Izaak Walton Report
A bright spot in a bleak winter seasonby Blaine Kloppenborg
Article Photos
December, January and February are the times of the year I really don't like - especially February. The winter holidays are not a source of joy for me and they seem to last far longer than their designated four or five weeks.
I've lived in Iowa for most of my life, and I love the mist, rain, clouds, fog, and snow, hot and cold. But as the years have gone by, I have had to admit to increasing discouragement during this dark season. In the middle of it all, the winter solstice is a day of hope. There are reasons, you know, why not many people book a vacation cruise to Iowa in February and many Iowans don't over-winter in Iowa.
Most times, however, the weekends are bright spots in my life. Take last Sunday, for example. Helen Nordgren and Dorothy Schueler called me up around noon. "Take us out to see some birds," they said. I'd just bought a new spotting scope and wanted to try it out, and they offered to bring a Thermos of coffee. We had us a done deal.
I took the gals over to Lehigh and Dolliver State Park - one of Iowa's top birding sites - in the hopes of seeing birds like bald eagles, common redpolls and cedar waxwings, and maybe a shrike. It was a shivering 28 degrees with a cool north wind and we're trying to see a bird. I offered encouragement by saying that at least there wasn't a bone-chilling stiff wind. I tried to thaw their spirits with a "you think this is cold" story. Cold is like fishing: There's always a story that tops the last one.
I like those old towns like Lehigh. You know the kind I'm talking about the ones with a tiny main street and a hole-in-the-wall caf. Boy, I love mom and pop cafs. Well, we walked up and down the Des Moines River down there in Lehigh and then drove over to Dolliver Park. We saw a hoary redpoll, we saw a pine siskin in a spruce tree and an evening grosbeak in a pine tree - just where they should be. We had good looks at another hoary redpoll and could see that it definitely looked "more wintery" than a common redpoll. We watched black-capped chickadees come to a pinecone. I saw a flock of "cravens" - either crows or ravens at a distance. In this part of the country they were probably crows. Did everyone see every bird that he or she had hoped to see? I suspect they did not. That's a good thing. It will give them reason to come back. One good bird can warm three winter months. All birders, you know, are intrepid searchers of the Holy Grail - a bird they have never seen before - one more bird to add to their life list. We did, however see quite a few wild turkeys. Most of them were clear out in the open fields trying to find food. And geese I got to tell you we saw flock after flock of geese migrating northward.
Turkey calling contest
I got a note from Andy Long. A turkey-calling contest, sponsored by the Scenic Valley National Wild Turkey Federation and JAX Outdoor Gear of Ames will be held Saturday at 4723 West Lincoln Way, Ames. The event begins at 9 a.m. when Rod Pettit of the Knight and Hale Elite Pro staff presents the Hunter Versus Six Toms program. Pettit has won the Kansas state turkey calling championship.
Registration for the turkey-calling contest is from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Calling starts at 1 p.m. There will be four divisions: Jakes, a junior division for those 15 years and younger; Hunter (amateur) division, open to anyone who has never placed or won a federation calling event; Senior state division, open to any Iowa resident age 21 or older; and Senior open division, open to anyone (in-state or out-of-state) age 21 or older. All callers must be members of the wild turkey federation. Signup is available Saturday. Members should have their membership card with them.
I saved the best for last. Monday, I was out and about driving around (well, OK, if you must know the truth, I was headed downtown for a cup of coffee) and I saw my first robin of the season. One was perched on a stop sign at the corner of James Street and West Curve Drive. I saw three more at the east end of Ohio Street near the Boone River walking trail. Is this a sign of spring, or what?
Small game and upland hunting seasons
Crow season ends March 31 at midnight. Pigeon season also end March 31 at midnight, except that within 100 yards of buildings and bridges, pigeons may be taken year-around.
And now have a good weekend.
