CHECKING OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD


Young Raccoons in the front yard

Last Friday we finished the work week with a cocktail hour on our porch with some neighbor friends. At dusk suddenly these two baby raccoons showed up at the edge of our woods. I quickly grabbed the camera, sat down in the grass, and tried to make a sharp image in the fading light of the day. They sniffed around and seemed to check out the neighborhood for a few minutes and then disappeared back in the woods behind them. Almost every picture of young animals, no matter if it is prairie dogs, squirrels, or birds, comes with a certain ”cuteness factor”. Well, raccoons are no exception and I like to share this brief moment with. you.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/320 s, f/9, ISO 5000

RACCOON MOON


Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

I left the Green Island Wetlands in the Mississippi Valley late last Sunday evening. My hope was to spot maybe a Short-eared Owl, which I had seen in this area before some years ago. This didn’t happen but instead the call from a Great Horned Owl echoed from the rocky bluffs that line the edge of the valley after sunset. I enjoyed it for a few minutes while sitting in the car with the windows down. Just as I was ready to leave I looked to the east and realized that I had missed the moonrise over the Mississippi River. It was still gorgeous and since the Sigma 150-600 S was still on camera, I used the long end of the lens for a compressed view across the wetlands.

I finished the book “Saga of the Sioux” just recently and learned that many civilizations, including native Americans, used a calendar based on the cycles of the moon. Some would call the one we see here “Moon of the Dark Red Calves”, others call it “Racoon Moon”. It makes sense, raccoons mate in February and amorous raccoons become especially raucous. Yep, let’s call this photo ‘Raccoon Moon’!

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

AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME


I came back from a short trip to the post office today when I found one of our bird feeders unscrewed from its hook on the balcony deck and laying on the ground below. I thought I must have not tightened the screw enough and it became loose while one of our numerous Gray Squirrels had occupied the feeder. I picked it up, put it back to its place, and went on with business. Later in the afternoon Joan’s call, ‘raccoon in the tree’, made me running for the camera.

Indeed, a raccoon had climbed the elm tree that grows next to the balcony deck. It tried to hide behind the tree trunk and it became clear who the thief of bird seeds really was. Making a good click wasn’t so easy. First, I had problems finding a gap between the branches and still having some decent light available, and second, the raccoon tried to “play possum”, pretending to sleep or feigning death. The critter was hiding its face and even closed the eyes, like people sometimes do when they don’t want their picture taken. But raccoons are curious too and so I waited patiently until this guy tried to check me out again and peeked from behind the tree. Raccoons are smart animals and this one has probably unscrewed a bird feeder not for the first time to get it on the ground for an easy meal…

HE LET ME KNOW…


Young Raccoon, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

If I talk about a visit in the Green Island Wetlands, south of Bellevue, Iowa, you may expect pictures of waterfowl, shore birds, or raptors, but today I have an image of an immature raccoon. While I saw many birds on the water or between the reeds yesterday, I wasn’t too excited to make the click, due to harsh light or too much distance, but often for both reasons. Some four-legged critters performed, including a white-tailed deer and this young raccoon. As soon I stopped on the opposite side of the road and put the camera in position, the little guy started growling at me. I got it, I was the intruder in his space and the raccoon had every right to let me know about it… Cute, nevertheless…!

TAKING A BREAK


Barred Owl ------------   

Tonight the Barred Owl used our roof ridge as a perch for its hunting efforts. I could see the silhouette against the evening sky. It was quiet and peaceful and while I watched this magnificent bird, mother raccoon ransacked the suet feeder on the balcony at the other side of the house… Did I say it was peaceful…? 😏

The photo of the Barred Owl is from last week. This is how I found the bird Friday morning in a tree at the edge of our woods. I took the time to get the tripod out. With good support I had no problem to shoot at ISO200 and 1/80s.

I’m taking a break from posting here in the blog for a little while. I’ll be back soon. Enjoy the warm and sunny weather, always take the camera with you, and don’t miss the opportunity to make the best photo of your life!

2017 RETROSPECT / 6


For my retrospect about the month of June I have to revert to one of the best wildlife moments last year. While leaving the Green Island Wetlands at the Mississippi River the evening of June 9th I discovered four young raccoons having dinner in a mulberry tree. I have written in detail about this encounter in the blog and if you like to see the photos and read the full story I posted back in June 2017, feel free to click the link right here: http://www.exnerimages.net/blog/2017/6/10/a-gang-of-four

We photographers can talk about the technical aspects of photography all day long or get lost in overanalyzing our pixels, but it is important to have some fun while shooting, even if the results are not more than a “learning experience” sometimes. The good results will come with the passion we apply to our own photography. Watching the young raccoons was priceless and the only way to make these images was to crank up the ISO setting to 640 due to the very low light. Not my usual style for wildlife photography, but who cares if the technical side of the photo is not perfect but the story telling aspect reflects the fun I had while taking the pictures.

2017 RETROSPECT / 2


Red-tailed Hawk with roadkill

Photographs bare our memories and while looking through the images from last February I was reminded how little snow we had on the ground last winter. I had reported about this Red-tailed Hawk not giving up a dead raccoon, which was probably killed by a car, when I stopped on the other side of the road and started shooting. The hawk had a large injury on its chest but was otherwise acting very normal. I just can assume that the bird had contact with a car as well. This was the only picture where the hawk stared right at me but I like the shot just because of the direct eye contact. This is not always a good thing but I think in this matter it tells the story how the Red-tailed Hawk stood its ground.

A GANG OF FOUR


Young Raccoons, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa -------- 

When it’s time to leave the Green Island wetlands I usually drive slowly down the gravel road on the left hand side and scan the water canals, ponds, trees, and bushes for any sign of wildlife with my eyes. The camera rests in my lap, turned on, and ready to shoot. Don’t worry about me driving on the wrong side, the road is straight and wide and there is not much traffic at all. If another car shows up on the horizon or in the rear view mirror, I stop and wait until the car has passed and the dust from the road has settled again.

Yesterday evening on my way out I saw some movement in one of the trees ahead. First I thought it was a mink but as I came closer it became clear that a gang of four young raccoons had a feast on the berries of a mulberry tree.

I hate to crank the ISO at the camera beyond 400, but I had no choice and went up to ISO 640, still shooting as slow as 1/80 s at 600 mm. Noise reduction in post means loss of detail and with the fine hair of a raccoon it has its limits, at least for my own photography.

Most of my previous photos of raccoons were taken around the house, on the roof or balcony, or catching them while they robbed our bird feeders. With other words, I’m very happy to have finally some images that have no men-made elements in the frame.

The four little guys were obviously listen pretty good to their mama. I never saw her, she stayed somewhere below in the bushes, but after five minutes of watching the gang they all climbed down at the same time and disappeared in the underwoods.

The “cuteness factor” of young critters is always high and I hope you don’t mind seeing a couple more photos sometime in the near future.

DIDN’T SEE THE FULL STORY


Red-tailed hawk with raccoon -------------  

It was time to visit one of my favorite locations for wildlife photography along the big river again. I haven’t been in the Green Island Wetlands since last fall and today we finally were able to see the sun again. I hardly ever come back from this location with an empty memory card but this time not much was going on. A little further south, along the road to Sabula, Iowa I found this scene. This Red-tailed Hawk was all over a dead raccoon, obviously a road kill, and didn’t give up on it, even after I stopped the car and started shooting. However, it wasn’t until I looked at my photos at home on the computer that I realized that the hawk had a deep injury on its chest. I just can assume that a collision with a car caused the wound. The hawk seemed to act normal and I just can hope that this injury may not effect its ability to hunt for food. At least this raccoon was claimed…

FEEDING TIME


Any kind of insects and spiders live a dangerous life at the moment in our yard and the surrounding woods. Our House Wrens feed their second brood in one of our nest boxes.

The little wrens peek out from the entrance hole ones in a while and they make a lot of noise to let their parents know that they want more food. I have seen two juveniles for sure but it is possible that even three or four occupy the nest. Well, at least they make noise for four…😉  We expect them to leave the nest within the next few days.

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens, tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, Better Beamer flash extender,

I just checked my photo archive from the last years. The first brood is usually raised in June and a second one is due in late July or early August. So they are right on schedule this year so far. In some years we saw them feeding as late as August 17, sometimes due to the loss of their eggs in July. We have a very active raccoon mother with two baby raccoons roaming around here… We will see what happens next. I hope you enjoy!