NATURE CLICKS #582 - BROWN-SPOTTED YELLOW-WING

The Mississippi River is still flooding and the water level is about the same as last weekend. With many frequently visited nature areas here in eastern Iowa still under water I decided to go over to the Illinois side of the river for some bird photography and drove down south to the old Savanna Army Depot, now home to the Lost Mound Unit of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Most of this area sits a little higher and is not effected by the flood. The Lost Mound Unit has the highest (70ft / 21.3m) and longest (7.5 miles / 12 km) sand dune along the Mississippi River in Illinois.

I saw a number of different woodpeckers but the light sucked and I didn’t even bother to aim the glass towards their locations. While looking with binoculars at the trees that grow on the sand dune and also in the opposite direction across the sand prairie, this dragonfly caught my attention. I haven’t seen a Brown-spotted Yellow-Wing for a while and being me, I could not pass this opportunity without making a few clicks with the camera. With the macro lens at home on the shelf, <sigh>, I tried my luck with the Sigma 150-600. It was clear that the image needed a crop since I wasn’t able to get much closer, but hey, it’s better than coming home without a picture…😉

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

MESSING WITH A DRAGONFLY

Look, I have a dragonfly for you.

Many birds feed their offspring right now and among them are the Tree Swallows. Despite the gray sky in the background (yes, we finally had some rain!) I like to share a little story with you as it happened in the Green Island Wetlands today, shortly after the rain stopped.

Open your mouth really wide!

Hold on to it!

I said hold on to it!!!

You are on your own!

What am I do now???

NATURE CLICKS #465 - SWIFT LONG-WINGED SKIMMER

Found in a marshy area at the Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve near Dubuque, Iowa

Also known as the Blue Dasher or Blue Pirat, this dragonfly stands out in the green grass or between the reeds of a marsh. Its wings are quite damaged and I wonder if that is from interacting with other dragonflies or from being the victim of a hungry bird? In this warm and often humid weather the Swift long-winged Skimmer has no problem to “hawk” its food, holding the legs in a basket shape and grasping mosquitoes and other small insects. The chance for the photo comes when they are perching on grass or small branches. Quite often the dragonflies return to the same perch. All what it takes is a little patience.

SUMMER FUN

We had some summer fun with the grandkids in the backyard this afternoon. Beside “water battles” and other kids entertainment we watched our little House Wrens being fed by their parents, looked at butterflies, and collected acorns and other nature treasures. During a break this small dragonfly caught my eye. I believe it is a Four-spotted Skimmer, but I’m not sure.

I didn’t shoot the SIGMA 150, f/2.8 wide open but at f/4 it still had a very shallow depth of focus. By exposing strictly for the highlights the not so pretty background of our compost bin got thrown out and the dragonfly stands out nicely.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2019 #05 - AN EYE FOR THE LITTLE THINGS

Four-spotted Skimmer, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

Here is another photo from our little paddle tour yesterday evening. Of course, if you see a picture of a dragonfly you may think immediately, oh we talk about macro photography today. Well, with 600 mm focal length attached to the camera this is not what it really is. Dragonflies are permanent companions during a paddle trip in the summer on the Mississippi. They are beautiful and I try to include them in my story telling if the setting is right, even if it is not a macro shot. Due to all the rain we had in spring and early summer the vegetation everywhere here in eastern Iowa is lush and green and yellow colors have a strong impact on many photos. The Four-spotted Skimmer can be found here along the river and it wasn’t the first time that I had this dragonfly in front of the lens. Handholding the D750 with the Sigma 150-600 attached is always a challenge, especially in a kayak. The low sitting sun led to a shutter speed of only 1/160s. Not really intended, but having the dragonfly sharp and the water soft and silky made this photo a keeper that I really like.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S   @600 mm, 1/160 s, f/8, ISO200

NATURE CLICKS #409 - BLUE DASHER

Blue Dasher, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

My German photography friend Maren had recently posted some excellent photos of damselflies and dragonflies in her blog (https://marensfotoblog.wordpress.com/2018/07/06/wow-seltene-gaeste-am-gartenteich/). Her pictures always inspire me, and while visiting the Green Island Wetlands last weekend I realized that we have plenty of dragonflies this year. When they perch on a stem of grass or any other plant, you have usually a few seconds to make the shot, and quite often they return to the same spot and may give you another chance if you missed the first shot. The only problem last Sunday was the hot wind that blew over the wetlands and what made getting a sharp image a little bit of a challenge. I thought the key for making a decent photo of the beautiful Blue Dasher was incorporating the background, at least its colors, and without having any clutter in the frame.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens

NATURE CLICKS #384 - GREEN CLEARWING

Green Clearwing, Mississippi River, Deere Dyke, Dubuque, Iowa

What do you do if you find a nice subject in great light that would require a macro lens and all what’s available is your widest lens? Some may say, enjoy the view and keep going. Well not me, I tried to get as close as possible with a 35 mm focal length, and I mean really close, only a few inches away. This still doesn’t do the trick, there is a reason that a true macro lens has at least a reproduction ratio of 1:1 and a longer focal length. I shot the beautiful Green Clearwing in a reasonable size but still way too much of its surrounding. To make this image work a pretty hefty crop was applied in post. Not my usual way to solve a problem. but hey, it’s a dragonfly in killer light… 😊

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, @ 35 mm, 1/320s, f/4, ISO200, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter

NATURE CLICKS #337 - COMMON WHITETAIL

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens

The Common Whitetail or Long-tailed Skimmer (Plathemis lydia) is a common dragonfly across much of North America (Wikipedia). Only the males have this white body. The females have a brown body and a different wing pattern. This dragonfly hawks for mosquitoes and other small flying insects. They often return to the same perch, like this spot on a rock, which makes getting a shot quite predictable and not so difficult.

I was hoping to point my lens actually at some birds along the Mississippi between Harpers Ferry and Lansing, Iowa, when this opportunity for a shot came up. Not enough time to go back to the car and change lenses, so I just stepped a few feet back and used the Sigma 150-600 for this photo. I can’t rave enough how pleased I am how this lens performs, even handheld.