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There’s a new species of dove arriving in Eastern Iowa. Well, the species isn’t new, but its presence here is. It’s the Eurasian Collared Dove and they’re spreading quickly across the United States.
You can see he looks a bit like a cross between a pigeon and a mourning dove. Wikipedia describes him like this:
It is a medium sized dove, distinctly smaller than the Wood Pigeon, similar in length to a Rock Pigeon but slimmer and longer-tailed, and slightly larger than the related Turtle Dove, 30–33 cm long from tip of beak to tip of tail, with a wingspan of 47–55 cm, and a weight of 125–240 g. It is grey-buff to pinkish-grey overall, a little darker above than below, with a blue-grey underwing patch. The tail feathers are grey-buff above, and dark grey tipped white below; the outer tail feathers also tipped whitish above. It has a black half-collar edged with white on its nape from which it gets its name. The short legs are red and the bill is black. The iris is red, but from a distance the eyes appear to be black, as the pupil is relatively large and only a narrow rim of reddish-brown iris can be seen around the black pupil. The eye is surrounded by a small area of bare skin, which is either white or yellow. The two sexes are virtually indistinguishable; juveniles differ in having a poorly developed collar, and a brown iris.
The dove seems to prefer urban areas and often comes to feeders – a bonus for spotting this new guy. The Iowa DNR told us that since it is a dove, it is protected as Iowa law prohibits the shooting of any dove species. We haven’t seen one yet, but if you do… let us know!
Join us on Friday, June 11th at 8 PM for a Firefly Walk. Because, after all, it isn’t summer until you see the fireflies!
This magical evening walk will take place along the grass-covered prairie trails. Come and learn about the different colors and signal patters of this amazing insect that is so much a part of our Midwestern childhood memories.
For contact information and fees, click here to be taken to our calendar.
The picture in this post is used courtesy of pareeerica. Go see more of her GORGEOUS work on Flickr by clicking here.
Hi all! I hope you’re gearing up for a great long weekend!
We thought we would drop a line to clear one thing up:
Did you know that the Nature Center’s trails and grounds are open EVERY day of the year during daylight hours? That’s right!
Building hours are 9 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday and 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturdays (with a few holiday-related exceptions). But you can come and enjoy our trails on your own any time the sun is up!
So throw on your hiking shoes and hit the trails! We’ll see you there!
(Take a peak at a trail map by clicking here! One thing to note: use the car bridge to access trails on the west side of Indian Creek – we’re still working with the city to get the foot bridge re-set.)
Get the lay of the land this weekend at the Nature Center!
First, join our naturalists and guests for Lens on the Land on Saturday, May 15th at 1 PM. This program helps us view our corner of the world geologically, through the “lens” of the Ice Age and with a human perspective.
Then take a walk in Allsop Woods with our director Rich Patterson. Allsop, a Nature Center protected property on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids, is a beautiful property with no trails, so be prepared for a true walk through the woods! Meet at the end of Heatheridge Drive NE this Sunday, May 16th at 2 PM.
