RISKY PLEASURE

We made another paddle trip by kayak in the Mud Lake area on the Mississippi River yesterday evening. The water level of the big river was a little bit higher than two days earlier and as a result I saw only one sandpiper. But there is always something to find in this ever changing ecosystem of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Before we even saw them we heard the incredible noise from dozens of American Toads that had started their mating  time.

Having probably only one thing in mind some of the frogs didn’t pay the attention to their environment they should have. While I still tried to find the best position with my kayak, two Northern Water Snakes took advantage of the frogs desire for some pleasure and their drive to mate and snatched them off from the driftwood logs in the mud. One snake disappeared immediately in the water and made it to land quickly. The other one slipped over the log quickly and all what I got in my picture is the head of the snake and the legs of the toad sticking out of its mouth.

Well, this didn’t stop all the other males to continue to attract the females with their loud high-pitched trill. They produce their characteristic calls by using a combination of their lungs, vocal cords, and a vocal sac to amplify the sound.

Good time, good times!

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER

Pair of Bald Eagles, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Shortly after I started shooting pictures of this pair of Bald Eagles the female left the tree. At that time I didn’t know it was the female. She returned after three minutes The eagles greeted each other with loud vocalization and another minute later the male seemed to understand that his partner was receptive and ready for copulation. Most Bald Eagles are monogamous and mate for life and they can live up to 30 years in the wild.

The metadata of my images reveal that it all lasted for about 13 seconds. Afterwards the pair sat together in the light of the setting sun, which is generally interpreted as a sign of strong partnership and a renewal of their bond. I never witnessed this important ritual for a healthy Bald Eagle population and I felt rewarded by watching some essential biology.

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x

…@ 840mm, f/9, ISO400, 1/1000s - 1/1250s

Although I had the teleconverter already on the lens I felt it was still a little bit too far away and I cropped the final pictures by about 18% in post process.

FOLLOW UP

Yellow Warbler hunting for insects

I can’t resist to post another photo of my recent shooting of warblers in Bankston County Park. This Yellow Warbler didn’t care that I was nearby and concentrated on its real interest, to catch an insect above the water surface of the small river below this branch.

Today I was back in the valley again and finding a warbler that sits still for more than half a second was next to impossible. Mating season for this species is in full swing, and you know how that goes…

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, 1/1250 s, f/9, ISO 2500, image cropped

NATURE CLICKS #488 - RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker, Little Maquoketa River Valley, Iowa

It is mating season and most obvious is it by the birds that call for a mate or try to impress the other gender. Woodpeckers are among them and as soon daylight creeps above the horizon they make their presence known by drumming against a well sounding tree trunk or branch and by ratting calls, mostly by the males. Well, they need to eat too and suet feeders are like a magnet that pulls them within the reach of a lens. Of course, a feeder is not the best place for a photo but during the time the woodpeckers approach it, there are plenty of opportunities to make a click.

DUCK DAY

Male Northern Shoveler, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Today we left the rain finally behind us but an overcast made me scratching my head and wondering if it is worth to make another trip to the wetlands. Gray sky and bird photography do not always go well together, especially if the sky is reflected on water. I did it anyway and thought a scouting trip for shorebirds, like sandpipers, wouldn’t hurt. To answer that question first, I saw only one Greater Yellowleg and a group of unidentified sandpipers, all of them too far away for a photo.

The number of ducks has increased and the first Canada Geese were sitting on nest sites. It was fun to watch immature Bald Eagles, honing their skills for catching fish, and pelicans circling with great elegance above. I counted 14 Sandhill Cranes and some showed their elaborate courtship displays to either form mating pairs, or between mates to maintain their pair bond. With other words, it was still a great day for bird watchers.

Pair of Blue-winged Teal

It is mating season and some of the ducks don’t fly away immediately as soon they become aware of us. Other things are on their mind and while they look most beautiful right now, it is the best time of the year to capture their picture. The challenge today was to keep the sky and water with sky reflections out of the frame whenever possible. In addition the green of new grass and reeds helps to hide mud and decaying clutter from last year’s growing season. 

A MERCILESS FIGHT

3 Wood Ducks in a fight, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

No, I didn’t throw a big stone into the water. We just witnessed a merciless fight between three male Wood Ducks. It lasted only a few seconds and was probably all about the mating rights for a female. Driving along the west boundary of the bird refuge at Green Island, this scene unfolded just in front of us. Luckily I found a gap in the vegetation for pointing the lens at the birds. In areas where wildlife encounters are very likely I always drive with the camera in my lap. The camera stays turned on to increase the chance for a shot of a wildlife sighting or sometimes for an unexpected incident like this one.

WARBLER DAY

Yellow Warbler ------------

I have 3 photos of warblers for you today. All have the word “yellow” in the name but each is of course from a different species. As always, you can click on each photo for a larger image on your screen. It was a gray Sunday but the temperature started rising again. Early in the morning I saw a couple warblers here near the house and with warmer temperatures insects started flying again. I figured out it would be a good day looking for migrating or mating warblers around the Deere Marsh at the Mississippi River in Dubuque and at the end of the day I was not disappointed with my encounters.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Taking pictures of birds against a gray sky or with water in the background that reflects the sky is usually a no-no, but rules are there to be broken sometimes…😉 To bring out the colors of these little neotropical birds requires to send a hint of flash in their direction. The light will be reflected and this takes care of the dull appearance under an overcast. I used the trusted MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender (click the link if you like to see it http://www.exnerimages.net/gear ).

Common Yellowthroat

Some of the pictures were made from the tripod and a flash arm was used. Others were made out of my car and in this case I mount the flash directly to the hot shoe of the camera. This is a little awkward at times because of the limited height of the car window but I haven’t found a better way yet. Don’t take me wrong, I still think a gray background does not lead to a real good photo but going out shooting beats the alternative, staying home… 😊

SINGING HIS HEART OUT

Song Sparrow, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa -----

It is not difficult to find Song Sparrows and take a picture of them. We find them mostly along the edge of water and marshy land and I have seen them in many of my favorite shooting locations along the Mississippi. Spring is here and this is of course mating time and most birds look at their best right now. Last Sunday I couldn’t resist to make a few clicks when this little guy made for a great display in some old stems from last year and sang his heart out.

NATURE CLICKS #377 - EASTERN KINGBIRDS

I just returned from a 4-days business trip to St. Paul and Duluth, Minnesota. As always, I took the camera gear with me but a densely packed schedule did not leave any spare time to get the camera out of the bag. So, today’s image is still from last weekend.

It payed back to visit a spot in the Green Island marshes where I had seen an Eastern Kingbird, a large flycatcher, last year and so it wasn’t a big surprise to find a pair of Kingbirds in the same area again. Love was in the air between the two birds and I had some good opportunities to make a click. There was some water between us and the birds and the only way to get it right in camera was to use the DX crop mode (900 mm lens equivalent).