NATURE CLICKS #588 - GREAT BLUE HERON

Great Blue Heron, Spring Lake, Petoskey, Michigan

Here is another photo of the same Great Blue Heron as in the last blog post. It was made a little later and from a different position. The bird had just caught a bullhead and tried to swallow it. This needs to be done in a smart way because the bullhead has sharp spines at the leading edges of the dorsal and pectoral fins. It took the heron quite some time to ”prepare” the fish but at the end the little catfish ended up in the herons stomach.

In this photo the background had some light and made actually for a good environmental portrait of the bird, including some water plants and reeds. There was a nice spot light on the bird’s head, not as harsh as before, and an underexposure by one f-stop was enough to keep the highlights intact.

NATURE CLICKS #587 - GREAT BLUE HERON

Great Blue Heron, Spring Lake, Petoskey, Michigan

A board walk gave us access to a small pond and wetland area near the town of Petoskey, Michigan. We approached the bird very slowly, assuming it would fly away any moment, but the heron had only the hunt for fish on its mind. It was all what I was hoping for with the new Nikon Z600 f/6.3, handholding the lens without struggle and coming back with a high keeper rate of sharp images. The background was very busy, with lots of dead wood and reeds. The bright parts of the bird’s plumage required underexposure by 2 f-stops and this solved the problem with the background.

GREAT BIRD WATCHING WEEKEND (PART 2)

Great Blue Heron, Green Island Preserve, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

Spending time in the wetlands along the Mississippi River is one of the things I really enjoy and last weekend wasn’t any different. I got quite a few hours of practice with the new Nikkor Z 600 f/6.3 lens and like to share a few images with you.

Some easy shots of this Great Blue Heron were made a minute earlier, as the heron still stood motionless on the dyke. When the bird finally took off I was able to pan with the lens and follow the bird for a few pics. Good panning is still a matter of practice but it is a lot easier with the much lighter Z 600 than with my good old Sigma 150-600 S.

Sandhill Cranes

I counted 87 Sandhill Cranes foraging in the field of the Green Island Bird Sanctuary. This was the highest number I have ever seen in the fall at this location. Some of the cranes performed their elaborate courtship displays, mostly served between mates to maintain their pair bond. The cranes were more than half a mile away, almost one kilometer, and some heat shimmer above the ground effected sharpness a bit. However, I was amazed how clear the lens still rendered despite the distance.

Garter Snake

This Garter Snake was stretched out on the gravel road and seemed to wait for the return of the sun from behind a cloud. Before I guided the snake back into the grass, so nobody could accidentally or intentionally drive over it, a few clicks were made. Should have gotten still a little lower but at least nothing in the background distracts from this nice Garter Snake. I have seen a few snakes lately and this gives me some hope that population may bounce back.

Sandhill Cranes, Heritage Pond, Cooler Valley, Eastern Iowa

This photo was made a day later at the Heritage Pond and marsh, not far from home. A pair of Sandhill Cranes, maybe the same as last year, had flown in from the Mississippi and started searching for food in the mud. Very little rain during the last couple months dried the pond out again but the cranes seemed to like it. They are extremely careful and most of the time one crane keeps its head up while the other one is looking for food.

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

RETROSPECTS 2023 - #3

Great Blue Heron, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, California

In March I had a chance to go back to one of my favorite wildlife shooting locations, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, the well known laguna next to the Pacific Ocean in Southern California near Huntington Beach. I have been there numerous times before over the years and every visit holds another surprise. It is not difficult to find and photograph the Great-Blue Heron here in the Mississippi Valley or its side valleys. Well, we can’t offer a shot of breeding herons in a palm tree here, but for the first time I was able to watch Great Blue Herons building nests in these palms that grow at the edge of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. While one bird was out to find sticks and other material to built a nest, the other one watched the nest site and made sure the neighbors from the next palm tree didn’t claim any of their possessions. Fascinating and worth to mention in this year’s RETROSPECTS…

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,…@600 mm, 1/800s, f/6.3, ISO 2000, image slightly cropped

COURTSHIP DISPLAY IN THE HERON ROOKERY

Great Blue Heron, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, California

I guess you can tell that I have been away from Iowa for a few days by looking at this photo. It was about time because it has been a few years since my last visit in the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and in the San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, both located in Southern California.

Bolsa Chica has only a few palm trees but they were occupied by a colony of Great Blue Herons. Nest material is mostly gathered by the males and they flew in and out and came back with long branches that were added to the nests. The males did their ”neck stretching” display and performed long display calls. We also heard both, males and females, snap their bill tips together as part of breeding and territorial display. The courtship of the herons in a rookery is a great excitement to watch and photograph. More to come from last weekend, so please stay tuned…

NATURE CLICKS #531 - GREAT BLUE HERON

Great Blue Heron, Green Island Preserve, Mississippi Valley, Eastern Iowa

Can you tell why sometimes I like to go out in the rain and shoot with a heavy overcast? Yes, that doesn’t work well when there is a piece of gray sky or just its reflection on the water in the frame. But if you can eliminate any “sky related” things in the background of your image at this kind of weather, you may get a well balanced shot. The Great Blue Herons are kinda skittish and don’t like the photographer, even in its mobile blind, the car, nearby.

I shot this almost over my shoulder, using the brief moment the heron waited before it flew to a different spot. I knew if I would back up the car to get in a little more comfortable position, the bird would not wait for me. I just “hung” the lens barrel outside the car window and tried my luck. It is the kind of photo I like to pursue in my wildlife photography, the critter in its natural habitat. I love when the result comes out of a challenging situation…

PERFECT SUMMER HABITAT

Great Blue Heron, Bankston County Park, Dubuque County, Iowa

The current heat and humidity take a little bit the fun out of wildlife photography with a heavy long lens, but here is a photo from earlier this month. The Great Blue Heron knows where the fish are and if the photographer has a clue as well, a picture can be taken. The little stream at the bottom of the valley is a good place. This photo represents my idea of an environmental portrait quite well. With the vegetation along the creek at its peak for the season, it tells a good story about a perfect summer habitat for this Great Blue Heron here in the driftless area of northeast Iowa.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @ 600 mm, 1/250 s, f/6.3, ISO400

PATIENCE REWARDED

Great Blue Heron, a stealthy hunter for fish

Another great spot to look for neotropical migrants, like warblers, is Bankston County Park. The clear water of the stream that runs through the valley is source of life for many critters and birds. It is also a popular spot for trout fishing. This morning I gave it a try. You can hear the birds, sometimes you may see one, but today I got skunked. Not a single warbler came close enough for a picture. I think I was patient and spent almost an hour in the same spot, a place I had used successfully other years before. Just as I was ready to leave things took a different turn. This beautiful Great Blue Heron landed just in front of me and started the hunt for a fish. The bird waded towards me and obviously cornered a fish below the rock you see in both pictures.

Great Blue Heron after the catch, Bankston County Park, Eastern Iowa

The hunt lasted 26 minutes. I saw the heron strike and the fish was swallowed very quickly. Obviously just a small one. Unfortunately the kill happened behind the rock and out of sight for me. But the way the successful hunter walked away from the scene was priceless and the shutter of the camera was rattling. Patience got rewarded, for the Great Blue Heron and for the photographer…!! 😊

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

BACK TO BANKSTON

Great Blue Heron, Bankston County Park, iowa

Two rainy and gray days in a row but too many things happen out in nature right now and staying home all weekend long was not an option. Joan, dog Cooper, and I went back to Bankston County Park today. Oh, what a great sound from birds all around! Getting them in front of the lens, well, not necessarily a guarantee.

The ‘Middle Fork Little Maquoketa River’ (boy, what a long name!) was relatively clear despite the rain, and is stocked with trout. The Great Blue Heron was flushed by a trout fisherman downstream, flew right up to us, and posed nicely while we hiked down along the river banks.

American Redstart

The American Redstart is a warbler that can be found and will breed in Bankston Park. By the number of birds you can hear high up in the trees you may think it is easy to make a good bird portrait of this warbler, but they are fast and never stay in one spot much longer than a second or two. Insects were present after the rain and the redstarts came down to the river to make a catch. The short opportunities to make the click…

LAST SUMMER VISIT IN THE GREEN ISLAND WETLANDS

Killdeer

I have been at least once every month during the summer in the Green Island Wetlands, next to the Mississippi River, and today was probably my last summer visit. Other events lie ahead of us this month and before we know it will be duck hunting season. Although part of the wetlands are a preserve, the access to these parts is limited and already today the dyke that has often the best photo locations was closed for cars. Sure, I don’t shy away from hiking, even with tripod and heavy camera and lens combination on my shoulder, but water fowl, egrets, or herons will most likely fly away before someone even comes close. The “mobile blind” is the best way to go, with other words, stay in your dam car if you like the make a photo that makes halfway sense ;-)

It was obviously a productive season. I saw quite a few juvenile Wood Ducks and dozens of Killdeer tried to find food in areas with short vegetation, like the parking lots of the wetlands.

Great Egret

The Great Egret is the easiest to spot but not every bird stays in place when a car gets relatively close. There was very little direct sun today, which is ideal for shooting these beautiful egrets while they stand in the water and hunt for fish, frogs, or aquatic insects.

Great Blue Heron

One of the easiest birds to photograph here in the Mississippi Valley is the Great Blue Heron. I think it is the perfect subject for someone who just starts with wildlife photography. Not that they all stay in place if you come close, but their large eye makes it easy to focus on. Even more important, the pattern on their chest provides great contrast for locking on the focus sensor. The eye has to be sharp or the picture goes to the trash can. Remember, the chest and the eye are almost in the same focal plane. If you can’t focus on the eye, use the chest to get a sharp image of the bird.

EASY IN GREAT LIGHT

Great Blue Heron, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi River, Iowa

You know how much I like to rave about “killer light”, a term I admit I have not invented, but this is the best description of great light for nature photography I have found so far! It doesn’t matter what we call it, it is just about the best quality of light mother nature provides for us. The Great Blue Heron may migrate to the south for the winter but they are here as soon they can find open water. I have pictures with snow and ice in the background and if there is a chance the heron can catch fish, you will find them standing and waiting for prey in shallow water.

It is human nature that the eye goes first to the brightest part of an image, and second to the sharpest. If we make sure the highlights are not blown out on the head of the bird and if we have the eye in focus, it is easy to expose and make the click. For this image an exposure compensation of -0.7 EV was necessary to accomplish the task.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @ 600 mm, 1/500 s, f/6.3, ISO 100

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2017 #7 - ON THE OTHER SIDE

Great Blue Heron, Mississippi River, Potosi, Wisconsin --------

Someone may ask why I don’t shoot much on the east side of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin or Illinois? The main reason is that much of my shooting time is in the afternoon or evening and at many places where the river is accessible I would shoot towards the sun. This can be interesting and may lead to some great results but with birds and water involved it is not my first choice considering colors and contrast. However, last Sunday I went across the bridge to Wisconsin and checked out the area around the boat landing and public access in Potosi. I found large numbers of ducks, geese, and even Trumpeter Swans. My favorite of the day was finally this Great Blue Heron, who briefly interrupted its staring into the water for fish and gave me a nice pose. Although they are not much different in size from a Sandhill Crane, it is easier to get a sharp image of a Great Blue Heron. The better contrast on their breast makes it a breeze to lock the focus point. Why the breast? It is on the same focal plane as the eye and the eye has to be sharp.

EMPHASIS

This Great Blue Heron changed position many times but stayed in the same spot the whole time I was able to watch it yesterday. Hence that a series of pictures was made of this beautiful bird in the Green Island Wetlands. It was the last one I chose for today’s blog post. The heron stretched its left leg and wing to the side. Suddenly the dappled light wasn’t my enemy anymore and gave this pose and gesture of the heron some emphasis. Went home with a smile on my face… 😊

STATE OF THE SEASON

Great Blue Heron

Todays photos are not so much about the birds, even if they are still the subject of the image, but more about the ‘environmental’ part, the part that tells the actual story in both photos. The Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret, just “do their thing”, standing or wading in the water, and looking for fish that could be the next meal. So what’s the story?

Great Egret

We can see the humongous size of the water lily leaves, that normally float on the water surface. We may notice the muddy slope behind the Great Blue Heron and all the duck weed that covers the water. And these little details tell the actual story, the story about life in the wetlands during late summer, after a period of time without rain, with low water levels, and after every plant has surpassed the peak of their beauty... No groundbreaking news, just an invitation to go out and find the beauty of mother nature during this labor day weekend, even if it is hot and muggy... ;-)

CHANGING TACTIC

Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM

This weekend Joan and I explored Lake Macbride, which is located between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Heavy rain delayed our departure Friday night but we set up our campsite and launched the lake with our kayaks finally Saturday afternoon. This is an 812-acre lake and the park is with 2,180 acres Iowa’s largest state park.

We had some really good bird encounters in the forest and on the lake, for instance a Caspian Tern, Bald Eagle, Wild Turkeys, Pileated Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Green Heron, to name only a few. Of course, not everything leads to a photo and as I have written here before, the keeper rate by shooting from a kayak is ‘a little’ lower than by using a tripod on solid ground.

Approaching a Great Blue Heron with the boat is a tricky task. Most of the time they took off with a croaking call before we even got close enough to make a picture. This guy had escaped already twice. They just fly away and land at a different spot a few hundred yards down the shore. This shot was made after we changed our tactic. We paddled around the bird in a safe distance and approached it finally with the wind in the back. We drifted slowly towards the bird, without using any paddle strokes. The heron liked that obviously a lot better and allowed us to get into shooting range. I made the movements with the camera very slow and carefully. Fill flash was again essential to bring out the color of the feathers. This didn’t bother the bird a bit and I made quite a few clicks during this 12-minute approach.