SHOREBIRDS, ENTERTAINING AND BEAUTIFUL

Black-necked Stilt, San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Irvine, California

While visiting wetlands and marshes in any part of the country I’m always excited to find and photograph different shorebirds. It’s not easy, often challenging, but always great fun to have them in the viewfinder of the camera. Both locations I visited last weekend, Bolsa Chica and as well San Joaquin March, have the same disadvantage as the beloved Green Island Wetlands here in the Upper Mississippi Valley have. The trails are mostly on dykes, elevated quite a bit above the water surface. This is very obvious in the first image I show you today. There was a flock of about 30 Black-necked Stilts in one of the ponds but access is only possible from high above on all four sides. However, this bird species is one of my favorites and zooming in as much as the lens allows helps a bit to make the beauty of this stilt stand out.

Willet, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach, California

Much easier work with this Willet in its non-breeding plumage during winter time. The bird foraged between the gravel with its long bill on top of the dyke in the Bolsa Chica Reserve. The Willet didn’t seem to have any fear and walked right up to me and my tripod and even underneath the lens. Not the most thrilling background but at least not distracting and showing how well the bird blends in even in a men-made environment. Many birds look better in their breeding plumage, some of them even spectacular, but as wildlife photographers we want to tell the story of the moment, even during times of less favorable appearance.

Short-billed Dowitcher, San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Irvine, California

The best place to get down to eye level with the birds was right in the parking lot at San Joaquin Marsh. Still about a foot above water level, but at my arrival a bunch of Short-billed Dowitchers foraged right in front of the rental car. They were probing with their long bills in the mud and between the rocks at the shore with high-speed. The power of the California sun helped to shoot with short exposure times, between 1/1000s and 1/2000s, and it was the gesture with the Dowitcher’s head tilted to the side that made me choose this photo for today’s blog post. Still more to come from last weekend, so please stay tuned my friends…

NATURE CLICKS #525 - AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

American White Pelican, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

The weather is just right for spending time on the Mississippi River in a kayak during the evenings. A couple days ago I came across this solitary juvenile American White Pelican. Usually a larger group roosts far away, almost on the other side of the river, but this lonely guy was perched on a log right next to the entrance of the marina at Mud Lake. The bird let me come very close but kept an eye on me while I was drifting carefully around it, trying to get the sun behind my back. I shot a lot of pictures with different backgrounds but this photo was my final choice, where good light, background, and gesture of the pelican came all together in the frame.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/800 s, f/8, ISO 200

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #6

Barn Swallows, Dubuque, Iowa

The month of June was again filled with good wildlife sightings but one great opportunity came with an invitation from my photography friend Kevin. He owns an old barn near his house and we were shooting Barn Swallows that had their nests in the building. We did that already two years ago and I didn’t hesitate a second when he invited me again this year. Kevin has produced some amazing photos with swallows in flight and approaching their nest during this summer. I used my chance that afternoon and focussed on two spots at the barn and tried to catch some nice gestures while the birds interacted with each other. Time well spent again and definitely a highlight for me in June 2020.

THE FERAL HORSES

Feral horses, South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

While driving on the Scenic Loop Drive in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park many visitors try to see the feral horses that live in the park. Sometimes you can watch quite a few of them and sometimes you may not be lucky at all. We spent a little time with parts of the herd again this year. Feral horses are fun to watch and there is a good chance you get carried away and make way too many clicks (oh, is there such a thing like too many clicks…? 😉).

Of course you make your safety shots that will serve as a memory, but you want to make that picture that sets it apart from the rest. I’m talking about the photo that includes a nice gesture, a background that tells the story about location, and maybe a soft light, which is not always guaranteed. The horses often stood very close together and that’s nice, but I tried to find a position with the camera where I could separate individual animals, or like in this photo a foal with its mother.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,    @600 mm, 1/1600 s, f/6.3, ISO400

WATCHING THE AIR SPACE ABOVE

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

This young hummingbird didn’t pay much attention to my presence. His attention was occupied by more than a dozen other “hummers”, who all fight for the dominance at the bird feeders that hang from our roof. I love the gesture of their little heads, tilted slightly to the side for having an eye on the air space above.

KEEPING AN EYE ON IT

Trumpeter Swan, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

You were supposed to see this photo earlier this week but business travel during the last three days left no time for even thinking much about photography fun. The picture is from last Sunday where I found the same pair of Trumpeter Swans at the same spot as the day before (Click HERE for the earlier post). About 50 more swans were way in the back, almost at the other side of the lake, but too far away for a closer look.

It happens quite often, we watch an animal for quite some time, we get some static shots, but not much happens. It is patience and knowing about the animal’s behavior, knowing a little bit about their biology, that can make the difference and let us make the photo at the decisive moment. For the Trumpeter Swans we are talking about the 2-3 seconds when they may flap their wings in order to dry them. For this kind of shot the last couple hours before sunset work well at this time of the year. You really never know when that will happen, but after they get out of the water, it is important to have your eye on the bird and the lens pre-focused. I missed this kind of gesture on Saturday, but Sunday I had my second chance and fired through the two seconds of action. The Nikon D750 is not really the ideal camera for fast action. With 6.5 frames per second and a relative small buffer the limit is quickly reached. It was enough for this time of action and the story about winter fading away in the wetlands can be told.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS 2019 (2)

Competitive moves

Most nature photos can easily live without any additional words. This one definitely could. I still like to call it ”Competitive Moves”. The month of May is usually the time with lots of new wildlife photos for me. Many birds arrive in the Upper Mississippi Valley for breeding and feeding their offspring during the summer. The Great Egrets find plenty of food in the wetlands and watching their mating approach and competitive behavior is always a great pleasure. These egrets were part of a large congregation and getting close to them with my “mobile blind” was a real treat. Oh yes, another memorable moment this year.

A MORNING WITH THE SMALLEST

Immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and behind the camera after a busy week on a Sunday morning is hard to beat. We still have a number of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds around and as far I have seen it, they are all juvenile males. These young rowdies have the endless battle about the best feeders and bully each other whenever they can. Their ruby throat is not fully developed yet but the first feathers that look almost like scales start to peek out.

This summer the tiny hummingbirds have nested relatively early here and have probably already left towards the tropics some time ago. What we see are immature birds that have only recently hatched further north and that are now on their first journey to the south.

It had rained overnight again and an overcast still covered the sky this morning. I like this kind of soft light for my hummingbird photography. The MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender was used to throw some extra light at the birds and use the reflection of the feathers to bring out some colors.

There were many keepers on the memory card today but I always look for the special pose or gesture that makes the difference between a good picture and a photo that tells a story.

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender

BALD EAGLES… LIGHT, GESTURE, AND COLOR

Mississippi River, Ice Harbor, Dubuque, Iowa

Light, gesture, and color, it all came together this evening in the Ice Harbor near downtown Dubuque, Iowa. My special thanks goes to photography friend Kevin McTague, who send me a message this afternoon about the presence of Bald Eagles in the Ice Harbor behind the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. I have shot there before when the ice broke during other years and knew ahead of time that this can lead to some good photography. Beside that it was the first real day of spring, with sunshine, a clear sky, and mild temperatures. The interesting part of this urban location is the fact that the brick stone building, which was as far as I know an old warehouse and is now part of the museum, reflects in the water of the marina and makes for some interesting color opportunities.

Most of the time the Bald Eagles just sat on the ice, looked around, and paid little attention to the Ring-billed Gulls, who were also hanging around. I was waiting for the gestures that were made when another eagle flew above or when the eagles communicated by calls and body language. By the way, it isn’t as static as it may look. The ice floes move around by wind and water current in the harbor and the light and reflections were different from one minute to the next. What a great way to start a weekend…!!

YEAH, GESTURE, BUT THE LIGHT…?

Unpleasant weather, to say it mildly, this weekend. From rain and temperatures above freezing on Saturday to ice cold winds and snow drifts on Sunday. I shot a lot in the front and backyard studio again. This Downy Woodpecker was briefly resting in our maple tree and gave me a gesture I really like, but throwing even a little hint of flash towards a wet branch is not such a good idea. The water on the wood reflects the light source and this is not very desirable. The reflection on top of the branch reveals that the sun was kinda behind the bird, a little to the left, and without the flash, well, the picture would look probably “crappy-gray”. Not a photo for the record books but still a nice gesture of the woodpecker…

INGREDIENTS

Black-necked Stilt, Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, California, 2017

Light, gesture, and color are still the main ingredients for a photo that may not even get more than just one second of attention span these days on social media. Ok, nothing new here, but if a picture doesn’t even have at least one of the above mentioned, it goes down the digital drain without any notice. A good photo hardly ever needs all three ingredients, one just can make the difference.

TRYING TO STEP UP A NOTCH

Juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, near Durango, Iowa, 1/125s, f/6.3, ISO400

One of the goals I wanted to accomplish this year was to step up a notch with my hummingbird photography. The time is just right, we have probably at least a dozen birds buzzing around the house and the new generation is as aggressive as the old “bullies” in their pursue to “own” one of the feeders we provide.

I mentioned in my last post already that I started using a new light modifier, a small soft box that attaches to the speed light. It still maintains the same purpose, just to bring out the colors in the bird’s feathers. The ambient light is still the main light source for the pictures. But it takes more than a new piece of gear to make better images. First I analyzed photos made during the last few years and realized that I had very few that caught the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds during a special gesture. To make it clear, there is nothing a hummingbird does slowly and even preening is done in short intervals that last maybe a second.

1/100s, f/6.3, ISO400

This juvenile male was my main subject today. He often returned to the same branch above one of our feeders and allowed me really to work with him between the “high-speed chases” that went on all afternoon and evening. Many clicks were made, but after the sun disappeared behind the trees on our ridge, there was a brief moment when a shaft of warm light hit the hummer just perfect, and this became my favorite shot of the day.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, Impact Quikbox Micro Softbox

RETURNING TO THE SAME SPOTS

Dickcissel, Dubuque, Iowa

If people ask me about a good tip for wildlife photography, there is one that will be always on my list. Get back to the same spot over and over again! Sounds boring, right? But I think it really helps to know a location well, have an idea how the light may turn out, and most important , what critters might be present and how do they approach the site.

We went this evening to the flower meadows, I just call “Behind the Mall”, at the city limit of Dubuque, Iowa, and tried to see the birds again I had reported about recently, like Dickcissel, Bobolink, and Savannah Sparrow. We saw them all, but for the most part they were not within a good shooting range today. Watching them is still fun, and making the click is the cream on the ice. Today’s photo is already a few days old. The male Dickcissels guarded the nests that were obviously deeper down between grass and flowers and this is just the gesture you may see most of the time. Did I mention that their songs sound beautiful?

THE STORY ABOUT AN “ORDINARY”

Red-winged Blackbird, Green Island Wetlands -------   

I’m still smiling about my first sighting of a Short-eared Owl yesterday and just a few days ago I finally made some pictures of a pair American Black Ducks, as the avid reader of my blog may recall. It looks like I have already a good bird watching year. But more often we come back from a trip with photos of wildlife that is native to the area, stays all year long, or shows up in large numbers for the breeding season. Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gulls, Mallards, and of course the Red-winged Blackbirds belong into this group here in the Mississippi Valley.

So, how can we make the photos of the ordinary creatures special? First, they have to be sharp. If we don’t nail sharpness at least on the eye of a critter we can try it again and again. The “ordinary” birds are a great subject to improve our shooting skills. Second, light and color should play a role. Nobody wants to see, not even on Facebook, a photo of a gull, sitting still on a sheet of ice that reflects the gray from an overcast sky. This rule can be broken if there is a good story telling gesture involved. Gesture is the third ingredient to make an image of a bird that everybody knows more interesting.

I hear the photo-purists saying, Andreas, why didn’t you move a little to the side to get the swaying dried up plant out of the frame? Well, I did, I moved the “mobile blind”, as I call my car, a couple feet back. It was all good, sharpness, light, and color. The only thing missing in all the other shots was the great gesture of the male Red-winged Blackbird, when he spread his wings, called, and told all competitors around, this is my territory! For my friends in Germany and those who are not familiar with blackbirds, the appearance of this species in late winter and early spring is a good indicator that the warmer season will arrive soon. They are here probably by the millions. The males claim a territory and wait for the arrival of the females. This picture may not make it into a field guide about birds but I think it tells the story about what’s going on out in the wetlands, at the Mississippi River, and along the roads here in Iowa…

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens, @ 600 mm, 1/400 s, f/6.3, ISO 200

BALD EAGLES - GESTURES, LIGHT, AND TEMPERATURE CHALLENGE

Great gesture, the moment when the eagle drops suddenly down to go for a fish ----   

The weather conditions are ideal for Bald Eagle photography at the moment. First we had a clean blue sky, which in combination with a low sun in the afternoon makes for good colors and light. And second, it was cold, and I mean really cold, and this requires the eagles to eat a lot in order to survive. If the eagles are hungry they are in permanent move in search for fish, and this gives us photographers a lot more shooting opportunities than if the temperature is just around the freezing point.

When the eagle is about to put its talons into the prey you can hear the camera shutters rattle...

As expected, about 60 miles down the river at lock & dam #14 in Le Claire, Iowa the parking lot was quite full and people enjoyed watching and photographing a good number of Bald Eagles today. The cold bares some challenges and being properly dressed is absolutely essential for spending time behind the camera. I saw several people climbing out of their cars full of enthusiasm and making a fashion statement with every piece of clothes they wore, but ten minutes later they disappeared again because they were not dressed warm enough. Shooting with gloves is not my favorite thing to do but there was no way around it today without a high risk of frostbites.

The flight patterns of a juvenile Bald Eagle while hunting for fish is harder to predict, their lack of routine shows quite often.

I took many pictures of Bald Eagles already during the last thirteen years since we lived near the Upper Mississippi Valley. So why going back to the best spots over and over again with the camera? Well, just watching these majestic creatures is priceless and having hundreds of photos in the files doesn’t mean there are no new gestures or light patterns to discover, and there is always this one special picture that still needs to be made…😉

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