Annual Yellow River Bird Count identifies 54 species

by Lissa Blake

One might call it “citizen science.”
For the past 56 years, groups of area birding enthusiasts have been helping gather data about the bird population in northeast Iowa.
Each year, the Yellow River bird count is among one of hundreds taking place across the nation. Data is compiled and submitted to the National Audubon Society.
The 2015 Yellow River bird count took place Monday, December 21. Seven area birders spent the day counting birds in a 15-mile radius spanning from north of Effigy Mounds to Waterville, Harpers Ferry, Wexford, Marquette and across the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien, WI.
Larry Reis, a naturalist with the Winneshiek County Conservation Board who compiles the results of the most local Yellow River and Decorah bird counts every year, said it was a good year for waterfowl on the count.
“Normally, the Mississippi is frozen. This year, we were able to set up a spotting scope on the dam at Harpers Ferry,” said Reis.
Reis said waterfowl highlights included 25 tundra swans, 79 gadwalls (the highest count ever recorded locally), one American wigeon, 266 canvasback ducks, two redheads, 27 ring-necked ducks, 452 buffleheads, 15 hooded mergansers and three red-breasted mergansers.
In addition, the group sighted 83 bald eagles, 132 wild turkeys, one rough-legged hawk, 224 ring-billed gulls, one herring gull, two northern flicker woodpeckers and 11 pileated woodpeckers.
Reis said the count saw its first-ever Merlyn hawk this year, commonly called a pigeon hawk, nine eastern bluebirds, three American robins and one white-crowned sparrow.
Reis said although birders in the Yellow River area have only been participating in the bird count for just over half a century, the National Audubon Society started cataloging birds in the early 1900s.
“Our local information goes into a big database. Over time, it provides good information and bird numbers and patterns over a long span of time,” said Reis.
Reis said he welcomes anyone who thinks they might be interested in participating in the bird count to contact him at 563-534-7145 or email naturalist@winneshiekwild.com.
“We’d love to get more people in Allamakee County involved,” he concluded.