AT THE END OF THE DAY

Sandhill Cranes, Green Island Preserve, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

Going out on a photo walk or drive doesn’t always lead to an image that is worth to show or sometimes no wildlife at all shows up in front of the lens. This was pretty much how it was this afternoon on either side of the Mississippi River. Coming back from the Illinois side I decided to give it another try and went back to Green Island this evening.

Earlier in the afternoon I counted 17 Sandhill Cranes but all too far away and the high temperatures created quite some heat shimmer above the ground. The air had cleared this evening and the numbers of cranes went up to at least 80 birds again, about the same as last weekend. They were spread out in five different groups in the part of the Green Island Wetlands that is a bird sanctuary. No access is allowed for this area and you have to deal with the distance the birds give you. It is so much fun to watch the migrating Sandhill Cranes and especially when they display their courtship and bonding dances in the warm light of the setting sun.

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 #273 - NORTHERN CARDINAL

Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM, tripod, gimbal head, SB 800 speed light

I talked yesterday about what it needs that a picture of a less attractive bird works well. The Northern Cardinal makes it a lot easier. It is a pretty bird any time of the year and people like to see them. I don’t know about other parts of the country but here it is quite difficult to get close to this very skittish bird. Of course, I can shoot endless pictures at a bird feeder or in the grass, but I really like to make the image with the bird on a branch, or at least on a perch, like this stick in the flower bed that we use for decoration. It is the time of courtship and they move around fast, well, except when they eat at the bird feeder or in the grass below ….😉

NATURE CLICKS #263 - RING-NECKED PHEASANT

I went out today to find all kind of birds near or in the water of the Mississippi and other wetlands. And there were lots of them today. However, my most surprising encounter today was this Ring-necked Pheasant. I found the bird in full courtship display on a piece of marshland at the Mississippi near Sabula, Iowa. His behavior indicated that he was either posing for a female or tried to impress another competitor. Although, I never saw another bird between the reeds and brushes along the river shore.

This wasn’t a first sighting for me but it was the first time that I was able to shoot a number of pictures of a pheasant. The Ring-necked Pheasant is a native to Asia and was introduced as a game bird in California in 1857 (source: iBird Pro app). I’m very happy that I finally can add this species to the BIRD GALLERY - NORTH AMERICA. Check it out if you like.

GOING FOR THE COLORS

Nikon D300s, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM, Nikon SB600 speed light

I couldn’t resist to hit the shutter release button yesterday when we had the new snow on the ground and this female Northern Flicker landed on the tree trunk not far from me. Not just because of the additional light by the reflection of the snow, but also for the wonderful colors the bird showed. Their breeding time is between April and July, depending on location, and they might be in courtship by now. That is usually the time when the birds look at their best. For curiosity I looked in my archive and yes, in March the colors look much brighter than during any other time in the winter. Here in Eastern Iowa we see the yellow-shafted race of the Northern Flicker, while in the western part of North America the red-shafted is more common. Populations overlap and hybrids are not uncommon in different parts of the country. I hope you enjoy!