NATURE CLICKS #590 - BROWN CREEPER


Brown Creeper, Little Maquoketa Valley, Iowa

I’m very, very happy about this photo of this tiny little bird. The fast moving Brown Creeper started at the base of this oak and spiraled upwards, looking for insects in the cracks of the bark. It’s hard to follow them with the lens and their plumage is such a perfect camouflage, making it difficult to obtain a sharp focus. Here in eastern Iowa they can be found throughout the year but most of the time we see them during the cold season.

DID SOMEONE SAY ”NASTY WEATHER”?


Eastern Bluebirds

I’m not a big fan of the term ”nasty weather”. It was probably invented by couch potatoes that never set a step outside their doors when the sun is not shining… Well, today I don’t mind to use the term (sorry my fellow couch potatoes!), because the day started with sleet, followed by rain, and a snowy mix, and within a half an hour it led to an ice cover wherever the eye went.

It was a good reason to stay home all day and try to capture what’s around bird feeders or who visits the heated bird baths in the front or backyard.

I’m sometimes puzzled by what the so called ”influencers” post on their websites, blogs, or podcasts on the internet. Just recently I came across an article about having a clear glass filter in front of the lens leads to a significant decrease in picture quality. Not supported by any real facts. I’m not the only one (some real famous photographers do it as well) that attach a clear glass filter to their expensive lenses in order to protect the front element of the lens against any unpredictable physical impact. Most of us still have to work hard for our equipment…

Well, today an additional sheet of glass was between the sensor of the camera and the subject of interest. I had to shoot through the glass of the balcony door here at home.

The Eastern Bluebird in the back was in focus when the second one in the front spoiled the party and landed on the rim of the bird bath. First I wasn’t happy but finally accepted that it adds to the story. A little more subtle is the streak of rain near the upper right corner of the photo. Who will doubt that this was shot in ”nasty weather”?

Here is a little trick for dealing with the slight blur of a glass window. Use the ”Dehaze” slider in Adobe Lightroom or ACR, just with a slight increase by +2 - 4 steps. It works wonder! Other, non-Adobe software has probably a similar feature under a different name.

While everything around, the boards of the balcony, trees, or of course our drive way were covered with a layer of ice, the only place that wasn’t you can see in this picture. The heated bird bath prevents the stone at it’s edge from freezing over in such a weather. The bluebirds love this spot, and so does the photographer…

RETROSPECTS 2024 #4 - GREAT SKIES OVER THE VALLEY


After sunset, Green Island, Upper Mississippi Valley, Iowa, February 25, 2024

While digging through my photos from 2024 I got reminded that we had quite a few days with overcast or just a boring sky. Nevertheless, we also had our good share of great sunrises or sunsets here in eastern Iowa. This day at the end of February I mad a couple shots of a Rough-legged Hawk and a Sandhill Crane flying across the Green Island Wetlands in the afternoon, but they were not filling the frame, so more less just documentary shots for myself. I stayed late in hope to see maybe an owl but this didn’t happen. The clouds and setting sun came to my rescue and after capturing a few moments during the blue hour with the Z 24-70 f/4, I changed lens quickly when the day ended with a nice glow above the rocky bluffs of the Mississippi Valley.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 150 mm, 1/2000 s, f/8, ISO 1600

HAVE TO LOVE THOSE BLUEBIRDS


Male Eastern Bluebird

My photography friend Kevin had invited me every year to his backyard during the breeding season of Eastern Bluebirds and many good shots are in my photo library due to his generous sharing of the location. I would like to do the same, inviting him for a shooting session during the winter season. Kevin knows when the bluebirds hatch in the nest boxes that he puts out at the edge near the woods of his property and the chances are always high to come home with a decent image of a parent bird with food in their bills. Well, I would like to return his favor but the visits of Eastern Bluebirds at any of our three bird baths are not predictable. Yesterday I had eight birds coming to the water bowl on our balcony, but today, with even more time on hand to watch, none of them showed up.

We didn’t see any bluebirds during last winter season but the bird droppings beside the bird bath tell me this time, we have a good crop of juniper berries in the eastern cedar trees that grow here on top of the bluffs of the Little Maquoketa Valley. The short appearance of two Cedar Waxwings yesterday, another bird that feeds on juniper berries during the winter, seems to confirm my observations. Well, enough of bird biology. I hope you enjoy my photo of this male Eastern Bluebird today and have a wonderful weekend.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #6 - BACK TO BROWNSVILLE AGAIN


Juvenile Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Brownsville, Minnesota

It was quite cold during the last nights and as a result the Mississippi River and all the other bodies of water started to freeze over, at least at places without much current. I had planned to go back up north to Brownsville, Minnesota again for the Tundra Swans but was wondering if the swans had taken off towards the Atlantic coast already. They will definitely do, if there is no access to food anymore due to an ice cover. Luckily my concerns were unfounded and this part of the river was not frozen over and several large schools, like the one in the picture below, were still present.

Tundra Swans on the Mississippi River. The main channel of the river is way back behind the islands at the Wisconsin side of the river, but the current of the water was still strong enough here to keep this part without an ice cover last Saturday.

I’m happy to witness this part of the great migration almost every year in November, even if the birds are too far out for a photo. Well, there are other things to look at and the most exciting were a large number of Bald Eagles. It’s always fun to watch how they chase each other after one gets a fish out of the water, drops it, and the game starts all over again. It takes a little patience because most of the hunting happens further away from the overlook, but I had my share of chances with the eagles within shooting range of the camera.

Canada Geese, Brownsville overlook, Mississippi River, Minnesota

I talked about it before already, shooting from an overlook and a bit above the water level leads not always to a desirable photo. However, it’s a good place to be if you have a flock of Canada Geese flying by and they honk at you at eye level. Great day, good times!

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

NATURE CLICKS #589 - EASTERN BLUEBIRDS


Eastern Bluebird, male

Much colder temperatures and a bit of sun today have increased the activities around the feeders and bird baths in the front yard. It was only a couple days ago that finally the water bowls had to be connected to a power supply for the heaters. Later than any other year before.

We see a lot of goldfinches and sparrows beside the regular birds, like titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, or all the woodpeckers at the moment, but the most exciting visitors were six Eastern Bluebirds today. I never see them eating any seeds but they seem to love the warm water of the water bowls. We had bluebirds during other winters before but never so many at the same time.

Despite the cold air it was fun to shoot with some nice light after all the dark and gray skies we had lately. I didn’t bother to set up the tripod and just enjoyed handholding the Nikon Z600/f6.3. The light weight of this new lens allows for quick changes of my position and for trying to keep up with the birds.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

Eastern Bluebird, female

RETROSPECTS 2024 #3 - PACIFIC FORESTS


Lush forest, Oswald West State Park, Pacific Coast, Oregon

Part of my love for the Pacific Northwest is due to magnificent trees and vegetation we can find there. The lush forest, including the remaining parts of pacific rainforest, is just beautiful. Trees can be found in sizes rarely seen in the rest of the country. Like here in Iowa, there is always some dead wood laying on the ground that turns me away from making the click. When I find a spot with a promising outcome and light that supports the story about the location, I want at least give it a try. Well, part of the story can’t be told through a photo, and that’s about how wonderful it smells in these woods. So, let’s at least try to tell the visual story as good as we can…😉

RETROSPECTS 2024 - #2 - MARITIME SUBJECTS


Port of Newport, Oregon during the Blue Hour

Already in my childhood I was fascinated by anything that had to do with boats, harbors, and coastal life. Maybe no surprise for a guy who grew up in a hilly and wooded area… Well, I still get a kick out of it and whenever there is a chance to shoot in an harbor, I have no problems to find something to aim my lens at.

The Port of Newport, Oregon was the perfect playground at different times of the day. I focussed mostly on details during the days with an overcast. Going out for dinner during the blue hour to a seafood restaurant right at the harbor provided other opportunities and walking back to the car long after sunset wasn’t without charm either.

Containers full of crabs shortly after unloaded from a boat

Maritime details are a great subject for a day with an overcast sky

The port at night with hardly any wind blowing from the Pacific Ocean

RETROSPECTS 2024 - #1 - OREGON COAST


Surf, Ecola State Park, Oregon

I know, it’s a little early to start with retrospects for 2024 already but some other projects kept me away from the camera lately. I still have been out in the Great Outdoors this weekend but sometimes we just have to let it sink in and admit that the pictures we brought home do not tell the story as we thought they would.

So here we go with a photo, created in late March, from the coast of Oregon at the Pacific Ocean. Ecola State Park has some great vistas, like the view to Tillamook Lighthouse, and watching and listening to the surf below was just great.

I used a 2 second exposure to give the surf a sense of motion but without making it a ”milky puddle”. Each image was different and the surf really dictated how the photo was perceived. This one I liked the best…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #5 - TUNDRA SWAN MIGRATION, AND OTHERS


Tundra Swans, Mississippi River, Brownsville, Minnesota

One highlight for bird watchers in November is always the annual tundra swan migration on the Upper Mississippi Valley. Thousands of Tundra Swans make a stop near Brownsville, Minnesota just about 10 miles north of the Iowa border, on their way from the arctic to Chesapeake Bay at the Atlantic Ocean. They rest here before they finish the last 3000 miles to their destination.

I didn’t hold a camera in my hand for a week and was eager to take the two-hour trip up north today. I was a little stunned when only a few hundred swans were present, but the friendly Naturalist who was on site told me that we haven’t seen the peak yet. With other words, most Tundra Swans are still somewhere further north. She had a display table with lots of information about the swan migration, about the food they are looking for, like the starchy bulbs of arrowhead plants, and she answered the questions of many visitors.

Beside the Tundra Swans many other birds rest and feed in pool #8 of the Mississippi River and today’s little gallery can only show a few of them.

Gadwalls

Gadwalls were present in large numbers, probably several thousand, but I saw many other ducks, like American Wigeons, Northern Pintails, Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Ducks, Scaups, and Wood Ducks.

American White Pelicans

A large squadron of American White Pelicans socialized together on one of the islands nearby. They were joined by this group that landed in the water shortly after they made a flyby at the Brownsville overlook.

Trumpeter Swans

Trumpeter Swans can be found among the Tundra Swans. They are slightly larger and adults do not have the yellow spot at the base of their black bill. This family of Trumpeter Swans passed by at the Hwy26 overlook, a mile further south. Their calls are different and make it easy to distinguish between both species.

Northern Shovelers, New Albin, Iowa

This photo was made near New Albin, just at the Iowa-Minnesota border. Northern Shovelers are dabbling ducks and feed predominantly at the surface of the water. These five females had a feast and hardly stopped eating despite my presence. This was shot out of the car window, almost on eye level with the birds. The photos from the overlooks are made from a much higher vantage point and even cropping can’t prevent the not always desirable look of a ”bird from above”.

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x,

WAY TO GO


Fall has many ways to tell us that the growing season is over and nature gets ready for hibernation and all the other things we associate with the season before winter. I made this photo about two weeks ago up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. This was at a little pond, nestled between endless woods and next to a swamp. The trail cameras of a friend prove that deer, bears, and wolves call this area home, even if we hardly ever see them during the day.

The cattails I found at the shore are called ”Kanonenputzer” in the area where I grew up in Germany. This means loosely translated ”canon cleaners”. Maybe you agree that this name describes the plant as good as the english term ”cattail”.

Enough about names, it was the gorgeous side light that made the decaying cattails and grasses stand out. The water of the pond and the woods in the background are pushed back by a strong underexposure, letting the shapes and details of the plants tell the story of a sunny afternoon on a beautiful day in autumn. To me color meant nothing in this image, it was all about the light, contrast, and shapes of the subject. I thought Black & White was the way to go.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #4 - PEACEFUL SUNSET


Sunset in the valley, Mississippi River, Abel-Essman Island, Guttenberg, Iowa

I really rushed down the hill into the Mississippi Valley, hoping to reach the outlook before the shadow of the bluffs would cover the island, on my way home last night. Just as I pulled into the parking lot beside the road the shadows already crept up on the west side of the island. When I jumped out of the car with the camera in hand a small airplane just took off from the landing strip between the buildings on Abel-Essman Island. Too bad, I missed that rare opportunity but I’m happy with this peaceful sunset scene in the river valley.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 49 mm, 1/500 s, f/10, ISO 200

THE OTHER SHOT


Autumn light, Dunnings Spring Park, Decorah, Iowa

Driving back home from another business trip this afternoon I took the time and stopped at Iowas tallest waterfall in Decorah at Dunnings Spring Park. This location is part of the Driftless Area here in the Midwest, not flattened by the glaciers of the ice age, and home of  clear trout streams, waterfalls, caves, and it is just as gorgeous as it is in our neck of the woods.

I guess you may ask, Andreas, where is the waterfall? Well, I made quite a few clicks. Used a tripod and shot with long exposure times to make the water looking smooth, tried to avoid the dappled light as much as possible, but still didn’t like the outcome. I have photographed the waterfall before and accepted somehow that this time we had a lot less water coming down the stream after a dry summer. At the end, looking at my photos on the screen of the monitor, it was not what I had in mind. They just didn’t tell the story of a ”great waterfall” as I had remembered it.

This is a very narrow side valley of the Upper Iowa River and there is only a short time during the day when the sun actually shines into it. While hiking down back to the parking lot my eyes were on the crystal clear waters of the stream and suddenly I saw another picture opportunity. It is this certain quality of light as we can only experience in autumn and that I love so much, even with the absence of fall colors in the trees. The leaves are almost gone her in eastern Iowa. It’s still warm, but winter is coming for sure…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #3 - REST ON A SANDBANK


American White Pelicans and Ring-billed Gulls, Mississippi River, Le Claire, Iowa

After a week of business travel it felt great to go out and enjoy nature and wildlife watching again. Yesterday’s trip along the Mississippi River led me all the way down to Le Claire, Iowa and up back north on the Illinois side to Savannah, followed by a short visit of the Green Island Wetlands on the Iowa side again.

Below lock & dam #14 in Le Claire these two American White Pelicans rested on a sandbank in company with a number of Ring-billed Gulls. They preened their feathers in the sun. It was quite a bit away from the shore and the 1.4x teleconverter was used to expand the focal length to 840 mm. People always debate the use of a teleconverter and claim it would degrade image quality. Except for the loss of light that hits the sensor (it becomes a f/9), I can’t confirm the loss of sharpness. The Nikon Z 600 f/6.3 works great with the TC-1.4x.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x

@ 840mm, 1/1000s, f/9, ISO 200, image slightly cropped