RETROSPECTS 2023 - #2

Red-headed Woodpecker

It was a thrill to watch a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers working on the cavity in a tree trunk for their nest. It was my first time in spring at the Valley of Eden Bird Sanctuary over in Illinois, about an hour away from home. I really wanted to make this kind of image of a Red-headed Woodpecker since a very long time and all dreams came through this year. I wasn’t able to follow up on this later in the season, for example while the woodpeckers were feeding their offspring, but it is definitely on my list for 2024 to check out this great location again.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,…@850 mm, 1/640s, f/9, ISO 1600, image cropped

NATURE CLICKS #563 - RED-HEADED WOODPECKER

Red-headed Woodpecker, Valley of Eden Bird Sanctuary, Illinois

Not long ago I wrote here about a migratory Red-headed Woodpecker in our front yard. Today we were in for a special treat. Joan and I drove over to Illinois and made a visit to the Valley of Eden Bird Sanctuary, not far from Stockton, IL. This 409-acre property contains managed grassland areas, upland forests, prairie restoration areas, and managed pasture. With other words, this area provides cover and food mix for many birds that have been in decline due to habitat loss and alteration of the land.

The breeding season is in full swing and some of the birds, like Dickcissel or Bobolink, which I hoped to see, stayed low in the grass and didn’t give much opportunity for a picture. Instead a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers came to our attention. With our binoculars and the long lens we spotted a cavity in a dead tree on the other side of a small but steep valley where they seemed to work on. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by and hiked around the valley over to the other side. With the 1.4 teleconverter on the long lens I was able to maintain a safe distance. The birds did not stop their activities. One flew into the hole and I heard it chiseling with its long bill. The construction work for a nest cavity was obviously not finished. This wood pecker is a gorgeous bird and I had this kind of a shot in mind since a long time. Today was the day.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,…@850 mm, 1/800s, f/9, ISO 1600, image cropped

GOING FOR THE DRAMA (NOT THE BRIDGE)

Rain front moving in over Iowa, Mississippi River, East Dubuque, Illinois

Last Friday evening I went across the Mississippi River to East Dubuque, the northwest corner of the state of Illinois. Over on the Iowa side a rain front moved in and started to cover already partially the low sitting sun. It is tempting to have only an eye for the Julien Dubuque Bridge that connects both states but there was more to consider as the subject for this photo. I was intrigued by the reflections on the water and the drama in the sky above. The bridge as a silhouette still holds the picture together and all lines, from below, above, and from the sides of the image converge near the brightest spot.

I started out shooting in color mode from different angles and distances to the bridge but non of the shots held the drama I saw as a possibility for the final photo. My monochrome settings in the Nikon Z6II apply the effect of a red filter. It gives extreme contrast, darkens the sky and makes the clouds really stand out. Seeing the effect right in the electronic viewfinder or on the camera screen gave me a good direction how I wanted to compose and how my exposure would effect the drama in the scene. Finally, later in post process at the computer, I reduced the effect of the red filter by lowering the contrast a little bit, and making it more looking like an orange filter was used.

Don’t take me wrong, the bridge is a nice subject for a picture, but this was all about the drama in the sky and its reflection on the Mississippi River.