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 #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.

RETROSPECTS 2024 #4 - GREAT SKIES OVER THE VALLEY

After sunset, Green Island, Upper Mississippi Valley, Iowa, February 25, 2024

While digging through my photos from 2024 I got reminded that we had quite a few days with overcast or just a boring sky. Nevertheless, we also had our good share of great sunrises or sunsets here in eastern Iowa. This day at the end of February I mad a couple shots of a Rough-legged Hawk and a Sandhill Crane flying across the Green Island Wetlands in the afternoon, but they were not filling the frame, so more less just documentary shots for myself. I stayed late in hope to see maybe an owl but this didn’t happen. The clouds and setting sun came to my rescue and after capturing a few moments during the blue hour with the Z 24-70 f/4, I changed lens quickly when the day ended with a nice glow above the rocky bluffs of the Mississippi Valley.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 150 mm, 1/2000 s, f/8, ISO 1600

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #3 - REST ON A SANDBANK

American White Pelicans and Ring-billed Gulls, Mississippi River, Le Claire, Iowa

After a week of business travel it felt great to go out and enjoy nature and wildlife watching again. Yesterday’s trip along the Mississippi River led me all the way down to Le Claire, Iowa and up back north on the Illinois side to Savannah, followed by a short visit of the Green Island Wetlands on the Iowa side again.

Below lock & dam #14 in Le Claire these two American White Pelicans rested on a sandbank in company with a number of Ring-billed Gulls. They preened their feathers in the sun. It was quite a bit away from the shore and the 1.4x teleconverter was used to expand the focal length to 840 mm. People always debate the use of a teleconverter and claim it would degrade image quality. Except for the loss of light that hits the sensor (it becomes a f/9), I can’t confirm the loss of sharpness. The Nikon Z 600 f/6.3 works great with the TC-1.4x.

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

@ 840mm, 1/1000s, f/9, ISO 200, image slightly cropped

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

THE JINX IS BROKEN!! (FINALLY)

Male Belted Kingfisher, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wildlife Preserve, Iowa

Long time readers know that I always called this beautiful bird ”the bastard”, due to the fact that I have been on the chase for a decent picture of a Belted Kingfisher since a long time. They are very skittish and often fly away before you even have a chance to aim the lens at them. During a short trip to the Green Island wetlands yesterday afternoon I finally had this male kingfisher even twice in front of my lens. First it was placed on one of the bowls that are provided as nesting places for Canada Geese. They are placed in the water, getting closer was not an option, but at least I made some sharp images.

A little bit later I saw the same bird sitting on a branch just beside the gravel road and this time the kingfisher didn’t fly away, even when I moved slowly right next to the tree with the car. There is still room for improvement since the light was a little too harsh for my taste but I think I should stop calling him ”the bastard” after the jinx is broken now…

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

HAVING AN EYE ON THE SKY

Thunderhead over farm, north of Guttenberg, Iowa

I spent a lot of time this week in my car, driving through the countryside for some business appointments far away. Sometimes it can be a little boring, but when puffy clouds show up in the sky I watch how they develop. There wasn’t much traffic when this thunderhead got some interesting light and when it was right behind this farm at the horizon I knew I had an opportunity for a picture. No distracting power lines in the foreground, no other cars around, just perfect for a brief stop. Two minutes later I was on the road again, this time with a smile in my face… 😊

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 62mm, 1/500 s, f/8, ISO 160

NATURE CLICKS #583 - COMMON YELLOWTHROAT

Male Common Yellowthroat, Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area, Dubuque County, Iowa

Yes, I made a picture of a Common Yellowthroat exactly a week ago but felt I still had some unfinished business. I wanted to get closer to this small but magnificent warbler and  really wanted a shot without any men-made items, like the wire cage around a young tree, in the frame. Well, I went back today to the Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area to try my luck again.

The light situation was very similar than a week ago, with a slight overcast, perfect for photographing grassland birds. The difference was, it was much, much warmer than last week and the sweat poured out of every pore in the body. There were quite a few Yellowthroats making their calls in the prairie grass. The male’s wichety-wichety-wichety song, which they sing frequently during summer, is easy to recognize. It just takes some patience to get them out of their cover and in front of the lens. The Common Yellowthroats spend their winter in some of the southern states and in the tropics.

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

BIRDS AND WILDFLOWERS - A SHORT PRAIRIE EXCURSION

McCarthy Wildlife Area, Dubuque County, Iowa

We concluded the first weekend in July with a little excursion to a couple prairie and grassland areas here in Dubuque County. The first one, McCarthy Wildlife Area, located near Bernard IA, is a former cultivated row crop field and was planted with native grasses and flowers in 2023. Although quite new it had already developed a gorgeous habitat with lots of prairie flowers and we saw or heard Eastern Meadowlarks, Eastern Kingbirds, Dickcissels, of course a number of Red-winged Blackbirds, and others. A rain cloud moved eastwards south of the area and made for a nice background while I tried to capture the essence of this nature area.

Dickcissel, Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area, Dubuque County, Iowa

Not far away is Whitewater Canyon Wildlife area, which we have visited many times before. This time we hiked only on the upper part between prairie and grassland and didn’t walk down into the woods and the canyon. It didn’t take very long to get a male Dickcissel, one of the beautiful grassland birds, in front of the lens. We came at the right time to enjoy big patches of Wild Bergamot in full bloom and at the end of the walk a Common Yellowthroat posed nicely on the metal cage that protects a young oak tree that had been planted near the parking area.

Wild Bergamot, Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area, Dubuque County, Iowa

Common Yellowthroat, Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area, Dubuque County, Iowa

NATURE CLICKS #573 - PECTORAL SANDPIPER

Pectoral Sandpipers, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Last weekend ended with a short visit in the Green Island Wetlands, the area 40 miles south of our home that includes a wildlife preserve and a mix of lakes and marshland, separated from the main channel of the Mississippi River by dikes.

I saw Wood Ducks in their best mating mood, Sandhill Cranes, some pairs of Canada Geese with little goslings, Hooded Mergansers, a number of Pied-billed Grebes, and again two migrating Greater Yellowlegs.

As the sun got ready to set, a last drive along the gravel road on the west side of the wetlands led to the discovery of 30 Pectoral Sandpipers, foraging in a big puddle at the edge of a field. Their breeding grounds are high up in the arctic tundra of Canada and they obviously stopped at Green Island for some re-fueling. Their bills probed into the water and mud with high frequency in search for invertebrates. I used my car as a blind and moved slowly in the field towards the puddle. The sandpipers didn’t seem to take any notice of my presence and kept feeding.

Moments like that keep me going and feed my passion for bird watching and reporting about it here in the blog. The Pectoral Sandpipers spent the winter down in South America and their long journey to the breeding grounds up on the arctic tundra is just amazing.

I shot this at 850 mm with the 1.4 teleconverter attached to the Sigma 150-600 S lens. A small, cosmetic crop was applied to the final image.

ANOTHER CHANCE WITHOUT WIRE

American Kestrel, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

More than once I have complained about that the kestrels mostly perch on utility wires along the road, which isn’t my preferred location for a wildlife shot. Well, the solution seems to be to drive along roads that do not have power lines next to them. Not easy to find here in Iowa! This female American Kestrel used the dead trees at the edge of a marsh for her hunting efforts. During the summer these small falcons often eat insects, like grasshoppers. Since this is not an available option right now, they are on the outlook for small mammals and birds.

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

NATURE CLICKS #570 - TRUMPETER SWANS

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

This afternoon we saw at least 40-50 white dots, far away and deep in the wetlands at Green Island and assumed that a large congregation of Trumpeter Swans was there. This all got confirmed during the hour before sunset when family after family crossed the marches and lakes and flew towards the setting sun. We don’t know where they spend the night but it was nice to watch groups between two and eight swans flying towards us and overhead. Since it is such a big bird it’s not so difficult to track them in flight and practice panning technique with the long lens on camera.

IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE MOOD

Mississippi River, Black Hawk Bridge, Lansing, Iowa

One of my favorite drives here in the Driftless Area is going up north the Great River Road along the Mississippi and my favorite view is this look with the city of Lansing, Iowa on the left and the old Black Hawk Bridge across the river in the background. I have photographed from this vantage point at the Driftless Area Visitor Center in Lansing many times before. A good reason to stop there these days is the fact that the beautiful cantilever bridge, built in 1931, will be replaced and construction of a new bridge has started already. The cranes on the Wisconsin side and in the river tell the story.

The ice on the river was not very thick and if the warm weather continues, the river may have open water very soon. It was again quite foggy this morning and my choice was black & white for the photo. Several hours later, on the way back, the bright sun had taken over but the mood of this scene did not speak to me anymore…

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!

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #1 - JANUARY, ALREADY UNUSUAL

Mississippi River, Bellevue, Iowa

Of course, I will continue publishing photos right from here, the Upper Mississippi Valley, and will try to tell the story about this beautiful place with my images again in 2024! I will hopefully let you participate how seasonal changes at the big river may appear and how climate change effects the nature I try to photograph. I’m much aware, I may end up with photos that are sometimes totally different than during the last twenty years, taken at the same time of the season.

It is tempting to let the shoreline cut through the image right in the middle of the photo and make it an artsy-fartsy image, mirroring the landscape, but it was more important to me to make it a photo of the day and as I really saw it.

So here we are, January 6, 2024, and the main channel of the Mississippi River is completely free of ice. There is a little snow dust in the woods, but that’s about it for winter so far! Well, we now have a snow storm in the forecast for early next week but, maybe I can now finally put the swimming trunks away…😉

However, it makes me happy if you follow again the MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES in my blog and as always, let me know your thoughts about any photo you see. Your opinions are highly appreciated!