Date: 3/31/25 8:53 am From: Neil Bernstein <tornataornata...> Subject: [ia-bird] First Issue of Iowa Bird Life for 2025 is now available on the IOU Website
The first issue of Iowa Bird Life for 2025 is now available for download to
members, and there is a lot to like. An apology: The last four weeks have
provided constant setbacks to getting this issue completed. It is now
available on the IOU website, and print copies should reach your mailbox in
2-3 weeks. However, the Publishing Committee has been working hard to give
IBL a new look with new features. We hope that you like the changes.
First: The entire issue is in color! Members have asked for this, and we
are going to see how the budget holds up with all color printing. I think
you will like it, especially when you see the knockout range comparison
maps in Wendy VandeWalle’s Summer Field Reports. Wendy, Ann Johnson, and
Wendy’s husband, Terry, have been working on Field Reports. With eBird, the
number of records and species has exploded. Field Report editors have a lot
more work. Ann, our fearless, tenacious and creative webmaster notes that
the Fall 2015 report had 2568 observations from 99 observers. Fall 2023 had
174,101 observations from 1360 observers. Wendy rushed into the breech and
produced a spectacular report that also details the diverse and destructive
weather of last summer.
We also are using a new typeface that we hope you will find
easier to read, and we have added two new introductory pieces: one a note
from the IOU president and one that augments the cover photos.
Jim Dinsmore has three interesting historical pieces, one
on The Writing of *Iowa Birds*. As a new birder in Iowa, my copy of this
book fell apart from overuse. I also love his recalling a news story about
wintering Greater Prairie-Chickens and the much loved Fifty Years Ago
column (How many of you read this article first?). Jim also wrote a book
review of Kenn Kaufman’s interesting book on John J. Audubon and some of
his contemporaries.
Clayton Will, our poet laureate from last issue, has a
contribution on American Avocets that highlights the great work our members
do for documenting rare events and species, and Tucker Little wrote a
background to birding at the Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve (TNC) to
stimulate your interest in the upcoming spring meeting in western Iowa.
You will note some size of print changes for reports,
contributors, and other parts. We are trying to maximize contributions by
printing in all-color, but the cost of printing each page is higher. The
issue can also be downloaded to a computer and expanded if you want to read
sections in a larger font.
Thanks to all who have sent poetry, reflections, essays,
and photos of art. Please keep them coming, and I will add them to the
journal as fast as possible. As always, let us know what we can do better.
