After chasing Common Gallinules (hit) and Least Bitterns (miss) at Green Island, the Armstrongs and I visited the Mississippi River Eco Tourism Center Monday morning. Its situated within Rock Creek Campground and Marina. This 100-acre area is well wooded with several trails. Observation decks at the center look out over a river channel. An 8,000-gallon aquarium houses native fishes, and live-size replicas of Iowas record fish are displayed. One of the naturalists, Mark Roberts, took us for a spin on the Blue Heron. The pontoon is easy to board and very comfortable with great visibility. Canoes and kayaks will also be available for those who want to explore the backwaters on their own. A unique occurrence is the bat stream that flies over the area at dusk heading to the river for foraging. The bat numbers have reached over 5000 at times, although numbers probably wont be that high in October. It still should be a neat experience, and it will be added to the schedule for Friday evening at 6:30. Please note that the cabins really are just wooden tents, with no plumbing or electricity.
Hope to see you in Clinton, Denny Thompson Johnston --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
