RETROSPECTS 2023 - #5

American White Pelican, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa, April 2023

I opened the paddle season much earlier than other years and put the kayak in the water at the Green Island Wetlands already in early April. While paddling between the islands I discovered a small flock of American White Pelicans. All seven birds had the keel developed on top of their bills, a feature they only show during their breeding season between February and June. It was a narrow spot and I had no chance to paddle much around them. They let me come very close but eventually took off and flew to a different place in the wetlands.

MINNESOTA NORTHWOODS - #6

Common Loon, Eagles Nest Lake No. 3, Bear Head Lake State Park, Minnesota

It is always a thrill to hear the call of the Common Loon, mostly early in the morning, and finally watching them while paddling the lakes up in northern Minnesota. The lady at the ranger station at Savanna Portage State Park wasn’t sure if they had started migration already but we found loons on all of the bigger lakes we paddled. Common Loons spend the winter along the ocean coasts of North America.

They are such cool birds to watch and for me it’s always worth the risk taking the camera with long lens in the kayak and being rewarded with some good photography. This bird is not always shy and it may happen that they pop up right next to the boat after diving for fish.

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

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #6 - IN THE BACKWATERS

Green Heron, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

I made another trip with the kayak yesterday evening down at the Mississippi River. Sometimes the best things happen right after the start. This Green Heron was on the hunt next to one of the big beaver lodges. We both were a little surprised but after a couple seconds the heron turned towards the shore and flew into a tree and out of sight. This was the only shot I was able to make.

American Bullfrog, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

It seemed the number of bullfrogs had doubled over night. The loud sound the males make during the breeding season could be heard everywhere along the shore. The light was again perfect and I was able to get really close to some of the big fellows.

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

NATURE CLICKS #564 - AMERICAN BULLFROG

American Bullfrog, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

It was a gorgeous summer day, not too hot and not too humid, and we decided to paddle our kayaks this evening for a couple hours at Mud Lake. This part of the Mississippi River backwaters is separated by a dike structure from the main channel of the river and the current in there is very slow. The best part is that you almost never come back without any wildlife sightings. Today we had a number of different birds but none was close enough for a decent photo. We also watched muskrats, beavers, and turtles. But the best posing in the light of the setting sun came from some of American Bullfrogs. I have never seen so many of these big frogs at Mud Lake. They are a great subject to practice handholding the long lens in a kayak. The bullfrogs were pretty patient and let us paddle up really close to them, even below the minimum focal distance of about 102” (2.6m), before they dived down and moved away.

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

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2021 #5 - A LIVELY RIVER

This Muskrat, which is a semiaquatic rodent but actually not a member of the genus Rattus, swam right at me and was in interaction with a second one.

Many people enjoy the mighty Mississippi River during the summer weekends and the main channel becomes often very busy and noisy. As the day came to an end yesterday, the most motorized boats were gone and the river fell back into silence. I finally got the kayak into the water again and paddled Mud Lake, a backwater area that is separated from the main channel by an artificial, overgrown rock dam. Mud Lake is still connected with the big river but has very little current and is a wonderful nature area, in particular during this time of the season.

Bald Eagles, pelicans, herons, gulls, and geese fly up and down the river but it’s easier to photograph them from land. I wanted to see again what’s out there in and on the water and took dog Cooper and the long lens with me for a two-hour kayak trip.

Arrowheads that grow along the shore of the dam in the shallow water show their flowers. They produce tubers down in the mud that are an important food source for at least 15 species of ducks, snapping turtles, and muskrats, hence the name “duck potatoes”.

Shortly after I left the sandy boat ramp at Mud Lake Park this Northern Water Snake crossed in front of the kayak. I have seen them before but never took a picture from the boat. They are non venomous but may bite when agitated.

Mud Lake is covered by huge rafts of water lilies and make it a beautiful green habitat. Even some parts of the channel are overgrown with them this year and paddling through the big leathery leaves can be a challenge at times.

No paddle trip without seeing turtles. Most common at Mud Lake is the Painted Turtle. This one stretches its hind leg into the sun.

The water lilies are a great playground for the Red-winged Blackbirds. They find an ideal buffet of insects on the big leaves and blossoms. This female gave me a nice display.

THE LOW PERSPECTIVE

Muskrat, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

We used Memorial Day weekend for two kayak trips. The first one on Sunday took us to the backwaters of the Mississippi River and we paddled in the Mud Lake area, not far from home. All photos in today’s blog post are from this enjoyable tour.

Bald Eagle

Paddling a kayak is a relaxing exercise for body, mind, and soul. Sure, it can be risky taking the gear into the small boat. Who wants to loose a camera or lens? They can sink darn fast…😉 If you are a paddling novice or need still all your attention to deal with the ins and outs of kayaking or canoeing, you don’t want to take any valuable photo equipment on a trip. If you are comfortable doing it, it will open new doors for your photography.

Map Turtle

I think the biggest advantage is the low perspective you have in a kayak, very close to the water surface, and quite often near eye level to the animals that are out there. The boat allows to approach a critter very quiet and many animals stay in place much longer than they normally do when they are approached on land.

And when you think you finally have him in the viewfinder,  the American Beaver makes a big splash with its tail and dives down again…

All photos: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S

AUTUMN IN MINNESOTA #11

Bear Head Lake, Minnesota

I admit, this photo was made with some quick instructions shouted across the water. I told Joan to paddle very slowly in front of the tamarack tree, that was for a brief moment perfectly illuminated by the sun. It could have been a great fall shot with its color contrast between the beautiful tamarack and the blue kayak, and as the ice on the cake a nice reflection on the water, if… Yes, if there wasn’t the dead trees in the picture. To be honest I didn’t even see them until I was back home and viewed the pictures on screen. Sure, I can invest another hour and remove all the dead wood from the photo. Photoshop and other software gives us endless possibilities to tinker with an image. But is it worth the time? I clean up a landscape picture if necessary, especially around the edges (called “border police” by other photographers), but I rather go out and shoot again instead of removing a bigger flaw in post process. Every photographer has to make their own decisions about how much time to spend for fixing a problem. Unless I try a new technique in post process I hardly ever exceed ten minutes for working with a RAW file and bring out the romance in the photo. Life is too short and the world doesn’t come to an end if a photo doesn’t get published…

AUTUMN IN MINNESOTA #5

Lake Itasca, Minnesota

On our first evening, just before sunset, I watched this angler paddling to shore at the campsite of Itasca State Park. A little bit of rim light from behind made him standing out even in front of the darker background. A peaceful scene and an easy click at 200 mm focal length.

Ozawindib Lake, Itasca State Park, Minnesota

We brought our kayaks with us on top of the car but during the next two days we had some doubts if that was a good decision. Heavy winds during the day kept us on land. This photo was made at Ozawindib Lake, which is a lot smaller than Lake Itasca, and the whitecaps and blurred leaves tell the story about the weather. With or without boat, the fall colors were just stunning.

Lake Itasca

Finally during our third and last evening we were able to launch the kayaks at Lake Itasca and enjoyed the beautiful scenes from the perspective of a paddler. Our dog Cooper knows this game very well. He jumps into Joan’s boat before it is even in the water…

This time I took the 70-200, f/4 with me. This lens is a lot easier to handle in the kayak and better to protect from the wet elements than the Sigma 150-600.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2018 #05 - COMMON BIRD, OR NOT?

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Johnson Slough, Iowa

I went out for another kayak paddle tour on the Mississippi River last Sunday. Johnson Slough paddle trail is in a backwater area about an hour north of Dubuque, Iowa by car. For the first half you have to paddle northwards in the slough against a mild current, then take a sharp turn to the right, and paddle down south in the main channel of the big river, back to the starting point.

No “killer light” this time but a thin overcast made for some soft light. The slough has not much traffic and the wildlife feels obviously comfortable as long you will approach it slowly. This adult Bald Eagle saw me probably already when I came around a bend of Johnson Slough and when I was still more than 200 yards away. It is a lot easier to make a click during winter season, when open water dictates where Bald Eagles will fish and a lot of migrating eagles are present. At this time of the year you only find the birds that nest along the Mississippi River. Sure enough, shortly after I took this picture I saw a juvenile bird changing locations just on the opposite side of the slough.

Hey, 15 years ago, while still living in my home country of Germany, I knew Bald Eagles (Weisskopf-Seeadler) only from TV or nature magazines. Seeing them now any time we want here in the Mississippi Valley is the result of smart decisions for their protection after they have been almost extinct. Reading about that the current administration has 36 proposals to change the ESA (Endangered Species Act), of which nearly one-third are expected to have at least partially negative impacts on conservation, makes me sick. I just hope the people with a broader view about the future of this country have the longer arm.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2018 #03 - 4 PICS OUT OF THE KAYAK

Green Frog, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

The last three evenings were used to paddle the Mississippi River and its backwaters, but only yesterday I took the camera with me. Aiming for wildlife during the last two hours with daylight and shooting from the low level in the boat have been often a key for success.

The mix of duck weed, algae, and aquatic plants that have reached the surface is a great habitat for many species. Don’t worry, this is usually just near the shore, the main channel in the backwaters of Mud Lake is clear and easy to paddle. This Green Frog blends right in and the reflection of its eye in an open spot of the water made me choose this image for today’s blog post.

Young Barn Swallow, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

A new generation of swallows is learning how to catch insects in flight. I have seen all five species we can find along the big river but this young Barn Swallow posed perfectly on top of a water lily.

Painted Turtle,  Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

Painted Turtles enjoy the sun as much as we do, but most of the time they slide into the water as soon they detect some movement. This one seemed to know that I was not a thread in my kayak and stayed on this piece of drift wood until I was only five feet away.

Eastern Kingbird,  Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

The young Eastern Kingbirds were hunting for insects right at the boat ramp. Even if I’m not always in favor of a backlit situation, I still prefer this shot over the ones I took while I left the boat launch.

Sure, I could make an image of all these critters from shore, but shooting out of the kayak delivers most of the time a perspective that is almost impossible to obtain by standing on land, much higher above the water level.

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

ON THE VOLGA RIVER AGAIN

Joan and I finally paddled one of our favorite rivers here in Iowa last weekend, the Volga River, a tributary of the Turkey River. It is a very scenic stream, with cliffs on both sides, and some very secluded portions. We actually didn’t meet any other people last Saturday during our trip. It isn’t exactly a novice river tour and has a few tricky turns, a couple rapids, and several portions with ripples that require some attention, as you can see on Joan’s face while she navigates a section with pretty strong current. Kayak-dog Cooper wasn’t always thrilled about some of the bumps we went over…

We have paddled this river in high water and another time in very low water before, but this time we enjoyed it probably the most, with a good water level after some rain. The smile comes back after a difficult section, just Cooper closed his eyes and seemed to say, not another one again…

I was brave and took the camera and a couple lenses in a waterproof bag on tour with me. Both photos were made with the Nikon Nikkor 70-200, f/4. This lens is light weight and shooting it wide open at f/4 allows to catch the action on the bottom of the canyon without cranking up ISO.

PADDLING ON THE VOLGA RIVER, IOWA

Volga River upstream from Albany Bridge ------

Joan and I had a wonderful weekend. Together with our dog Cooper we paddled the Volga River again. Someone was funny and asked on Joan’s Facebook page if we were in Russia! No folks, this river is right here in northeast Iowa! It is a gorgeous river valley that reminds me a lot of the Sächsische Schweiz (Saxonian Suizerland), back in Germany near my home town, a mountain area with sandstone bluffs, rocks, and steep valleys.

It was a different challenge this time. The water level was a bit lower than some weeks ago and we had to incorporate “a few” short portages into our kayak tour. Joan counted over 30, oh well, it was a great way to exercise getting in and out of the boat on this almost 14 km (8.5 miles) trip…

The photo above was made this morning about a mile upstream from our campsite. The water of the Volga River was very clear and some yellow leaves on the rocks tell already the story about fall will knock at the door very soon. 

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4, @ 38mm, 1/6s, f/18, ISO100,

SUNSET AT THE BOAT RAMP

Joan and I checked out the canoe access near Motor Mill, Iowa around sunset last Friday. We had pitched our tent at the campsite and looked forward to paddle the Turkey River on Saturday and the Volga River on Sunday with our kayaks again. Despite heavy damage on trees and parts of the river bed in both rivers from the flooding about a week ago, both paddle tours were very delightful and we had no problems.

Some people had left their rental kayaks and canoes at the boat ramp and these made for a great story telling element in this photo.

LOW ANGLE

American Coot, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa  -----

Nothing beats the low angle you can get while shooting from a kayak, especially in an area like the Green Island Wetlands. Because the dykes and roads are much higher, the camera is always elevated above the water level while shooting from the shore. The downside is, it is more difficult to navigate to a different position if some vegetation is in the line between you and your subject.

We took the boats out again today but didn’t see nearly as many birds as last Sunday. I’m happy if I come back with at least one shot that I like and this American Coot was the star today. Coots are very good swimmers but their feet are not webbed. Their toes have lobes on the side of each segment. I knew this before but I wasn’t really aware how big their feet actually are. It’s the low angle for this photo that helps to tell the story much better, not just about their feet but also the habitat they live in.

NATURE CLICKS #379 - PROTHONOTARY WARBLER

Prothonotary Warbler, Mississippi River, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa ------  

Another great day here in the Mississippi Valley today. Joan and I took again the kayaks out for a trip on the water. This time we paddled deep into the backwaters of the Green Island Wetlands. We had it all for ourselves and except for the occasional honking of a train far away it was all about listening to the sounds of nature. My excitement grew rapidly when Joan pointed out a small yellow bird on a log in the water. I have only seen and photographed a Prothonotary Warbler once before and that was several years ago.

As always, shooting with the long lens from a kayak, while the kayak is moving, is quite a challenge and the number of misses is of course much higher. The only reason I show the second image here in the blog is for identification. It shows the colors of back, wings, and tail better. The head and eye of the warbler are clearly out of focus and usually a picture like this has only one valid place, the digital trash can. Well, sometimes we need an exception from the rule…😉