NATURE CLICKS #509 - SAD UNDERWING MOTH (CATOCALA MAESTOSA)

I like to say it right at the beginning, I don’t put any money on a bet about the identification of this moth, but several online sources led to the conclusion that this is a Sad Underwing Moth. Yesterday evening, when I came back from a little trip with our dog, the moth used our front door as a sunny resting spot. The sun was already pretty low but there was no need to employ a speed light or any other artificial light source. The dark underwings are usually hidden beneath the camouflage of the forewings but this one had one side exposed to the light. The color version of the image is not bad but I really liked the graphic impact of this moth, hence the development as a black & white photo.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, RRS BH-55 ball head,   @ 1/2 s, f/16, ISO100

BACK IN THE WETLANDS

Family of Pied-billed Grebes, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

It was about time to go back into the wetlands at Green Island. On a sunny day it doesn’t buy you much to be there before 6:00PM, when the light gets softer and warmer. The water level is still very high but for the first time in months no roads or dykes were flooded and the area was complete accessible again.

I talked to an old farmer in his eighties, who owns land adjacent to the Green Island Wetlands, and he told me that the numbers of ducks and geese are the lowest he has seen in a long time. This might be due to the fact that many nest sites were under water for such a long time and still are.

Well, some life can still be found. There were large families of Wood Ducks and the young Canada Geese have almost adult size. I counted three successful broods of Pied-billed Grebes along the main dyke. The one above is my favorite image of this evening, three little chicks stayed close together while their parents dived for food and delivered promptly when they had success.

Paddling is not the best idea at this time of the year. An abundance of water plants, duck weed, and algae make it difficult to move in the backwaters. We have done that before, it’s not impossible, but the fun of paddling is cut in half to say it mildly. I did not regret to leave the kayak at home. The low sun created some dappled light in the foreground, making the “green mess” not so dominant, and with some puffy clouds in the blue sky the picture got some depth and tells today’s story about a perfect summer day along the Mississippi River.

Trumpeter Swans

About 7:45PM I drove slowly back on the main dyke and this pair of Trumpeter Swans enjoyed the last sun of the day as much as I did. Maybe they just found each other this season. Trumpeter Swans often mate for life and most pair bonds are often formed when they are 5-7 years old. More to come… stay tuned!