BIRDS IN FLIGHT

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

It was pretty quiet in the wetlands today, at least up to the moment when I was ready to leave in the late afternoon. Suddenly several hundred Canada Geese came across the Green Island wetlands in the Mississippi Valley and moved towards the low sitting sun in the west. They flew either in pairs or strings up to 25 birds for the next half hour. Communication with each other is obviously very important and the air was filled with their loud calls. I guess nobody gets excited here in the Midwest about Canada Geese, since they are present pretty much all year long, but many also migrate from up north, where food and open water are not available during the winter.

I saw this as a good opportunity to practice shooting birds in flight and walked with the camera and long lens onto a field to have a good view in all directions. I don’t know who was more surprised, the Great Blue Heron or I. The heron at least saw or heard me first and was already in the air when I discovered the bird. Sudden opportunities like this come and go very fast and it is exactly for these special moments why I practice handholding the long lens in order to come home with a sharp photo. The photos of the geese I made afterwards? Well, nothing but pure fun shooting pictures on a warm late summer day!

All images: Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x

NATURE CLICKS #594 - DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS

Double-crested Cormorants, Mississippi River, Lower Sabula Lake, Iowa

While shooting birds on or in the water it is always recommended to have at least one eye in the air from time to time. Overhead flying birds are often a good opportunity I don’t want to miss, even if they approach suddenly.

Double-crested Cormorants are very fast flyers and I wanted to make a picture like this one since quite some time. With my heavy Sigma 150-600 S it seemed to be always a matter of luck to get a sharp shot. Panning with that heavy lens is not always easy.

While working with the pelicans you may have seen in my last blog post, four cormorants crossed the river and flew rapidly towards me. The exposure compensation was quickly changed by one stop (-0.67 to +0.33EV) to retain some detail in the birds plumage. The Nikon Nikkor Z 600 f/6.3, even in combination with the Z TC-1.4x teleconverter, is so much easier to handle while following birds in flight. I know for sure now why this lens made it in my gear locker.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x.  @840 mm, image slightly cropped

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.