NATURE CLICKS #624 - RED-HEADED WOODPECKER

Red-headed Woodpecker, Little Maquoketa Valley, Eastern Iowa

We have four different woodpecker species that are permanent residents in our woods throughout the year and three more that are present occasionally or only during certain times. Although not uncommon in this area we see the Red-headed Woodpecker only at the end of April or early May for a few days. Most likely this woodpecker is on its journey to the northern states or even Canada, who knows? I got the word that two birds have been spotted around here and a couple days ago I waited patiently behind some plants on the porch in the morning for about an hour. The Red-headed Woodpecker showed up three times, was very skittish, and didn’t come close enough for a good shot. It maybe sensed my presence. Finally the bird approached briefly one of the suet feeders and flew up in a tree again. The wonderful saturated morning light was perfect for a photo of this gorgeous looking woodpecker.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x,    @ 840mm, 1/1600s, f/9, ISO 1000, image cropped

TWO DAYS EARLIER

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Thunderstorms crossed the Midwest today and gave me a chance to pause my ongoing little construction project for a while, sit on the porch with the camera in my lap and watch birds during the rain. It didn’t take long to spot this first of the season male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. This guy was totally wet and probably a bit tired after the long journey from either Central or South America. This was two days earlier than last year. The grosbeaks enjoy our sunflower seed feeders and I expect to see a few more during the next weeks. I think it is always a good bird to practice wildlife photography. With their black, white, and red plumage, rich in contrast, it is not so difficult to focus on and get a sharp picture even for someone who is new to wildlife photography.

SPRING OBSERVATIONS

Pine Warbler

I’m sorry I promised you a spring report from our front yard and the surrounding woods last week but an ongoing project kept me busy and any photography activities are put on the back burner right now. Nevertheless, there is a lot going on, starting early in the morning with the gobble calls from the Wild Turkeys in the woods and the chatter of countless goldfinches and other little ground feeders. It’s just pure joy to sit on the front porch, listen to all the birds, and making a few clicks with the camera. Here are some photos, telling us the story, spring is here in full swing.

This Pine Warbler flew in and even visited our sunflower seed feeder.

White-throated Sparrow

Since about two weeks we see at least four White-throated Sparrows in the yard. They feed always on the ground below bird feeders. It’s not uncommon to see a couple sometimes during winter time, but it’s the first time for us that so many stay here for so long.

Chipping Sparrow

First there is the loud thrilling call of this tiny pretty sparrow. I heard one for several days but didn’t see it. I call them my ”spring indicator” and always wonder where did they spent the winter? Some fly south to Mexico while others spend the non-breeding season in Florida. By the way, the same day my ”winter indicators”, the Dark-eyed Juncos, were still present as well. It’s going to freeze again tonight. No wonder the juncos are not in a hurry to move up north…

American Robin

The American Robin is a bird that is around here all-season. While during the winter time they congregate in large flocks, now the pairs are busy with nesting activities. The dry grass in the yard was easy to find and the female will build the nest from the inside out, pressing dead grass and twigs into a cup shape using the wrist of one wing (source: allaboutbirds.org). There are several pairs present but non started to build a nest on our balcony yet, as they sometimes do. Will see, robins can have up to 3 broods per year…

I hope my little report encourages you to get out with your camera and catch the spring activities around your neighborhood. I look forward to see your photos, wherever you post them…

P.S.: In a first version of this blog post I had named the first bird as a Palm Warbler, even I had actually identified it as a Pine Warbler. I used accidentally the wrong source while writing about the warbler. I’m sorry and thank you to Mary Leigh for sending me a notificatioin about my mistake!

NATURE CLICKS #623 - BLACK-NECKED STILTS

Black-necked Stilt, Mississippi River, John Deere Marsh, Dubuque, Iowa

My plan for today’s blog post was actually to report about some observations I made yesterday in the front yard and our woods but this all changed with a link I received this morning on the phone. Someone reported two Black-necked Stilts that have been present in the John Deere Marsh at the Mississippi River. My first thought was, oh, this was yesterday, they have probably moved on already, but since this county park is only 10 minutes away from home I decided to jump in the car and give it a try.

Black-necked Stilts are rare for our area and the last ones I photographed was 2023 in Southern California. Indeed, the two birds were still present and these beautiful stilts were not difficult to locate. The only drawback was the weather. A heavy gray overcast is of course not ideal for birds in flight, or like in this case for birds on the water. The heavy rain from yesterday made for some muddy water in the Mississippi River. The Black-necked Stilts didn’t seem to mind that and foraged with high intensity in the shallow water along the John Deere Dyke. Their diet consists of mollusks, small fish, snails, aquatic insects, and seeds. Well, I’m glad I went out this morning. The spring report from the yard can wait another day…

All photos: Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x

DUCKS IN FLIGHT, STILL REMAINS A CHALLENGE

Northern Shovelers

One of the biggest challenges in wildlife photography is to nail a sharp shot when the animal is moving, and I mean fast moving. Since a while we have quite a few more tools that can help to do it, like cameras with better and faster autofocus systems or noise reduction software in camera and post process that allow to shoot with higher ISO settings. It enables us to shoot with much faster shutter speeds even under low light conditions. This is all great but I still think good handholding and proper panning technique with the long lens is the real key for success.

Blue-winged Teals

Some people may smile when I go out to the Dubuque Airport every summer and photograph old prop planes in flight with slow shutter speeds. I really love to make pictures of these planes but the second reason I do this is to practice handholding and panning with the camera and a long lens attached.

Lesser Scaups

We still see large numbers of migrating ducks or pairs that get ready to raise a new generation right here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. Most of them are very skittish and quite often take off before we can get into position for even a shot of the birds swimming in the water. Part of the challenge is to predict the flight path they will choose after getting out of the water. If we get this right we can gain a little more time to lock the focus on the bird and pan along with the camera as the ducks fly by. Am I there yet? Oh no, the keeper rate is not as bad as it was a few years ago, but I let you know when I have the first set of sharp images of a flying Tree Swallow on my memory card… hahaha 😂

NATURE CLICKS #622 - RING-NECKED PHEASANT

Ring-necked Pheasant, Green Island Wetlands, Upper Mississippi Valley, Iowa

Any time you think, I have seen it all, when you frequently go to a certain wildlife area, nature may prove you wrong. After two other photographers told me they had seen some Ring-necked Pheasants in the Green Island Wetlands I opened my eyes a little more yesterday evening. Sure enough, I spotted a colorful male bird walking through the reeds and grasses in the wetlands. I never saw one before in the Green Island Wildlife Management Area, didn’t know they were there.

And here is why I like this shot. In late winter or early spring the vegetation from the year before doesn’t look very pretty anymore. It’s all dried up or laying in the mud and is in process of decay. This can often ruin a perfect sharp and well lit shot because the background or surrounding of the animal just look very distracting. In this picture the pheasant is in his habitat, tries to hide behind the grass, and the light of the low sitting sun is reflected by the feathers of the bird and throws the beautiful colors right between your eyes. I waited until this guy was about to walk through the gap in the grass. Suddenly the pheasant stopped and stood even still for a few seconds and allowed me to make this environmental portrait of a Ring-necked Pheasant.

Well, the ”eyeball photographers” among us may turn up their nose because the bird is partly hidden, but the storytelling aspect of the photo wins and is much preferred, at least in my books. More to come…

NATURE CLICKS #621 - PILEATED WOODPECKER (AND A LITTLE SIZE COMPARISON)

Female Pileated Woodpecker, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands

After a number of rainy and cloudy days last week it was a gorgeous Easter Sunday with lots of sun and very little haze. A perfect day for doing some birding in the Mississippi Valley.

When you see all the holes in this dead tree you know why this female Pileated Woodpecker loves this area in the Green Island Wetlands. They feed on insects such as ants and wood boring beetle larvae but also eat fruits and nuts. These really big birds drum with their bills on hollow trees to claim territory. During all my recent visits in Green Island I have heard the drumming many times, even saw the woodpeckers briefly, but it is not easy to get them in front of the lens. Today it all worked out well with some saturated light as a bonus.

Male Downy Woodpecker

Here is a little size comparison. While the Pileated is is about crow-size and the largest woodpecker we can find here, our smallest one is the Downy Woodpecker, with a body of maybe the size of a fist. Both photos were made in the same area, less than 50 yards away from each other.

This wasn’t the only story today to tell with a photo. So please stay tuned, more to come…

I’VE SEEN A COUPLE

Easter Greetings to all friends and visitors of my website!

The lush green in the picture tells you that this is a photo from last summer. However, we have at least two Eastern Cottontails around the house at the moment but I didn’t see them today. Well, maybe they are just busy hiding the Easter eggs for the kids in the neighborhood…

IT’S BACK

Fox Sparrow

Yes, winter is back here in Iowa and we received a bit of snow last night. My Nikon Z6 III came back from Nikon’s service right in time, where a small issue was fixed and the camera was checked and cleaned. A lot of birds moved in this morning and I was happy to create some pictures in the front yard today, with the snow as a light enhancer.

My attention went mainly to the sparrows that are usually here only in the winter and during migration time. They feed on the ground below our bird feeders and the challenge is to get a shot without any seeds or bird droppings on the snow.

Fox Sparrows are larger than other sparrows. They scratch often between leaves in search for insects or seeds. These birds spend the winter in the southern parts of the US and breed in northern Canada and Alaska.

American Tree Sparrow

We don’t see the American Tree Sparrow always up here on the bluffs above the valley but quite often along the Mississippi and its tributary rivers during winter. Here is an interesting fact I didn’t know, despite their name the females build their nests on the ground, which is of course not here, but high up in northern Canada.

Dark-eyed Junco

And here is the bird I call the ”winter indicator”. With the snow that fell overnight and with the low temperatures that came with it probably over 100 juncos were present today around the house. During the warmer days about a week ago only a handful was still here, but the experience from the last twenty years taught me, winter is not over in eastern Iowa until the last Dark-eyed Junco has moved up north. Much warmer weather is expected later this week. Will see if some juncos still stay here or say good bye for the season…

All photos: Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

NATURE CLICKS #620 - BALD EAGLE

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, near Savannah, Illinois

The photo is already a few days old but I still like to share it with you. It doesn’t happen every day to have a Bald Eagle right on eye level with the camera. By using the 1.4 teleconverter the focal length was extended to 840 mm. Many eagles were present that day, but this one had the best position and background next to the Savannah Bridge across the Mississippi River.

Nikon Z6 II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x

ON THE MOVE

Greater White-fronted Geese, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands

Spring is probably the most exciting season for any wildlife photographer here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. It is one of the main flyways for the birds that move up north after the winter to their breeding grounds in the arctic region of northern Canada. Thousands of ducks and geese fill the air with their chatter and communication while they rest in the wetlands or fields and we can hear the birds when they fly over the house.

I love to watch the big flocks taking off from the lakes and marsh land in the Green Island Wetlands just before sunset. It’s hard to predict where the best spot is to stand with the camera and wait for the moment. The birds have their own mind and don’t care where the photographers are positioned. Luck was on my side yesterday evening and the first flock flew right overhead towards the low sitting sun. Just what I was hoping for. The second photo reveals that a few ducks, Northern Pintails, are among the geese and Saturday morning we saw some Snow Geese as well.

There was still over one hundred Trumpeter Swans feeding in the lakes of Green Island last weekend. I’m sure most of them will move on further north soon. It’s warm here right now but snow and ice might be still present in parts of Minnesota and Canada.

Many pairs of Canada Geese have established their territories already and nest building will follow soon. Others will still migrate to Canada or the northern US.

After a busy weekend it’s a nice feeling to end it with a sunset like this over the bluffs of the Mississippi Valley. Time to drive home…

PERSISTENCE FINALLY PAID OFF

Short-eared Owl, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands

The avid reader of my blog knows that I have been in the Green Island Wetlands and on Sabula Island at the Mississippi River once or twice every week this year. One of the birds I really wanted to see again was a Short-eared Owl. Other birders and photographers had told me about their recent observations but luck was not on my side.

Yesterday, shortly after sunset, I finally spotted at least two Short-eared Owls and tried to make the best out of the low light situation. The owls were very active hunting for small rodents and I caught even one that had just made a kill of what looks like a vole. Standing next to the car the birds came really close and flew even right overhead. This was an amazing experience and I didn’t put the camera back into the bag until the absence of light made sharp focus on the subject impossible.

I was very glad that going back to this location many times finally paid off and I’m happy to share these photos with you. But I wasn’t the only one that had put some efforts into the game. Behind my car parked a young lady with her camera, who came all the way from Kansas for some pictures of a Short-eared Owl. She said she would drive back to Kansas City still last night and had a couple more hours to drive home this morning. Well, I call this passion!

Successful hunter with a vole for dinner

THE CRITTER AND A WORD ABOUT THE HABITAT

Striped Skunk, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

A little hike deep into the marsh of the Green Island wetlands in the Mississippi Valley started with a nice surprise. With my eyes mostly up and looking out for birds, I almost stumbled over this Striped Skunk that was obviously in search for food. After we discovered each other the skunk kept searching, had still an eye on me ones in a while but wasn’t bothered much by my presence. I kept my distance, knowing that they can spray their musk, with its very powerful odor, several meters from the two scent glands they have around their anus. If you look at this beautiful animal it is easy to understand why it was one of North America's most sought-after fur-bearers.

I took a new lens I just had acquired for the first time on a hike and wanted to learn how it performs and how it handles in the field. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 VR S is only since a few days in my bag and using 400 mm focal length was perfect for this shot, keeping the distance and not making the skunk feeling threatened. I still cropped the picture a little bit because at the end of winter there is a lot of dead plant material scattered everywhere in the marsh and I tried to keep as much as possible out of the frame, especially in the foreground.

Green Island Wetlands

The second picture is a view across the marsh at Green Island, with the Illinois side of the Mississippi River in the background. This was shot with the same lens at 100 mm. It was quite cold during the last few days and most of the water was frozen again. The photo shows also the dilemma we face in many parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Floodplain forests along the Upper Mississippi River are experiencing mass die-offs, with thousands of trees lost due to prolonged, intensified flooding caused by climate change and altered river hydrology. These "dead zones" are compounded by invasive species, specifically the emerald ash borer.

I have visited and photographed the Green Island Wetlands since 2011 and even if I shoot mostly wildlife pictures, the landscape images from the past document some of the wildlife habitat loss we can see.

ABOVE AND BELOW LOCK & DAM 11

Frozen Mississippi River, Mud Lake Park, Iowa

I start with one of the last photos I made this weekend. The Mississippi River is about 1.5 miles (~2.4 km) wide at this point and was still completely covered with ice. No chance for any duck to find food here, about 6 miles north of lock & dam #11 in Dubuque.

Male Common Goldeneye, Lock & dam #11, Dubuque, Iowa

That was different below the dam. There was quite a bit of open water yesterday and even more today with the temperatures way too warm for February right now.. Hundreds of ducks were on the move. The male Common Goldeneye, with their white body, dark head, and the yellow eye, is one of the prettiest ducks we can see at the moment. I shot this picture right below lock #11 and distance was a little bit a problem. Most goldeneyes preferred to dive for food away from the shore and despite using the 600 f/6.3 lens with the teleconverter, I still had to crop the image a bit.

Mallards, Mississippi River, A.Y. McDonalds Park, Dubuque

It’s not difficult to find Mallards any time of the season. On a sunny day and with the colors of their feathers really popping it is fun to photograph them while they do their thing along the shore. Beside what I can show today I saw Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaups, and Common Mergansers, unfortunately not close enough to make a good click. Maybe next time…

NATURE CLICKS #619 - PURPLE FINCHES

Male Purple Finch, Little Maquoketa Valley, Iowa

Purple Finches with their big beaks are winter guests here in eastern Iowa that have their breeding territory further up in North America. We used to see a lot more of them 15-20 years ago but it seems like that House Finches outnumber them more and more. However, we still had a few Purple Finches all winter long and during the last few days with warmer weather their numbers increased slightly.

Female Purple Finch

This weekend the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place and people report bird observations in order to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. I spent quite some time during the last couple days with the camera outside and counted every bird I saw in our front yard this morning at the feeders, bird baths, and in the surrounding woods. Six Purple Finches were among 17 other species that showed up.

Male Purple Finch

Female Purple Finch

All images: Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x