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,

NATURE CLICKS #585 - TURKEY VULTURES

Turkey Vultures, Mississippi River, near lock & dam #11, Dubuque, Iowa

From early spring until it gets cold here they belong into the Mississippi Valley. Some people think of them only as ugly birds but they may have never watched really how elegant these vultures fly and soar in a thermal lift. I consider them as the environmental police along the Mississippi River. They feed on carrion and without their presence, often in large numbers, the Mississippi River would be at times very smelly.

I was eager to try out the new Nikon lens last Sunday along the river on both sides around dam #11 in Dubuque and over in Wisconsin. With the dam visible in the upper part of the photo I thought of an environmental portrait of the Turkey Vultures. Five of them rested on driftwood and the rocks of the flood wall. I could choose which bird I wanted to have in the frame and this one was among my favorites.

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

THE BONUS - A RED-TAILED HAWK

Red-tailed Hawk at Julien Dubuque Monument, Mines of Spain, Dubuque, Iowa

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head.   @ 600mm, 1/640s, f6.3, ISO800, image slightly cropped

This morning the Dubuque Audubon Society had invited for another birding event into the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area. Our guide Tony Moline, a very experienced birder, helped the group to find warblers, vireos, and other migrating birds and study them in the early morning sun. Most activities required binoculars for watching and identification but the distance for a decent photo was often too big. Nevertheless, it was very interesting to see at least a few of the migrators. I just read that tonight 426.7 Million birds are predicted to move south in the United States. A very impressive number!

Just before everybody was ready to say goodbye shortly after 10am we were treated with a bonus. This Red-tailed Hawk suddenly landed in a tree just in front of the group and on eye level with us. The camera was on tripod and pointed already in that direction and all what I had to do was to adjust quickly the exposure compensation for the existing light and lay down the hammer on the shutter release button. The bird gave us about one minute for that very enjoyable moment.

Thank you Tony for being such a good guide again and for sharing your knowledge with us!

CHIMNEY SWIFTS COMING IN FOR THE NIGHT

Chimney Swifts, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa

Tonight was a pop-up birding event, made public by Marty Corfman, a very active member of the Audubon Society, at the Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. We were able to see hundreds of Chimney Swifts circle around the tower of the seminar and finally pour into an old chimney after sunset. I’m sure everybody who joined this event enjoyed it and was touched by watching the swifts showing up one after another and entering their roost for the night. Thank you Marty for the invitation!

The Chimney Swifts will depart soon for the tropical areas in South America, where they will spend the winter. I shot a number of still images, like the one above, but also recorded a short video sequence. Feel free to click the video link below.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4

LABOR DAY HIKE

We used the afternoon of Labor Day last Monday for a hike in the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, just south of Dubuque, Iowa. Yes, many prairie flowers and plants have passed their prime already, but there is still a lot of beauty on the prairie and in the woods above the Mississippi River at the end of summer. Here are a few photos I made along the trail during our hike, which led us to the most remote parts of the Mines of Spain. The Nikon Nikkor AFS 70-200 f/4 was the only lens on camera. I like this focal range for hikes or walks, allowing me to zoom in for details, but also still having the choice for a wider view on a landscape at 70 mm if necessary.

We had a nice discovery of an interesting insect, but this is for another blog post, maybe tomorrow. So please stay tuned…

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4

A GORGEOUS AIRCRAFT, PT-13 STEARMAN

PT-13 Stearman taxiing to the runway at Dubuque Regional Airport during CAF AirPower History Tour

This weekend the Commemorative Air Force, a non-profit educational organization, brought the ”AirPower History Tour” to the Dubuque Regional Airport. People were able to to view three different historical WWII aircrafts up close and book rides. I’m still working through my images from the last two days at the airport but I will show some photos of one of the rarest and most remarkable airplanes in a later post next week.

Today I start with a picture of a Boeing PT-13, known as the Stearman. This plane is recognized as the quintessential primary trainer for American aviators in World War II.

The Stearman was on static display only (no rides), but when this gorgeous looking plane finally took off from the airport this afternoon, I was able to make this shot while it taxied to the runway.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4,  @ 200mm, 1/60s, f/25, ISO 100, image cropped

OPPORTUNITY FOR PRACTICE

Of course, I had to go back to the Dubuque Regional Airport. The weather conditions were good, a little hazy but nice puffy clouds made for a more interesting background. This year I found a new spot where the airplanes came by pretty close when they taxied back to their parking area in front of the hangars. I took a little stepping stool to stand on, so the fence that surrounds the airfield was not always in the picture. The runway wasn’t too far away either but a little crop was applied for the photos of the T6’s that show starts or landings because 600 mm focal length wasn’t enough to fill the frame.

I shot the whole time in shutter priority mode with 1/125 s and set the camera to Auto ISO. To get a full circle of the prop it needs about 1/60 s but this was beyond my current handholding capabilities due to the lack of practice.

There are two reasons why going back to the airport almost every year in July is important to me. First, I enjoy watching historic prop airplanes and when they train the weekend before the AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the airshows, it’s a great opportunity to see so many of them. And second, I use it as a practice for my wildlife photography, and in particular for birds in flight. Panning with a heavy long lens is not an easy task, but doing it right is the only way to get a sharp image when a slow shutter speed is required.

I hope you enjoy the little selection in the blog today. As always, a click on the photo delivers a larger image, at least if you read this on a computer screen…😊

OUT AT THE AIRPORT

Well, we are already deep into July and next week is the AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin again, the largest airshow in the world. As every year some airplanes use the Dubuque Airport as a stop on the way to Oshkosh. I counted 24 Texan T6’s parked in front of the hangars this evening. They are here for some practice for the airshows in Oshkosh and usually leave on Sunday. Unfortunately only two of them went out for a flight while I was there.

My best photo from today is this N133JF, a Bellanca 8KCAB Decathlon, built in 1973. The plane taxied to the runway for a takeoff. Despite the relativ slow speed it was still important to pan with the long lens to get some motion blur of the background. A slow shutter speed of 1/125s guaranteed also a little bit of blur on the propeller. Both elements in the photo are used to tell the story of a moving airplane. I hope I get some more shots from the Dubuque Airport later this upcoming weekend. It’s hot outside but I always enjoy spending time with the camera to get a few photos of prop planes.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/125 s, f/10, ISO 100

ENEMIES OF CONFUSION

Enemies of Confusion, at Smokestack, downtown Dubuque, Iowa

Last Friday the Enemies of Confusion, a local band from Dubuque, Iowa, had a record release party in the ”Smokestack”, an event bar downtown Dubuque. Their new album PUBLIC ADDRESS is now officially out and their well-crafted, garage rock and blues infused Rock ’n’ Roll, with a great guitar sound, rocked the house that night. I know two members of the band and wanted to see them since a long time.

Brandon Duccini, vocals, guitar

I shot part of the band already in 2007, when they were the All-Night-Riders and backing band of acclaimed blues player James Kind. It was only my second concert photography shooting ever and I had fun looking at some of the old pictures. My style today is much different and people that know only my wildlife and landscape work may ask, what the heck is he doing here…?

Ray Otis, drums, backing vocals

I don’t make images of people very often, but I enjoy shooting photos of artists, and in particular musicians. I asked myself, why is that, and I guess it is because they come back with an expression in their face, or a certain gesture during their performance without being asked for it. The picture comes to you, if you just wait for the right moments…

Bryan Freisinger, vocals, guitar

My technical approach for that night was simple. The camera was set to monochrome so I see already in the viewfinder the outcome of a desired picture. If I would later change my mind and want still a color version of a particular image, no problem, the RAW data of the picture still hold all color information. My monochrome pre-setting in camera includes also a high contrast setting, a look I like in concert photography. I came with only one lens, the Nikon Nikkor AFS 70-200, f/4, and I shot the whole night wide open with f/4. Almost all pictures that night were shot between ISO 4000 and 10000, a few images even at ISO 32000. Sure, with the limited light in a concert venue there is digital noise introduced to each image with such high ISO settings. Thanks to camera technology and Topaz De-Noise reduction this is all manageable, something I would have never written a few years ago. Alright, let’s forget all the technical blah-blah and I hope you get a kick out of this selection of some of my favorite photos from the ENEMIES OF CONFUSION record release party.

Tony Moline, bass, backing vocals

This young man, the nephew of one of the band members, had his chance during the first break the band took after about an hour. His solo on the drums got him some big applause   by the audience.

Brandon and Bryan

Is that the manager behind the band, thinking, I can do that better…? 😉

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #2 - WINTER, BUT WARM COLORS MAY HELP

Bluffs at Catfish Creek, Upper Mississippi Valley, Dubuque, Iowa

After all the snow we had here in the Midwest during the last couple weeks and the very cold temperatures that still remained today, I wanted to make one single photo that sums it all up, tells the story about winter here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. I drove around this weekend, mostly to places nearby and along the river that have the potential to deliver this kind of a story. Well, I got a few shots yesterday and recognized last night in front of the computer, nice photos but the story is not told the way it needs to be told.

So I went out again this morning with a recent blog post of acclaimed photographer Moose Peterson in mind, while thinking about my plans for the day. He called it ”Red Loves White!”. This very interesting article is about the iconic landscapes out west, Bryce, Zion, Arches NP, Grand Canyon, etc., and how these red rocks can really reveal their beauty with the addition of snow. (https://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/red-loves-white/)

I wasn’t really out for the rocky bluffs here in the Mississippi Valley and its side valleys. However, I thought how can I emphasize the presence of cold weather, snow loaded branches, or ice covered creeks in my photo? The answer I found in Moose’s blog post while thinking in reverse was, try to add some red, orange, or yellow to the wintry landscape! The closest place that came to mind was the Mines of Spain, the State Recreation Area just south of Dubuque, Iowa. Catfish Creek has hollowed out this side valley of the Mighty Mississippi River and has its confluence with the big river just a couple hundred yards behind the bend in my photo. I love what I found!

BETWEEN SEASONS

Grass in morning light, Mines of Spain Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

During yesterday’s field trip and bird watching event with the Audubon Society there was a brief moment when the light reminded us that we are between seasons. The seeds of this grass are ready to fall out and the golden light in the early morning made them stand out against the background. I made a quick lens change to the Z 24-70 mm. It wasn’t possible to keep all sky out of the frame but I toned the background down a little bit in post process to keep the eye away from the brighter spots and make them less distracting.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 65 mm, 1/800 s, f/8, ISO 400

FALL WARBLERPALOOZA, AND MORE

Philadelphia Vireo, Mines of Spain Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

I haven’t been able to get out much with the camera lately but today I made up for that. The Dubuque Audubon Society had invited its members and the public for a field trip to the Mines of Spain Recreation Area in Dubuque. The ”Fall Warblerpalooza” was led by Tony Moline, who is a very active birder with very good knowledge about our feathered friends. Hence the name of the event, we were hoping to find migrating warblers in the tree tops early in the morning. We saw a few but none came in the range for the camera. But a number of other birds made it worthwhile to get out with binoculars, tripod, and camera. It was a nice field trip and while listening to Tony and other birders I learned some new things and was able to make a few clicks as well. Here is a first set of photos, maybe I post a few more during this week.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

For the first time I saw two female Scarlet Tanagers during fall migration. We can watch them almost every year in early May in our front yard after their return from South America but have never see them in the fall. They had a feast on the fruits of a wild grapevine.

A Common Nighthawk is not easy to spot when they rest during the day. They are long-distance migrants and fly in large flocks to reach their wintering grounds in South America.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #10 - BLUE MOON, A FOURTH FULL MOON DURING THE SEASON

It was a little less haze in the air today and I decided to chase the full moon, the second one during the month of August, also called a ”Blue Moon”, due to the fact that it is the fourth full moon during a season. As mentioned in my last blog post yesterday, the moon would rise even further to the east and having a photo with the moon low above the water of the Mississippi River wasn’t really an option around here. I wanted to do something different and chose the location for the camera much closer to the city of Dubuque, and just a bit above water level this time. Moonrise was exactly half an hour later than yesterday, sunset about fifteen minutes earlier, and making the click and process the image in post was a different kind of challenge as I found out in front of my computer. What you see in the photo is the romance I felt when the moon showed up above this island in the river. The green of the leaves in the trees is still lush, despite the heat we had recently. There were quite a few boats making a ”full moon river cruise” on the Mississippi. I was happy to keep them all out of the frame and enjoyed having the end of the dike, that protects Dubuque, Iowa from flooding, just for myself…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #8 - SAGITTARIA LATIFOLIA

Broadleaf Arrowhead, Mississippi River, John Deere Marsh, Iowa

During my short walks with our dog Cooper during lunch time I almost always take the camera with me, although due to the time of the day the light is often not flattering. I’m glad I did yesterday. The Broadleaf Arrowheads, also known as common arrowheads, in the Mississippi River cover huge areas along the shore. Its blossoms stand out and look gorgeous against the lush green of the arrowhead shaped leaves. After going down on my knees it was an easy click at 200 mm focal length.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4,  @ 200mm, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 100

NATURE CLICKS #566 - GREEN HERONS

Green Heron, Heritage Ponds, near Dubuque, Iowa; Hunting for tadpoles and frogs is often done very stealthy but sometimes a quick move to a different spot in the pond leads to success as well.

The water in the pond disappears slowly but surely because we had no significant rain lately. It doesn’t look pretty at the moment but the pond provides food for other birds beside the family of Sandhill Cranes I wrote about in my last blog post. Green Herons are usually quite skittish and I have never watched more than one bird at any time.

Well, last week there were three herons hunting for food and it was a lot of fun watching them from the deck of an observation platform. The tadpoles in the water just became froglets and have developed front legs already. They still have their tail and they must be very tasty for the Green Herons because they were eating many of them.

Stretching the neck seems to guarantee better sight for the next catch in the muddy pond.

Shooting from an observation platform above water level is not an ideal location. The steep angle looking down doesn’t allow a great background. But hey, I’m not too choosy during this time of the year. I still think the pictures can tell the story.

Green Herons are considered fairly common but studies have shown that their population is in steep decline. (source: AllAboutBirds.org)

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head