Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Baby Bird Alert! We've got chicks running around on the Tern Barge and you can watch them in real time using our live cam (just look for the moving fuzz balls!): https://www.earthcam.com/usa/missouri/westalton/tern/ Interior least terns are the smallest North American tern species. They were delisted earlier this year thanks to conservation efforts and partnerships throughout the Upper Mississippi River. It is a great conservation success story to motivate us to keep protecting our endangered species! #LeastTern #TernBarge #RiverslandsUSACE

It’s hot. It’s dry. But you’re bursting at the seams with raw, unbridled patriotism. How will you express it all if not with fireworks? Luckily, we came up with... some ideas for you: Run through an open field at full speed screaming the Star Spangled Banner at the top of your lungs. Sweat it out with an interpretive ribbon dance. Red, white and blue streamers, anyone? Look at pictures of bald eagles online. Nothing says America like a bald eagle. Buy a pair of the pants shown in this picture and wear them literally everywhere you go. No one wants a roundhouse kick to the face while you’re wearin’ those bad boys. Forget about it! Be your own firework. Cover yourself in glow sticks and dance around in the dark. Speaking of dancing in the dark: Listen to a bunch of Bruce Springsteen as loud as you can. Walk around saluting random objects. There’s just something about a good stiff-handed salute that says I am proud to be an American. Dump a bunch of Mentos into a kiddie pool full of Coke. Watch every Steven Seagal movie. Wear a life jacket. Few things are more patriotic than refusing to die. Pen your own poetic interpretation of the Declaration of Independence. Host a literal birthday party for the United States of America. Heck, you’ve got the backyard for it. Do a backflip. Smash a watermelon. Visit a dam or Corps of Engineers recreation site. The Corps helped build this nation. That’s pretty patriotic Right? Guys?? Write a thank you letter to the U.S. of A telling it how grateful you are for your many freedoms. BONUS POINTS: Share a pic or video of you doing one or more of these things. ** In all seriousness, though: ** Many counties and cities across our area have banned the use of fireworks this year. And for good reason. Last year, we experienced the worst wildfire season in our state’s history and, much more recently, the hottest temperatures ever recorded for many parts of the region. Put simply, the conditions are perfect for a fire to start. So please, be careful and exercise caution as you go about your Fourth of July celebrations. Let’s each do our part to protect this land we all love. Nothing is more patriotic than that. And remember: Fireworks are always a no-go on Corps lands. #fireworks #IndependenceDay #wildfire #safety #RecreateResponsibly

Holiday Weekend Closure Hours for Riverlands Way and Lincoln Shields Recreation Area WEST ALTON, IL The US Army Corps of Engineers, Rivers Project Office, will temporary close Riverlands Way and Lincoln Shields Recreation Area in West Alton for the Fourth of July Weekend. Riverlands Way will be closed beginning the evening of July 3rd at 10:00pm until 7:00am the following morning of July 4th. The road will close again at 7:00pm the evening of July 4th until 7:00am the fol...lowing morning of July 5th, at which time normal access will resume. Lincoln Shields Recreation Area will be closed beginning the morning of July 2nd at 6:00am until 7:00am the morning of July 4th, therefore Lincoln Shields will be closed in totality on July 3rd. The area will close again at 7:00pm the evening of July 4th until 7:00am the following morning of July 5th, at which time normal access will resume. These closures ensure the protection and safety of federal lands here at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. For more information please contact Park Ranger Josh Schulte at 314-657-8535.

Remember to always #RecreateResponsibly especially on the upcoming holiday weekend!

Remember to #RecreateResponsibly this weekend and all summer long! As seasons change, so do our practices to keep everyone safe outside, and to protect the places where we spend time outdoors. As the weather becomes warmer and wildland vegetation, or fuels, begin to dry out, it is time to plan for wildfires. Here are some tips to help you #RecreateResponsibly and do your part for wildfire prevention and safety during #FireYear2021.

Hop on over to the #NGRMRaptorWeek to read more about our American Kestrel nest box and monitoring project with our wonderful partners!

Be aware and prepared while eagle-watching on this extra frigid day! While the tours of the locks and dam may be canceled, the National Great Rivers Museum is a great place to warm up and enjoy indoor views of the Mississippi River and bald eagles. You can also get a great look at a resident bald eagles nest. If you must venture outdoors, make sure you wear a hat and gloves, making sure all exposed skin is covered to avoid frostbite. Take care while driving and watch your step when walking on slippery surfaces.

Have you been checking out our weekly waterbird surveys and wondering how we got those numbers? Did we do a team raffle to see who gets to come up with this week’s numbers? Did we look out at Ellis Bay and say Hmm, let’s just go with 883 swans.? If you guessed A Rivers Project waterfowl biologist uses a standardized protocol to count, and estimate as close as possible, the number of visible waterbirds in each of our wetlands, then you were exactly right! Ryan Brady, a wi...ldlife biologist on our Environmental Stewardship team, is the dedicated waterbird surveyor for Riverlands. From fall to early spring, he uses his well-practiced waterbird counting skills (which does require plenty of practice plus extensive knowledge of bird ID!) and a scope to conduct waterbird surveys once a week across the Sanctuary. This information helps us understand what birds are using our wetlands and when, which can improve our future habitat management. So a thank you to Ryan for bracing the cold winter mornings to let us know what waterbirds are hanging out at Riverlands! We appreciate you from our heated offices, sipping on hot coffee. #RiverlandsUSACE #Waterbirds #IWMM

Meet Swan 06A, a Trumpeter Swan that was collared in Sawywer, WI on 9/8/2003, and photographed by #DougHommert at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary earlier this week. At 17 years old, this is the oldest collared swan recorded by the Great Rivers Trumpeter Swan Watch at Riverlands! This individual, along with many others like it, was collared to study the migration, habitat use, and life history of Trumpeter Swans. This species was at one point near extinction in North... America due to widespread hunting and habitat loss from the 1600s -1800s. By 1935, only 69 known individuals were recorded in the continental U.S. Through the collaborative efforts of state and federal agencies, local organizations, and non-profit groups, Trumpeter numbers have rebounded with more than 63,000 swans counted in 2015 across the continent! Our humble sanctuary hosts one of the largest overwintering groups of the interior Trumpeter Swan population. Swan 06A will be leaving soon to head back north towards nesting grounds but hopefully we will see them again in years to come. Have you seen a swan with a collar? Report it to the Trumperter Swan Society! https://www.trumpeterswansociety.org//t/report-a-swan.html Thank you to #DougHommert for sharing this awesome photograph! #RiverlandsUSACE #TrumpeterSwan #Migration #AudubonatRiverlands

And they’re baaaaaack! Trumpeter Swans have been hanging around open waters in Ellis Bay in high numbers as the cold front freezes wetlands and river habitats to the North. Now, we’re just waiting on the bald eagles..

Happy Friday Morning from Riverlands! Enjoy this beautiful sunrise over Ellis Bay, captured this morning! #RiverlandsUSACE #WinterSunrise #MississippiRiver

Waterfowl are really taking advantage of the unfrozen waters at #Riverlands! We've got hundreds of swans, geese, and ducks hanging out in Ellis Bay. Enjoy some footage of Trumpeter Swans on the ice taken through a scope this morning! #RiverlandsUSACE #Trumpeters

Make sure to check our live event on January 2nd! Eagle Fest is going virtual this year!

A pod of pelicans, gaggle of geese, and a raft of trumpeter swans and ducks on Ellis Bay. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! #RiverlandsUSACE #Waterfowl

Here is your weekly Waterfowl-ish Survey! The Integrated Waterfowl Management and Monitoring survey is part of a national program designed to use monitoring, modeling, and decision support tools to guide management and acquisition of wetlands for non-breeding waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds. These surveys are done throughout the migratory season, starting in the fall and ending in early May. This data can help monitor species and population trends at Riverlands and co...uld be used to inform conservation and management efforts. What is your favorite waterfowl to spot? Drop a vote below by commenting for ducks, for swans, or for geese! #RiverlandsUSACE #Waterfowl

It's back - River Ramblings, the River's Project Newsletter, has a new issue and it is better than ever! The Summer/Fall 2020 issue of River Ramblings covers all things navigation, stewardship, recreation, and more! Learn about dredging on the Mississippi River, endangered bat monitoring, and how we've managed to adapt our education and outreach to a global-pandemic world. To get a PDF version of the newsletter, please send us a message through Facebook or email one of our ed...itors, listed on the first page side-bar of the newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading! #RiverlandsUSACE #RIversProject #RiverRamblings

As much as we at Riverlands try to avoid disturbing our waterfowl friends, sometimes it is a necessity. Like when our live camera at Heron Pond needs a little maintenance! Biologist Tyler Goble stirred up quite a few green-winged teal yesterday when he rebooted and moved the Heron Pond live cam platform. Fellow biologist Ryan Brady captured the moment and noted that as the teal flushed into the air, a peregrine falcon swooped in and attempted to grab one (but dropped it!). N...ature is pretty amazing! Check out the live cam at: https://www.earthcam.com/usa/missouri/westalton/tern/ #RiverlandsUSACE #Waterfowl #WetlandCam