SUDDEN SURPRISE

Cooper’s Hawk, Mines of Spain, Dubuque, Iowa

With all the snow on the ground that finally made for a ”real” winter here in eastern Iowa any place where birds are attracted to feeders would have been a good place for some wildlife photography today. I went to the E.B. Lyons Nature Center in the Mines of Spain, where the feeders are filled regularly by Ken, a photography friend and active birder. People of all ages can watch the birds from inside the nature center or like me, just stand outside between the trees and wait what happens.

While I watched a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows a much larger bird came suddenly from behind, flew right by me within a 3-4 feet distance, and finally landed in a nearby tree. This one was bigger than our Sharp-shinned Hawk and its rounded tail tells me it might be a Cooper’s Hawk. They are hard to tell apart from each other and I wasn’t able to see its chest pattern. Since all the little birds were long gone, the hawk didn’t waste any time and moved on after a few seconds.

Dark-eyed Junco

It didn’t take very long and all the woodpeckers, finches, nuthatches, chickadees, and sparrows came back to the bird feeder area at the nature center. The Dark-eyed Juncos feed mostly on the ground or seek shelter in the dense branches of nearby bushes. They scratch the loose snow or leaf litter with their feet and try to find something to eat, often little pieces of seeds other birds have dropped below the feeders.

1.  Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S,    @ 600mm, 1/1600s, f/8, ISO 800, image cropped,

2.  Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S,    @ 600mm, 1/3200s, f/8, ISO 800, image slightly cropped,

ALL LINED UP TODAY!

Brown Creepers, Little Maquoketa Valley, eastern Iowa

More snow this morning and a great chance to tell winter stories with our photos. To get some snow trails in the picture it was required to extend the exposure time at least to 1/160 seconds or even slower. This all worked well and it also helped to employ the Westscott FJ80 II speed light to overcome the deep gray sky and have a little bit of color bouncing back onto the camera sensor.

And then it literally got all lined up and I was able to make a photo I was hoping for since a long time, but never was convinced it would happen. I knew we have two Brown Creepers in our woods and I have seen them both at the same time before. Unfortunately never really close to each other. Either one always seemed to mind their own business. While focussing on woodpeckers that came to our suet feeders today I suddenly saw both Brown Creepers lined up on the log below a feeder cage. They normally move pretty fast up a tree but for a few seconds both birds had stopped and waited until a Red-bellied Woodpecker had left the food source.

The Brown Creeper is the tiniest bird we see here during winter time. With their fast action it’s not an easy task to have them in sharp focus. As you can imagine, this shot made my day!

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Westscott FJ80 II speed light,    @ 840mm, 1/160s, f/9, ISO 200, image slightly cropped,

OH, THAT BIG REFLECTOR!

Male Eastern Bluebird

Some of the followers in my blog may say, oh boy, he is posting Eastern Bluebirds again, we saw that a few times during this winter season already… And you are right, but as much I try to report about the variety of wildlife we have at a certain time here in the woods of eastern Iowa, the photography related questions make me change my focus about what I like to post here in the blog sometimes. So why the bluebirds again? First, the fact that a flock of about ten birds has been around all winter long has been a first time experience during the last twenty-one winters we live here on top of the bluffs of the Little Maquoketa Valley. But with all the pictures I took recently there is one big thing missing, the great reflector from underneath that a fresh layer of snow can provide. Gosh, I love this kind of light that make very critter pop because the reflections from the snow below give it a quality that no other season during the year can deliver.

Both photos were shot through the glass of the balcony door. As I mentioned sometime before, the distance to the next bird bath is too short for using the Nikon Z600/ f6.3. Well, it’s a good thing that the Sigma 150-600 is still in my possession and with its about 9 feet (2.8m) minimum focus distance it works well for this location…

With all the technical talk that hopefully helps other photography friends with their own endeavors , its all about the beauty of our wildlife we are able to enjoy.

SHARPI STRUCK AGAIN

Sharp-shinned Hawk

We received quite a bit of snow today, the first time this season worth to talk about. The numbers of birds visiting our feeders increased with every snow flake that hit the ground. The first thing I saw this morning while looking at the birds was our Sharp-shinned Hawk sitting in the snow of the driveway. I knew immediately what had happened because I witnessed it before at other times. The hawk had caught some prey midair and just rested with its kill for a moment. When the Sharpi finally took off I saw a small bird in its claws, probably a poor junco or a finch that wasn’t fast enough to hide.

The photo above is not from today but it lets us imagine what a fierce predator the Sharp-shinned Hawk is. With their distinctive proportions, long legs, short wings, and a long tail they can move in an acrobatic manner between trees and at top speeds in pursuit of small birds or mice.

LITTLE NAP IN THE SUN

Female White-breasted Nuthatch

After a few days with nothing but a cloudy and gray sky we are all happy to see the sun again for a while. The last day in January had plenty of it although it feels strange not having any snow on the ground. We humans are not the only creatures longing for light and warmth during winter. This female nuthatch usually hardly ever stops moving around, but it found a spot to sit down for a while, close the eyes, and take a little ”power nap” in the sun.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2025 #1 - BALD EAGLES

Adult Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, between Sabula, Iowa and Savannah, Illinois

A quick trip along the Mississippi River down to Green Island and Sabula this evening led to today’s photo. A couple Bald Eagles had perched in the dead trees along the road between the Sabula island and the bridge that crosses the main channel of the river over to Illinois. It was obvious that 600 mm focal length would not be enough to fill the frame with an eagle, but adding the Nikon Z1.4 teleconverter to the lens gave me 240 mm focal length more. I drove back to the birds with the side window down and the camera already in my lap. Made sure there was no car behind me, stopped briefly, and fired a number of shots until another car approached from behind. The light about an hour before sunset was just gorgeous for this kind of a shot. Back home at the computer I still thought I had a little bit too much ’wood’ in the frame and finally cropped the photo slightly.

Most of the Bald Eagle nests I saw today had already a pair of birds in or near the nest. It’s a big joy to see how this majestic bird bounced back from being almost extinct not that long ago.

NATURE CLICKS #591 - CEDAR WAXWING

Cedar Waxwing, Little Maquoketa River Valley, Iowa

Warmer weather brought some changes in the numbers of birds that visited our woods here today. The Dark-eyed Juncos that were here by more than a dozen during the polar vortex were not seen today, except for one.

The two American Robins we had all winter long so far were joined by a flock of at least ten more birds. As often observed before, the robins had company by some Cedar Waxwings. They are here for the same food source as the American Robins and Eastern Bluebirds, the juniper berries that hang from the Eastern Cedar trees we have around here.

During the summer the waxwings feed also from insects but the juniper berries must be a good winter diet for them. The Cedar Waxwings are very careful and they often sit for quite some time on a perch before they approach the water bowls of a bird bath. This is when the photographer has a great chance to make a picture of one of the most beautiful birds around here.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,   @ 600mm, 1/2000s, f/8, ISO 1000,

DEFYING THE POLAR VORTEX

A Polar vortex-driven Arctic blast hit the country during the last few days. Not so much new here in the Midwest but when the beaches in Florida or Alabama are covered with snow it’s worth to mention it. The cold weather here led to an increase in numbers of birds that visit our feeders and bird baths. I counted the highest number of Eastern Bluebirds we ever had seen here at the same time (10) and assuming there were at least a couple more up in the trees. Of course I’m not the biggest fan of having the bird bath in the frame but it was the only way to tell the story about the large congregation we were able to enjoy. Other birds use the safety of being in a flock as well and among the bluebirds we find American Goldfinches, House Finches, Sparrows, and the occasional Cedar Waxwing.

At temperatures as low as -26ºC (-15ºF) I fill all five suet feeders for the woodpeckers and nuthatches and still, some birds have to wait in line for their turn to feed. The larger species, like the Red-bellied, or Hairy Woodpeckers dominate while they are present and the much smaller Downy Woodpeckers wait patiently until their larger cousins are done. A popular ”waiting spot” is the small oak between two of our bird feeders. A few snow flurries danced down to the ground today, adding to the story of cold winter weather while this male Downy waited for his turn to feed.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Wilson’s Snipe, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, 12/22/2024

There wasn’t much going on here in the blog lately. We had family over here from Germany during the last few weeks and that took priority over photography efforts besides some shots that captured memorable moments of the good time we had together.

However, I still can’t get over that we found a Wilson’s Snipe in the Green Island Wetlands during a hike two days before Christmas and that’s why I came up with another photo from this series of shots.

So here is a little more input about the shooting conditions. It was a low light situation shortly before sunset. The bird was mostly probing with its long bill in the mud below the edge of the thin ice. I needed some speed to freeze the fast movements and cranked up the ISO settings to 10000 (yikes!!) but also used the technique of ”peak of action”, the brief moments when the snipe stopped and lifted the head out of the water for a second or so. I also was hiding behind some grass that swayed in the wind, leaving only a small gap for a clean view at the bird. I finally cropped the image so the grass was kept out of the frame.

Well, the other family members stood and waited in a respectful distance, watching my excitement about this bird and the efforts to get a shot. It was a memorable moment in any way and this photo will always remind me about just that.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S,    @ 600mm, 1/800 s, f/6.3, ISO 10000, image cropped

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…

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