingers crossed, but in case of bad weather, please use your own judgment as to your safety. If we decide to postpone, we'll do so as far in advance as we can.

University of South Dakota ornithologist Dave Swanson returns to Loess Hills Audubon with a summary of research conducted by him, his research associates, and his students. This work compares spring and fall migrant bird diversity and abundance within reconstructed tallgrass prairies and CRP fields. Does the reconstructed tallgrass prairie at Spirit Mound allow migrants to successfully add fat during stopover?

Dave will also discuss the recent range expansion of Eastern Meadowlark into southeastern South Dakota as well as future research goals if a Motus tracking system is funded.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Dave’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Winter birding is always challenging with bird populations at their annual low point and severe weather causing stressed birds to shelter and over-stressed birds to perish. As birders we try to offset such obstacles by birding sites with multiple habitats and a history of hosting many wintering birds.

Waterman Creek is one such area with the added advantage of having a history of rare winter visitors. Offering an open valley with flowing water and many Eastern Red Cedar trees, this valley provides food, water and shelter for wintering birds. The small blue berries of these cedar trees offer an abundant food supply to those species feeding on fruit (frugivores).

Our target birds include Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings, American Robins and Townsend’s Solitaires, Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds, Purple Finches, Rough-legged Hawks and Golden Eagles. In order to navigate the area and find these special birds, we have enlisted the leadership of area local Dana Siefer who has birded the area for several winters and found many of these birds. In fact, Dana was there birding when we last visited the site two years ago.

Birding at Waterman will be mostly from cars and at the roadsides. Meet our group at the Singing Hills Walmart (NW corner of parking lot) at 7:00 AM for the 82 mile drive to the Prairie Heritage Center near Peterson, north of Cherokee. Others wishing to join the group on site should meet us at the Prairie Heritage Center at 8:30 AM. Bring a picnic lunch and beverages to maximize time on the site, though we may choose a restaurant at the time. For more information call 712-574-3107 for Bill or billfhuser@gmail.com

Remember: all LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

This month, Tyler Flammang, Resource Technician at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, will talk about the habitat restoration projects conducted by the Conservation Corps of Iowa (CCI) at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. Every year, the Nature Center solicits the help of the CCI to help restore native prairie habitat in various locations. Tyler will talk about the importance of restoring native habitat and the history of the landscape at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.

DUE DATE: Have silent auction items? Please bring them tonight so we can get them organized for the upcoming auction event on Saturday, January 13th! Or, email Marla Kerr or Sharon Polifka to make other arrangements for your items.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Tyler’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

We start at our Conservation Center in Moorehead Park at 8:00 AM. I will have coffee and rolls at that time. We head out after forming groups and receive maps of where to cover.

At Noon to 1:00 PM is dinner time. I have the meal prepared with my "Best Ever Chill” and the fixings.

All the groups come back at 3:00 to 3:30 PM to add up the totals. At that time I have pie & ice cream for all.

Please let Don know if you wish to participate. For more information, please contact Don Poggensee at donpoggensee@gmail.com.

Please contact compiler Roger Dietrich of your intent to participate. This way he can assign participants to territories prior to count day.

If this becomes a last minute decision, then meet at the parking lot on the north side of Gavins Point Dam at 7:30 AM.

There is an owling group that begins at 4:00 AM. Be sure to contact Roger about this and he will set you up.

Questions? You can contact Bill Huser, LHAS Vice-President & Outings Coordinator at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com; Jerry Probst at probstsuebee@aol.com, or Roger Dietrich at 1947rogerd@gmail.com.

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

For more information, please contact compiler Jerry Probst for more information. Jerry will assign groups of observers. Newbies will accompany experienced CBC counters. Please let him know if you have a location preference.

Want to do this from the comfort of your home? Let Jerry know, please. We need feeder watchers as well as counters in the fields and woods.

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Meet at 15384 North Ridge Road, Westfield, IA at 8:00 AM. Lunch will be served at the same address at 12:30 PM. End time when it’s too dark to see birds. All Day Birders can return later in the day, add to compilation numbers & enjoy a beverage or two with snacks.

For more information, please contact Dotty Zales at zales66@hotmail.com

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Our first Christmas Bird Count for the season for our area! More details will be posted shortly.

For more information, please contact Bill Huser, LHAS Vice-President & Outings Coordinator at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

This is our annual Holiday Celebration and member slide show. Please bring some Holiday Treats to share! We will project your best images and you provide the tales behind the images!

Treat time and conversations begin at 6:00 PM with the slide show to begin about 7:00 PM. Prefer analog? Bring some prints and we’ll provide the table so we can spread them out and admire the work.

Please Note: Entries are due Saturday, 18 November 2023! This provides about two weeks to arrange your contributions into a PowerPoint presentation as well as a slide show on this website. Please contact Randy Williams with questions or your entries for this event.

Christmas Bird Count coordinators will have sign up sheets available. There are five days of counts coming up fast!

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Meet at 7:00 AM in the northwest corner of the parking lot (across from 4 Brothers Grill) at the Singing Hills Walmart.

Join Chapter Members as we search for waterfowl, loons and gulls at our second largest (but deepest) lake. Past Fall visitors have included Black, White-winged and Surf Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Trumpeter Swans, Western, Eared and Horned Grebes, Bonaparte’s and Herring Gulls, Common Loons, Bald Eagles and most of our more common waterfowl.

Our viewing will be from cars and the roadsides to limit disturbance and hypothermia. Scopes and tripods will aid our viewing and identification tips will be discussed. Limited birding on foot will be optional. Vault toilets are available year round at the lake. By 11:30 we will probably head to lunch at Old Dane Golf Club near Dakota City.

For more information, please contact Bill Huser, LHAS Vice-President & Outings Coordinator at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Please Note: this is the due date for entries for the Loess Hills Audubon Society Holiday Gathering Slide Show! Contact Randy Williams with your questions or entries!

Richard will share information about the formation and unique status of the loess hills, and also talk about some of the cultural and biological history of our area. We will also talk about current and future issues here.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with Richard’s program beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

Please Note: Images are due for the LHAS Holiday Party and Member Slide Show on Saturday, 18 November. Please contact Randy Williams regarding entries for the show!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

One group will meet in the northwest corner of the Singing Hills Walmart at 7:30 AM to check area cemeteries and South Ravine Park. The Walmart group of migrant birders will then join other Loess Hills Audubon members enjoying a morning at Sioux City Prairie Park tallying migrant birds as they pass through Siouxland.

Prairie Park activities, supporting designation of Sioux City as a bird-friendly community, begin at 9:00 AM and go until Noon. Binoculars, spotting scopes, and field guides will be available for use at Prairie Park. Prairie Park is accessible for visitors of all abilities.

The Walmart group may then migrate elsewhere following the Prairie Park visit.

For more information, please contact Bill Huser, LHAS Vice-President & Outings Coordinator at 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com

All LHAS outings are open to the public and offer an inviting way to begin birding and meet others with similar interests.

Morningside University undergraduate students Michael Griffen, Hayden Stephenson, and Alex Valdez will present their local research project regarding Barn Owl habitat and potential restoration.

This research is part of a grant funded by the National Science Foundation to improve undergraduate STEM education, using locally-relevant research projects. Barn Owls are rare, at best, in Siouxland, but climate projections indicate that the future may bring better living conditions. This project assessed local natural areas to determine where restoration efforts may have the best chance to succeed.

This project was mentored by Morningside University faculty Chad Leugers and Tim Sesterhenn.

LHAS Board Meeting begins at 6:00 PM with the Barn Owl presentation beginning at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Enjoy the evening!

The Loess Hills Audubon Society exists to educate individuals and the public to enjoy and promote birding, to support ornithology and to be an advocate for wild areas and environmental issues. The Loess Hills Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.