The best places to watch bald eagles in Iowa

October 14, 2026

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Amie here. One final stretch of hot weather this weekend is hopefully now settling into cooler autumn. Suddenly, over the last week, the trees have become absolutely radiant here in Waterloo; leaves crunch underfoot as I take Phoenix on long, luxurious walks in the cool air.

Fall in Iowa is the best season to be outdoors, in my humble opinion. So many ACTIVITIES—stargazing, camping, hiking, bonfires, tailgates, getting lost in a corn maze, making soups, carving pumpkins, and more.

What’s your favorite fall activity? Reply and tell me; I’ll share your answers Friday.

Amie Rivers

Newsletter Editor, Iowa Starting Line

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Thursday is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, “a day to reflect on the loss yet remember the love.”
Thursday is also National Cheese Curd Day. If you can’t get any locally (the BEST), at least get thee to a Culver’s.
Soybeans everywhere, and not a drop to drink: A Cedar Falls woman wanted to make a Japanese dish with Iowa soybeans, but most grown here aren’t sold here. She eventually found some, and now makes her own small-batch miso.
The 8th annual Cedar Rapids Halloween parade will be next Saturday, Oct. 24.

Watch bald eagles in NE Iowa

Yes, I know it’s barely fall, but the eagles are coming!

Each year, bald eagles migrate south to the Mississippi River, where open water provides an important food source when temperatures freeze waterways farther north.

Here are some of the best places to spot them around Dubuque, Iowa, this eagle-watching season.

Spend a winter afternoon eagle-watching in Dubuque. (Ray Hennessy/Unsplash)

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Workers saving workers: After a piece of steel went through their coworker’s arm last month, three workers at Mid-States Companies in Nevada acted quickly to fashion a tourniquet, ultimately saving the man’s life.

Shooting for the stars: Iowa astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson, still the record holder for longest time spent in space, was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Dancing the day away: Studio 13 in Iowa City hosted the Queer Elders of Iowa City’s Queer Dance last month, a program put on by the Iowa City Senior Center. “The dance floor should not have a particular time that leaves people out,” Senior Center Coordinator LaTasha DeLoach told Iowa’s News Now.

Readers are invited to join the conversation. Please include your first name and last initial; your city is optional. Responses may be lightly edited for length, clarity, or typos.

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