On Saturday, March 28, 2026, Iowa Young Birders took a field trip to the Pioneer Ridge Nature Area, located about 15 minutes south of Ottumwa along Hwy. 63. The group met at the nature center and after introductions, headed out along the paved trail towards the shallow study pond. There, they spotted Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and a foraging Muskrat.

Continuing along the paved trail, we found Eastern Phoebes and Chipping Sparrows. Both of these species are early spring migrants and bring the promise of warmer weather. Merlin Bird ID also picked up the calls of a Pine Warbler, but the group was unable to get a clear view of the suspected bird in the Eastern Red Cedars.

We then hopped in the car and moved down the park road to the end of the lane. There, in a small vernal pool, the group relocated a Sora that had been found earlier in the morning by Associate Director, Austin Roe. This was the first time seeing this species for most of the group. As the typically reclusive bird foraged along the shore of the pool, the group captured images through their binoculars. 

Wapello County Naturalist, Sara Runyan, suggested that the group follow the loop around a prairie patch to look for a few more species before the end of our morning. Along the trail, we heard Eastern Towhee males singing and spotted our first of the year Ruby-crowned Kinglet!

We ended our morning with a total of 39 species seen. Many early migrants had returned and we expect to continue finding more as the season continues. Look for more spring field trips on our events page to join our search for migrants as they arrive.

Find our complete species lists below:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S313941071

https://ebird.org/checklist/S313971522

We're excited to welcome Therese Cummiskey to Iowa Young Birders as one of the newest members of our Board of Directors! Learn more about Therese below.

Current town: Fairfield Iowa

Home Town: Currie Minnesota 

What sparked your interest in birds/nature? 

I’ve loved nature all my life and worked as a naturalist as my career for 35 years, but I truly fell in love with birding in 2012. I had seen the movie The Big Year and I thought to myself “I wonder how many birds I could see in a year?”  It was incredible!  I was hooked! Added to that was Diane Porter who mentored me and helped hone my skills! 

What is your favorite bird?

Ugh!  So many.  But I can tell you my two favorite groups of birds. first, the woodpeckers. So many awesome adaptations! And then the sparrows. I just love sparrows!  Probably because these birds were the biggest surprise to me when I started to bird. Such an incredible variety of native sparrows and so many people don’t know they exist.

What is your favorite birding/outdoor space?

Pretty much anywhere, but I am especially fond of Prairie and open pasture land. I have a couple friends I go birding with and we really enjoy birding down back roads, especially dirt roads where there’s more undisturbed habitat.

How did you first learn about Iowa Young Birders?  

I first heard about them when I was a naturalist with the Jefferson County Conservation board.

What motivated you to become an IAYB Board Member? 

Austin Roe! 

Why do you feel exposing kids to birds and nature is important?  

Being outdoors is so good for a person: emotionally, spiritually, physically.  It keeps me focused, joyful, at peace. The world is full of too much busyness, too much drama.

Also if you love something, you’ll protect it and the more you know about the outdoors and birds, the stronger your desire will be to protect it for the next generation.

Our Associate Director, Austin Roe, took a trip to Lake Wapello State Park this past Saturday and wrote about his birding adventure on his Substack, Bird Nerd Newsletter.

In this recent post, Austin highlights the waterfowl that he found during his outing and shares some of his photos as well. You can subscribe to the Bird Nerd Newsletter for free to receive more posts like this one directly to your email weekly, as well as a monthly installment of the Bird Nerd Podcast.

Find Austin's Lake Wapello Post here.

We had a great year in 2025! Read all about it in our 2025 Impact Report.

The Loess Hills Audubon Society (LHAS) has built and deployed birding backpacks at a total of seven nature centers and public libraries in western Iowa. Iowa Young Birders partnered with LHAS to provide educational materials for the backpacks as well as binoculars at a discounted rate. Below is a recent summary of the project and some photos from LHAS member Tucker Lutter:

"Loess Hills Audubon Society is grateful to Iowa Young Birders for partnering with us to provide five birding backpacks to the residents of Sioux County, Iowa. We received a small grant from Iowa Audubon to cover the cost of the backpacks and Iowa Young Birders provided us with five discounted pairs of quality binoculars through NOCS Provisions. The backpacks can be checked out at four locations in the county including the Hawarden Public Library and through the Sioux County Conservation Board at Prairie Woods Nature Center/Oak Grove County Park, Big Sioux Recreation Area, and Sandy Hollow Recreation Area. We hope the backpacks will spark a love for birds among those who use them and inspire a future generation of Iowa Young Birders!"

Above: Loess Hills Audubon Society birding backpack. Below: Loess Hills Audubon Society member Tucker Lutter with Maddy Vlotho, Director of the Hawarden Public Library.

“We very much appreciate the efforts of LHAS to expand access to high-quality birding tools and resources across western Iowa and are excited to partner on this project,” said Tyler Harms, Iowa Young Birders Executive Director.

The locations of the nature centers and libraries with birding backpacks are listed on the Iowa Young Birders birding backpack map, along with other partner libraries in our Library Birding Backpack program. 

Want to see a birding backpacks in your local public library or nature centers, contact us to learn more!

Iowa Young Birders is excited to welcome Austin Roe as our new Associate Director! The Iowa Young Birders Board of Directors approved Austin's service on March 28, 2025. 

A native of Eddyville, Iowa, Austin grew up hunting, fish, and enjoying the outdoors. After high school, he spent four years in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton as a combat engineer. He then went to Kansas State University (Go Wildcats!) where he earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in wildlife ecology and management and studied ornithology in the Boyle Lab. Austin is currently the naturalist for Jefferson County Conservation in Fairfield. 

"As I learned more about animals and natural systems, my love for the outdoors grew and I decided that I wanted share my knowledge with others so they can enjoy and appreciate nature in the same way," says Austin. "This has led me to a career in environmental education and what made me want to join the team at Iowa Young Birders. I hope to be able to share my passion for birds with future ornithologists through field trips and other outreach events with the organization."

Austin takes over for former Associate Director Jayden Bowen, who resigned earlier this year to begin his medical residency in Dallas, Texas. Jayden held the Associate Director role since early 2022. 

"We're extremely grateful of Jayden's volunteer service to Iowa Young Birders for the past three years," said Tyler Harms, Iowa Young Birders Executive Director. "We grew our novel Summer Birding Program to record participation, hired our first summer interns, and started our new Library Backpack Program thanks in part to Jayden's leadership and passion for helping all kids experience the joy of birds. Austin embodies this same passion and we're excited to have him as part of our leadership team."

Austin has hit the ground running and is already planning field trips in southern Iowa this summer. He is hosting a trip to Jefferson County Park on July 12 and one to see Mississippi Kites at Memorial Park in Ottumwa on August 16.

On Saturday, August 3, 2024, 13 young birders, parents, grandparents, and supporters joined the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) at Snyder Heritage Farm near Elkhart. A beautiful property consisting of a mix of prairie, oak savanna, pothole wetland, and woodland ecosystems, Snyder Heritage Farm has been stewarded by INHF since the early 1990’s. We were joined by Sydney Algreen-Hunter with INHF, who shared with us the farm’s special history and led us on a walking tour of the different ecosystems. Everyone was excited to explore!

We were welcomed to the farm by a very cooperative Eastern Gray Treefrog that was resting on a picnic table near the barn. The frog was very cooperative, allowing everyone to study it closely as we talked about how this native amphibian can change from bright green to mottled gray. Later, it disappeared briefly only to reappear crawling up the trunk of a nearby tree. We paused to watch it hop out onto a limb. As we continued introductions, we found another amphibian, a Boreal Chorus Frog, bounding through the grass. One of the young birders quickly snagged the small frog and we studied its characteristic black stripes in hand. We might be there for the birds, but we always take the opportunity to learn about other critters!

As we started to hike towards the prairie to search for grassland birds, we stopped to admire an Eastern Bluebird perched on a fencepost, beak full of insects likely destined for the hungry mouths of nestlings inside a nearby nest box. We were soon drawn to the prairie by a song consisting of sharp chirps coming from low in the vegetation. With some patience, a Sedge Wren emerged, perching high on a compass plant stalk for everyone to see. We continued our walk into the prairie, pausing occasionally to learn about the many flowering plants, watch a Red-headed Woodpecker fly overhead, or to admire the Common Green Darner dragonflies zipping through the air. We finished our walk through the prairie with great looks of both male and female Dickcissels, another of our grassland songbirds.

After taking a break in some shade to watch some Barn Swallows swoop back and forth through the yard, we started towards the oak savanna. Along the way, we stopped to watch various species of dragonflies patrolling the edge of one of the wetlands and to study a distant Turkey Vulture sitting atop a powerline pole. The savanna produced some new species for our list including a House Wren, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Northern Flicker, and a gorgeous male Indigo Bunting. We also heard a Common Yellowthroat singing and stopped to study an Eastern Kingbird, both near the wetland as we hiked back to the barn. We finished our morning with 20 species of birds on our list as well as several other fun critters!

Thanks very much to INHF for hosting us and especially to Sydney Algreen-Hunter for teaching us about the plants and animals of the property! You can view our bird list here and photos from our morning here.

We're excited to welcome Judy Levings to Iowa Young Birders as the newest member of our Board of Directors! Learn more about Judy below.

Current town: Ames, Iowa

Home town: Perry, Missouri

What sparked your interest in birds/nature? 

My family had a rustic cabin on the Salt River in Missouri where everyone - aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends would meet most weekends to fish and boat. Fishing bored me, so I would do other things: walk, make forts, explore caves, and hunt for insects and salamanders. In high school, I took an advanced biology where the most marvelous teacher, Mr. Gibbs, introduced us to a huge taxonomic key on the Plants of Missouri. I traversed the county, searching for any kind of plant to identify. Birding didn’t happen until I took Ornithology from Dr. Dinsmore. Something about getting to handle tiny colorful creatures caught in mist nets hooked me. 

What is your favorite bird? 

Maybe the Prothonotary Warbler- isn’t this one a stunner, it’s reclusive so you usually have to work hard to find one. When you do, your day is brighter. 

What is your favorite birding/outdoor space?

Any place with undisturbed habitat - I travel a lot, so my favorite is the next Audubon site, National Wildlife Refuge, Yucatan ruin, or a friend's backyard where I get to share space with birds. 

Do you have young birders in your family?  

Yes, I do. My granddaughter is a birder extraordinaire. Coupled with her artistic and photographic abilities and easy-going mindset, she is a natural.

How did you first learn about Iowa Young Birders?  

We belong to the American Birding Association and there was an article about the Young Birders Association. When I was at Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt looking for a Prothonotary Warbler, I saw a group of youth and their families birding. I was told they were on an Iowa Young Birder’s field trip.  Ah, ha!

What motivated you to become an IAYB Board Member? 

I reached out to the organization to offer to volunteer.  After a nice discussion, it was suggested that my talents might reside in serving as a Board member.  

Why do you feel exposing kids to birds and nature is important?  

Developing the next generation of environmentalists or conservationists who have a land ethic is essential for our future.  Children can develop a land ethic in a myriad of ways, but exposure to the outdoors on a repeated basis with caring adults has the most chance of success. Birding is fun and can act as a hook. I think the beauty of the IAYB activities is that they are family-oriented, so our volunteer guides can provide tips and ideas for parents to feel more comfortable in the outdoors. If parents feel comfortable and know where to take their children outdoors, they will more likely repeat these field trips with their children - to parks and other outdoor spaces and programs.

On Saturday, July 20, 2024, 22 young birders, parents, and supporters gathered at the Brenton Arboretum in Dallas County for a morning summer birding. Penny Perkins, Education Director for the Arboretum, welcomed us and acquainted us with the goals of this 141-acre oasis in central Iowa. The Arboretum was created in 1997 thanks to a passion for trees by founder Buz Brenton and the collection has since grown to more than 2,500 trees and shrubs of 500 species in addition to several acres of native prairie. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Arboretum hosts a great diversity of birds and we were excited to explore the area!

We were greeted with rain that persisted for much of the morning. However, it didn’t dampen our enthusiasm! Our morning started with a life bird for many of the young birders - a male Northern Bobwhite whistling from a line of shrubs near the Visitor’s Center. We tried hard to get him in our binoculars with no luck, but it was still fun to hear his whistle and practice our own “bob-white” whistles for the remainder of the morning. The American Robins seemed extremely fond of the persistent rain, for we saw numerous individuals singing from treetops and flying around throughout the morning. While walking to Overlook Pond, we heard and saw an Eastern Meadowlark singing from a small tree near a hillside prairie. We paused to listen carefully to his melodious song.

A pair of Eastern Kingbirds was active around Overlook Pond, and we received several opportunities to study them. We also stopped to study a female Red-winged Blackbird, her brown streaks over a whitish-yellow body very different from the well-known red wing patch on a black body of her male counterpart. Also near the pond was a small flock of American Goldfinches, which provided us the opportunity to learn the plumage differences of males and females of that species. 

We took a break above Overlook Pond to learn about vegetative structure in native prairies, the important role it plays for grassland bird nesting, and how it is maintained through grazing and prescribed fire. We then hiked back to the Visitor’s Center, stopping along the way to listen to a singing Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, and to look for the pesky, secretive Northern Bobwhite again.

A huge thanks to Penny Perkins with the Brenton Arboretum for joining us and sharing her knowledge of trees and plants. Thanks also to all the participants for attending despite the somewhat unpleasant weather! You can view photos from our morning here and a complete species list here.

On June 29, 2024, 12 young birders, parents, and supporters met at Bickett-Rate Memorial Preserve in Cedar County to visit and learn about the historic Althea Sherman Chimney Swift tower. Currently maintained by the Cedar County Historical Society (CCHS), this tower is the original structure designed, built, and used by amateur Iowa ornithologist Althea Sherman to observe the nesting behavior of Chimney Swifts at her home in northeastern Iowa in the mid-1900’s. Ms. Sherman’s detailed observations of the many Chimney Swift nests in her tower contributed immensely to the understanding of swift nesting behavior and today are still some of the only observations of this largely unseen portion of a swift’s life. 

On this day, thanks to the CCHS and Ms. Sherman’s ingenuity, we had the unique opportunity to see a Chimney Swift nest! We were led into the tower by CCHS Treasurer Mike Boyle, who told us all about how Ms. Sherman used the tower to observe swift nests. He explained that she would often stay in the tower day and night to document when and how the adults would enter the tower to feed the young. The interior of the tower was fascinating! It consisted of a narrow staircase that wound around a 12-foot deep interior chimney, along which were several holes and windows providing a complete view of the chimney. At the top of the staircase was a door that could be opened for viewing and entering the chimney (if needed). Each participant was able to see the nest through this door, which was made of small sticks attached to the wooden wall of the chimney with the extra-sticky saliva produced by Chimney Swifts specifically for nest building. One young birder described the saliva as “honey-like”, which is very accurate! The nest contained 6 mostly featherless young, who made a very raspy, dinosaur-like call at any noise or movement. What an amazing experience it was to see a Chimney Swift nest up close!

After viewing the swift nest, we toured the farm with Mike, learning more about its history and the many species of birds, in addition to the Chimney Swifts, that call the farm home. We were endlessly entertained by the many Purple Martins zipping through the air with the Chimney Swifts, presumably capturing insects unseen to our eyes. The Purple Martins were happy to take up residence in the colony of nest boxes on the farm, and it was amusing to see young martins peaking their heads through the entrance holes of the nest boxes. Also on the farm were several Eastern Bluebird nest boxes, and we were treated with great views of an Eastern Bluebird near one of the boxes. It was the perfect morning for a leisurely hike with the birds!

Many thanks to Mike Boyle for teaching us about the history of the swift tower and the farm and to the Cedar County Historical Society for hosting us! You can view photos from our morning here and a complete species list here.