AMAZING APPETITE

Last Sunday I came across this little story that is told by today’s photos. I just love to see nature taking its course and we as humans can only stand by and watch in awe.

I entered the scene in the Green Island Wetlands and witnessed what you can see in the picture below. A Great Blue Heron had just speared a bowfin, also known as a dogfish in our area, with its long bill. It took the bird some efforts to wade through the mud and weeds to carry the fish to shore. I spare you the pictures where the fish got tossed around and punctured some more, making sure there was no life in it anymore.

Suddenly a shadow entered the scene in my viewfinder. I looked up and saw this Bald Eagle circling a couple times overhead. Stealing a fish from another bird isn’t new for an eagle but it obviously had learned a lesson before and knew the heron wouldn’t let him have it. The eagle turned away.

So, how does a Great Blue Heron brag about its catch? Well, this one shook his feathers several times and gave me a great show while the bowfin was laying dead in the water.

Time to eat. The heron shook the fish a few more times and finally gobbled it down, head first.

A few seconds later the bird stood at the edge of the water like nothing had happened. I was just wondering how the heron’s ability to fly was affected with such a heavy meal in its belly…?

I shot all pictures with the Z600 / f6.3 with the Z1.4 teleconverter attached, giving me 840mm focal length. However, the distance between me and the bird was still too wide and so I cropped the photos a bit.

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

AT THE OPEN WATER

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Bellevue, Iowa

The people that live here in the Upper Mississippi Valley know if you like to see Bald Eagles during these very cold temperatures, you have to visit the places with open water. Since the big river is almost everywhere covered with ice, you can find the eagles mostly below the locks & dams that enable the boat traffic during the warm season and are placed about every 30 miles in the Mississippi River.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

I went to Lock & Dam #12 in Bellevue today and found more than a dozen Bald Eagles soaring above the water and hunting for fish. It took a little patience and a long focal length (840 mm) to get them in the viewfinder. The sun came out for a little bit and made for nice afternoon light. At -15ºC / 5ºF warm clothes, warm boots, and gloves are mandatory if you want to have fun and enjoy the photography of these majestic birds…

A LAST VISIT

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Sabula, Iowa

Today was probably the last time in 2025 I visited the Green Island Wetlands and ”Iowa’s Island City” Sabula at the Mississippi River. The statistics in my picture library tell me that I was 20 times in this area this year. Every season is different and each visit doesn’t lead necessarily to some good photos. Sometimes it’s overwhelming and quick decisions have to be made about where to point the lens next. Other times, like today, it takes a long time to have something in the frame that is worth to push the shutter release button on the camera.

Today it was mostly raptors that showed up since all the water bodies were frozen. I saw three Northern Harriers, a couple Red-tailed Hawks, and along the road to Sabula three American Kestrels.

The click for this Bald Eagle was made right after the bird took off from the ice and flew over to a dead tree where its mate was already waiting.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x,    @ 840mm, 1/800s, f/9, ISO 3200, image cropped

THE SLIGHT DIFFERENCE

Bald Eagle, Cape Arago State Park, Oregon

Making a photo of a Bald Eagle here in the Upper Mississippi Valley isn’t really such a difficult task anymore. This species was delisted from the endangered species list in 2007 after a remarkable population recovery due to conservation efforts like habitat preservation and captive breeding programs. At or near the Mississippi River or even at many tributary rivers you most likely can see them. When they perch you may find them in a dead tree or on a branch in a deciduous tree. During our recent trip to the Pacific Northwest I wanted a different shot, a Bald Eagle perched in a coniferous tree. Their population is not as dense as here in eastern Iowa, but I finally found a bird that would become part of my story telling. We don’t have really many conifers where an eagle could perch but at the Oregon coast I found the difference I was looking for.

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,    @ 840mm, 1/2000s, f/9, ISO 400, image slightly cropped,

SLOW MOTION APPROACH

Bald Eagle, Green Island Road, Iowa

We are in full preparation for our next adventure but I still try to find the time for a blog post from last weekend. While approaching this Bald Eagle I made a few ”safety shots” from a larger distance. The eagle seemed to ignore me and I moved the car closer to the tree where the bird was perched. This happened very slowly and my movements with the camera are done in almost slow motion so the bird doesn’t see me as a thread. When I was right below the eagle it was easy to compose and fill the frame while handholding the camera.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x.   @840mm, 1/2000s, f/9, ISO5000

BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER

Pair of Bald Eagles, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Shortly after I started shooting pictures of this pair of Bald Eagles the female left the tree. At that time I didn’t know it was the female. She returned after three minutes The eagles greeted each other with loud vocalization and another minute later the male seemed to understand that his partner was receptive and ready for copulation. Most Bald Eagles are monogamous and mate for life and they can live up to 30 years in the wild.

The metadata of my images reveal that it all lasted for about 13 seconds. Afterwards the pair sat together in the light of the setting sun, which is generally interpreted as a sign of strong partnership and a renewal of their bond. I never witnessed this important ritual for a healthy Bald Eagle population and I felt rewarded by watching some essential biology.

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

…@ 840mm, f/9, ISO400, 1/1000s - 1/1250s

Although I had the teleconverter already on the lens I felt it was still a little bit too far away and I cropped the final pictures by about 18% in post process.

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.

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

BALD EAGLES IN ABUNDANCE AND AN EARLY RETURN

Bald Eagle, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Yesterday I received a message from a friend that the water was open down at the Sabula - Savannah bridge that crosses the Mississippi River and both sides of the road that leads to the bridge were filled with eagles. As wildlife photographers we have to take the opportunities when they occur and as the ice on the river disappears, many eagles quickly move upstream. I went down south this morning and the first chance came already while driving slowly through the Green Island Wetlands. There is a big solitary cottonwood tree next to one of the dikes and this adult Bald Eagle just posed nicely against a blue sky and the unavoidable clutter of small branches. This tree has served many times as a perch for eagles and other raptors over the years but it is in bad shape and might be gone sometime soon. I moved with the camera so the white head of the bird was in front of one of the bigger branches.

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Sabula-Savannah Bridge, Iowa side

Down near the Sabula - Savannah Bridge were still dozens of Bald Eagles. The downside is you can’t stop and park your car along the road that connects the Sabula island with the actual bridge, except for a small pull-out right at the bridge. I was lucky, one eagle had perched within the reach of my lens and this time against a clean background. Later I had some other opportunities but this was my favorite shot.

Sandhill Crane among Trumpeter Swans, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa, February 11, 2024

Hours later, on my way back home, I made another round through the Green Island Wetlands and had an interesting discovery. The ice where nine Trumpeter Swans rested earlier had melted and they were foraging in the shallow water of a flooded field. Among them was a solitary Sandhill Crane, searching for food as well. It moved with the swans and seemed to take advantage of whatever was stirred up while they swam slowly across the water.

At home I checked my digital photo library, going back to 2007, and can confirm, February 11th is the earliest I ever saw a Sandhill Crane here in eastern Iowa. Seeing them in March is not uncommon but this early was my first time. Other birders may have made a different experience and I like to hear from you about your observations in this area.

RETROSPECTS 2023 - #4

Juvenile Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, at Savannah-Sabula bridge, February 2023

It looks like only for the second time in twenty years we will not have any snow on the ground for Christmas. Snow is a great reflector of the light and can be very beneficial for our story telling about wildlife. In January / February the Mississippi had some ice cover but not as much as other years. Open water often attracts large numbers of Bald Eagles. I found a good spot near the Savannah-Sabula bridge down south for watching the eagles catching fish.

I made the click at the third attempt of this young eagle to pick up a small fish it had dropped on the older and snow covered ice earlier. The light was nicely reflected at the bird and I also liked the reflection of trees on the thin new ice in the background.

CATCHING AND DROPPING

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, at the bridge between Sabula, IA and Savannah, IL

Nice weather again today made many people go out this weekend and look for Bald Eagles along the big river. The break-up of the ice on the Mississippi opens new opportunities for the eagles. They like to catch fish and more open water means more opportunities. There are some places along the river that the birds obviously prefer and visitors can watch a great show of performance sometimes. This adult eagle had picked up a fish from the ice that was dropped by another bird before.

This 2-3 years old juvenile had dropped a fish several times before finally claiming it. Dropping the catch often leads to a total loss because countless Ring-billed Gulls wait for their opportunity to steal a fish from the eagles.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S

SITTING, FLYING, SWIMMING, WALKING…

One of many Bald Eagles at the bridge across the river between Sabula, IA and Savannah, IL.

Short post today. Here are a few photos from today’s trip to different locations along the Mississippi River. 

More than fifty Trumpeter Swans shared the ice and open water at the Green Island Preserve.

Always a sure sign that spring is near, migrating Sandhill Cranes. (counted ~30 today)

Again, thousands of Greater White-fronted Geese are still around. Wave after wave flew up the Mississippi Valley and then turned west and followed the Maquoketa River. I still haven’t found out where they roost for the night.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2022 #4 - SIGNS OF SPRING?

American White Pelicans, Mississippi River, Lock & Dam #14, Le Claire, Iowa

In search for the first signs of spring I went down south today to lock & dam #14 in Le Claire, Iowa, where Interstate 80 crosses the Mississippi. Driving on both sides of the river (Iowa and Illinois) gave me different perspectives and direction of light during this road trip. Up here in Dubuque, around lock & dam #11, everything was still covered with ice. South of lock & dam #13 in Clinton, Iowa the river had mostly open water. In the distance I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of ducks and mergansers. It will become much warmer in the next few days and the ice will break shortly, means these birds will move north as the ice is in retreat.

Lock & dam #14 in Le Claire was well known over the years for being a good spot to photograph Bald Eagles during the winter months. This has changed in the last few years, due to mild winters, some loss of perching trees, and probably busy construction and other activities in the area. 

I went there for spotting a particular species of gulls, found it, and will write about in another blog post. With the relatively new Nikon Z6II I still try to learn and find out the best way to focus on fast moving animals. Gulls are one of the best subjects to practice handholding and panning with the long lens. It was a good feeling to refresh the ‘muscle memory’ for this kind of shooting today. I could tell, I’m out of shape and need a lot more practice to regain my skills.

On the way back to the car I suddenly saw the shadows of many big birds crossing in front of me. Looking up, silently about 80+ American White Pelicans soared elegantly overhead and gave me another chance to practice with the long lens. Sign of spring? You bet!