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Bald eagles steal cold show
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| Sally Nye of Fennville, Mich., demonstrates “riving” or slicing thinly along the fiber of water-soaked white cedar. Nye and her husband, David, have revived the historical art of fan carving, mostly birds, they’ve researched in Eastern Europe. The Fenvilles participated in the Tri-State Woodcarvers show at Holiday Inn Express this weekend. |
by diane vance/gate city staff writer
A timely cold snap brought the stars of Keokuk's Bald Eagle Appreciation Days soaring into town on a sunny - albeit frigid - weekend for the city's 24th annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days.
From Wednesday's high of 48 degrees, Saturday morning eagle watchers stepped out to single digit temperatures with wind chills below zero.
The Mississippi River, fishing grounds for bald eagles, started freezing above Lock and Dam 19 at Keokuk, funneling more of the wintering raptors to the open waters below the dam.
“It was a tremendous weekend,” said Kirk Brandenberger, Keokuk Tourism and Convention Burea director. “The eagles put on a good show.
“The attendance was down slightly, but out of town guests virtually filled our hotels.”
The weekend actually began Friday with approximately 700 students in the Tri-State Area attending presentations at Faith Family Church in Keokuk. The World Bird Sanctuary, St. Louis, brought live raptors that are being rehabilitated to show and educate the audience. Students also watched a video about bald eagles and this year, learned about Native Americans and saw models of long and round houses from Iliniwek Village near St. Francisville, Mo.
“Kahoka schools attended for the first time this year,” said Brandenberger. “As they left, I heard a teacher say, ‘I can't believe we've never been to this before. It's excellent and in our own backyard.' That's great to hear.
“The seminars at the mall were well-attended. That's good for leading into what to present next year.”
Keokuk added new programs this weekend to focus awareness on the health of native mussels in the Mississippi River and the invasion of the emerald ash borer in the Midwest. The life and habitat of Iowa's bobcats, first presented about four years ago, was repeated and drew the largest audiences.
Education and public awareness about the American bald eagle over the past few decades have helped bring the raptor back from the endangered species list.
The seminars, given on both Saturday and Sunday at River City Mall, were part of many activities that have grown up around Bald Eagle Appreciation Days.
Native American people, arts, drumming and dancing honor the eagle as well providing education to the onlookers.
Young brothers, Logan Ade and Noah Brown, traveled with their family from Pleasant Prairie, Wis., for the second year to attend Keokuk's bald eagle celebration. Ade wore clothing representing the Creek Indians, while Brown preferred to stay in his jeans and T-shirt. Both were playing hand-held video games while their father, William Brown, drummed and led some of the dances at the mall.
“We've come to Keokuk for the second year as part of the ‘drum'” said mom, Stephanie Brown. “Our ‘drum' consists of people from northern Illinois and Wisconsin. We like coming to Keokuk.”
The Nights of Eagle Drum consists of a group of men drummers seated in a circle around a large drum - about two-feet in circumference - along with singers and dancers with tribal affiliations with the western Cherokee, Echota Cherokee, Lakota, Creek, Ojibwa and Blackfoot.
Onlookers were invited to participate in some of the dances.
Nearby vendor, Oscar Farinango of Chicago, enjoyed being near the drum and dancers. He returned to Keokuk for the third time to sell Native American-themed jewelry made by his family.
“I like coming here,” he said. “It's a good place.”
Another popular attraction is the rock, mineral and artifact show hosted by Worthen Earth Searchers.
Children and adults love to watch Mike Shumate and Mike Clifford crack open geodes.
“We came last year,” said Marilyn Roberts of Kahoka, Mo., who brought her granddaughter Trisha Shinn along. “She just loved it last year so we came back.”
Shinn was getting a look inside some of the geodes Shumate and Clifford opened. For 25 cents, customers can pick from a pile of small geodes. It is cracked open - perfectly in half - and the customer can take it home. Shumate and Clifford are not satisfied if the geode is a “dud.” If the insides are not defined crystal-shapes, another geode is cracked until the expected look is found.
Down the mall at another vendor, Miranda Reeves stopped to stroke an animal fur.
“We really enjoy coming out to eagle days,” said Marie Reeves. “We live by the river and see lots of eagles all the time.”
Surrounding communities are represented at eagle days. Hamilton Community Development Coalition of Hamilton, Ill., offered boards for sale to help fund building a covered walking bridge. The Hunold Heritage Center of Montrose had a display of historical items and photos of eagles for sale. Montrose residents Christal and Marissa Lewiston manned a table about Mississippi River mussels, including information from the American Pearl Button Company, from Washington, Iowa. Button factories up and down the river made mother of pearl buttons from the mussels.
Saturday and Sunday, tourists and residents stopped along the riverfront between Victory Park and the Southside Boat Club using viewing scopes provided and manned by staff from the Lee County Conservation Board, Iowa and Illinois Departments of Natural Resources and the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
A breakfast served annually at the boat club provides an opportune indoor viewing spot to watch eagles flying above the river, fishing, sitting on ice and in trees along the bank. Viewing scopes are trained on the far shore and islands near the Illinois side of the river, showing groups of 10 to 30 eagles sitting on the ice or up in tree branches.
“When Eagle Days first started, there weren't that many to see,” said Bob Schieffer, Keokuk. “Now, there's hundreds.”
From Wednesday's high of 48 degrees, Saturday morning eagle watchers stepped out to single digit temperatures with wind chills below zero.
The Mississippi River, fishing grounds for bald eagles, started freezing above Lock and Dam 19 at Keokuk, funneling more of the wintering raptors to the open waters below the dam.
“It was a tremendous weekend,” said Kirk Brandenberger, Keokuk Tourism and Convention Burea director. “The eagles put on a good show.
“The attendance was down slightly, but out of town guests virtually filled our hotels.”
The weekend actually began Friday with approximately 700 students in the Tri-State Area attending presentations at Faith Family Church in Keokuk. The World Bird Sanctuary, St. Louis, brought live raptors that are being rehabilitated to show and educate the audience. Students also watched a video about bald eagles and this year, learned about Native Americans and saw models of long and round houses from Iliniwek Village near St. Francisville, Mo.
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“The seminars at the mall were well-attended. That's good for leading into what to present next year.”
Keokuk added new programs this weekend to focus awareness on the health of native mussels in the Mississippi River and the invasion of the emerald ash borer in the Midwest. The life and habitat of Iowa's bobcats, first presented about four years ago, was repeated and drew the largest audiences.
Education and public awareness about the American bald eagle over the past few decades have helped bring the raptor back from the endangered species list.
The seminars, given on both Saturday and Sunday at River City Mall, were part of many activities that have grown up around Bald Eagle Appreciation Days.
Native American people, arts, drumming and dancing honor the eagle as well providing education to the onlookers.
Young brothers, Logan Ade and Noah Brown, traveled with their family from Pleasant Prairie, Wis., for the second year to attend Keokuk's bald eagle celebration. Ade wore clothing representing the Creek Indians, while Brown preferred to stay in his jeans and T-shirt. Both were playing hand-held video games while their father, William Brown, drummed and led some of the dances at the mall.
“We've come to Keokuk for the second year as part of the ‘drum'” said mom, Stephanie Brown. “Our ‘drum' consists of people from northern Illinois and Wisconsin. We like coming to Keokuk.”
The Nights of Eagle Drum consists of a group of men drummers seated in a circle around a large drum - about two-feet in circumference - along with singers and dancers with tribal affiliations with the western Cherokee, Echota Cherokee, Lakota, Creek, Ojibwa and Blackfoot.
Onlookers were invited to participate in some of the dances.
Nearby vendor, Oscar Farinango of Chicago, enjoyed being near the drum and dancers. He returned to Keokuk for the third time to sell Native American-themed jewelry made by his family.
“I like coming here,” he said. “It's a good place.”
Another popular attraction is the rock, mineral and artifact show hosted by Worthen Earth Searchers.
Children and adults love to watch Mike Shumate and Mike Clifford crack open geodes.
“We came last year,” said Marilyn Roberts of Kahoka, Mo., who brought her granddaughter Trisha Shinn along. “She just loved it last year so we came back.”
Shinn was getting a look inside some of the geodes Shumate and Clifford opened. For 25 cents, customers can pick from a pile of small geodes. It is cracked open - perfectly in half - and the customer can take it home. Shumate and Clifford are not satisfied if the geode is a “dud.” If the insides are not defined crystal-shapes, another geode is cracked until the expected look is found.
Down the mall at another vendor, Miranda Reeves stopped to stroke an animal fur.
“We really enjoy coming out to eagle days,” said Marie Reeves. “We live by the river and see lots of eagles all the time.”
Surrounding communities are represented at eagle days. Hamilton Community Development Coalition of Hamilton, Ill., offered boards for sale to help fund building a covered walking bridge. The Hunold Heritage Center of Montrose had a display of historical items and photos of eagles for sale. Montrose residents Christal and Marissa Lewiston manned a table about Mississippi River mussels, including information from the American Pearl Button Company, from Washington, Iowa. Button factories up and down the river made mother of pearl buttons from the mussels.
Saturday and Sunday, tourists and residents stopped along the riverfront between Victory Park and the Southside Boat Club using viewing scopes provided and manned by staff from the Lee County Conservation Board, Iowa and Illinois Departments of Natural Resources and the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
A breakfast served annually at the boat club provides an opportune indoor viewing spot to watch eagles flying above the river, fishing, sitting on ice and in trees along the bank. Viewing scopes are trained on the far shore and islands near the Illinois side of the river, showing groups of 10 to 30 eagles sitting on the ice or up in tree branches.
“When Eagle Days first started, there weren't that many to see,” said Bob Schieffer, Keokuk. “Now, there's hundreds.”
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