Effigy Mounds National Park

I am staying in Prairie Du Chien in Iowa but today I traveled only 4 miles to get to Effigy Mounds National Park. This is an ancient cemetery and a spiritual place. This mound is shaped like a little bear.

These are the first ones I saw as I walked up the steep hill. I heard a wood thrush, a red bellied woodpecker, rose breasted grossbeak, American redstart and a red eyed vireo.

This was a bigger bear mound.

I was so excited to see a pair of Baltimore orioles. Five seconds later I see a pair of scarlet tanagers. Bingo! This is my lucky day.

I walked as far as the twin views. I was sitting on a bench, all alone, minding my own business, when a tree between this view and the other view came crashing down and fell off the cliff. There wasn't a lick of wind and it was very startling to hear such a crash.

This is the other twin view. A little south of here, closer to the level of the water, is a group of bear shaped mounds in a row called marching bears.