Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa
Not writing anything here in the blog during the last few days doesn’t always mean I’m not behind the camera. A project around the house took priority this weekend. But beside bird watching in the early mornings here at home, I made another trip down south along the Mississippi River. A number of different sandpipers and plovers were present but were often too far away for a good photo beyond a documentary shot.
Nevertheless, I had some good moments with swallows. A Northern Rough-winged Swallow hasn’t been in front of my lens for a long time. This branch was hanging above a water-filled canal in the Green Island Wildlife Preserve. A perfect habitat for catching insects and replenish energy resources in their little bodies. The fresh green of the trees on the other side of the canal was nicely out of focus and is a perfect backdrop for such a spring photo.
Tree Swallows
I wonder how long we still will see Tree Swallows in the Green Island Wetlands. Their natural nesting places, cavities in trees, will quickly disappear while the majority of trees near the water is dying from water levels too high during recent years. This may benefit the habitat for some waterfowl but I see already a decline of other bird species, like warblers, in this area.
Both photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,