NATURE CLICKS #606 - BOBOLINKS, READY FOR THE NESTING SEASON

Male Bobolink, Technology Park, Dubuque, Iowa

Bobolinks have one of the longest migration routes. They spend the winter in Bolivia, Paraguay, western Brazil, and northern Argentina. They breed in grassland habitats and it is important that the grass is not mowed during the breeding time. This happened unfortunately here in the Dubuque, Iowa area in one of the habitats in 2023, due to human ignorance. The Bobolink is one of the few songbirds that undergo two complete molts each year. After breeding the male changes to a more drab and camouflaged plumage.

I found at least 4 male Bobolinks today and saw briefly even a female in the grass of the Dubuque Technology Park. The Dubuque Audubon Society has worked with the city so that mowing in the undeveloped lots takes place only outside of the nesting season. Signs around these areas inform the public about this natural treasure. Other bird species can be present as well and toady I saw American Robins, an Eastern Meadowlark, Barn Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and an Eastern Kingbird.

I made a number of shots while standing or kneeling at the edge of the grassland lots but the distance to the birds was a little bit too far for a pleasing photo. Later I parked the car with the driver side against the curb and shot both photos from my ”mobile blind”.

NATURE CLICKS #603 - DUNLINS ON THEIR WAY TO THE ARCTIC

Dunlins, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

I really wanted to go back to the Mississippi River this afternoon and try to shoot from the kayak again. It was a good idea since I saw birds we haven’t spotted yesterday. The highlight were two Dunlins in full breeding plumage, who were definitely on their journey from the cost of the Gulf of Mexico or Florida to the arctic coast in Canada. This is a bird easy to identify with their black belly patch. They didn’t pay too much attention to my presence and didn’t stop to probe and jab in the shallow water or mud along the shore at Mud Lake on the Mississippi River. I have seen them a few times at the Green Island Wetlands further south during recent years, but always very far away. Today I finally had a real photo opportunity here in Iowa for the first time and I had a hard time to decide which photo to post here in the blog.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2025 #3 - OPENING THE SEASON

After taking many pictures of Greater Yellowlegs during this spring season I finally found a Lesser Yellowleg within the reach of the lens.

Today we used the nice weather with mild temperatures and sun and opened the paddle season. The kayaks were launched on the Mississippi River in the backwaters of Mud Lake, only a few minutes away from home. What was supposed to be a short trip became an all afternoon journey with lots of wildlife encounters. I have written here before how much I love to shoot from the kayak because of the ability to have the lens real low above the water, much better than driving by car on top of a dyke. Beside the usual suspects, like egrets, herons, geese, ducks, pelicans, and muskrats, we watched three different sandpiper species, a number of eagles, and even heard the Sandhill Cranes in the reeds.

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

Many Painted Turtles had climbed on driftwood logs and used the sun to warm up after a long winter season.

This adult Bald Eagle had just eaten something, probably a fish, and didn’t seem to be bothered by me drifting by with my kayak. Six or seven other eagles were nearby, maybe hoping to pick up some leftovers.

If this Solitary Sandpiper plans still to reach the breeding grounds in the northland regions of Canada, it better gets on its way for the rest of the long distance. They spend the winters from central Mexico to South America.

NATURE CLICKS #602 - WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

White-crowned Sparrow, Ophir Beach, Oregon, Apr 11, 2025

White-crowned Sparrows are not seen very often here in the Little Maquoketa Valley in eastern Iowa. They spend the winter in the states south of here and have their breeding grounds high up in Canada and Alaska. With other words, we are migration territory. The photo below was shot a couple days ago and the bird spent a few minutes on a small tree in our yard. During our recent trip to Oregon we saw White-crowned Sparrows in abundance. At the coast they are present year-round.

At both occasions I tried to make an environmental portrait. Giving the picture a sense of place or season is my preferred way to photograph wildlife. Including the ocean and the surf in the background let us know that the sparrow was perched right behind the beach. The second photo is totally different. The bird was hiding in a dense tree with lots of little branches and that could be anywhere. No chance to have such a clean background as on Ophir Beach. But the buds had just opened and small leaves showed their fresh green, telling the story about spring migration of the White-crowned Sparrow.

Both photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x, @840 mm

White-crowned Sparrow, Little Maquoketa, Valley, eastern Iowa, May 1, 2025

SHORT SPRING BIRD REPORT

Baltimore Oriole, This male arrived yesterday, 4/29/2025. They spend the winter either in Florida, along the southern Atlantic coast, or in southern Mexico.

What’s going on in our woods here? It’s the most exciting time of the year with the arrival of many bird species from the south. All photos were made during the last seven days, except for one, which is from the last week in April 2024. Beside what I can present today, other birds showed up as well, like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, White-throated Sparrow, or the Eastern Whip-poor-will, but not every sighting or sound in the woods leads to a photo. I also like to include in my little bird report some local residents because mating and preparation for nesting puts a spin on their behavior as well. I hope you enjoy today’s images!

Baltimore Oriole, The first female followed today, 4/30/2025

House Wren, Usually they are the first bird that arrives after the winter, 4/18/2025, Several males sing their heart out from early morning until late evening, but the females are still not here yet.

Chipping Sparrow, They arrived from the south a day after the House Wren, 4/19/2025, and a pair is feeding together on the ground since. Their fast-pulsing song is always a sure sign of spring for me. I didn’t get a decent shot so far but present an image that was made last year, 4/28/2024.

American Robin, While many people celebrate their arrival in early spring, we have seen them here in our woods occasionally during the winter. This female had obviously an early start and was collecting already nest material in the front yard

Female American Goldfinch, By a complete molt of their body feathers goldfinches change from winter plumage to breeding plumage in spring. It is the only finch species that have this second molt. This female had obviously still a few feathers of its winter dress left.

Brown-headed Cowbird, This pair showed up 4/24/2025 and visited one of our feeders several times since. Nobody really wants to see them because they are brood parasites and deposit their eggs in nests that belong to other bird species. They typically hatch earlier than their host’s eggs, which gives them an advantage over the other hatchlings.

Male American Goldfinch, He is done molting and looks gorgeous in his breeding plumage. The previously mentioned Brown-headed Cowbird may lay an egg in a goldfinch nest, but the hatchling may die because the seed-based diet provided by the parents cannot support the cowbird.

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Several male birds arrived 4/25/2025 and refuel with sunflower seeds after their long journey from Central or maybe even South America. The first two females followed yesterday.

NATURE CLICKS #600 - PINE WARBLER (FIRST SIGHTING)

Pine Warbler, Little Maquoketa Valley, eastern Iowa

”Nature Clicks #600” had to be a special one and mother nature didn’t disappoint this time again. I’m very happy to present today my first sighting of a Pine Warbler. It was shot through the dirty glass at my office window. Suet sprinkles from the nearby feeder haven’t been removed yet and the time I spent in post process to clean this photo reminded me that spring cleaning should start sometime… 🙄

I saw the bird already briefly a day before (April 18th), hoping it would come back again, and had the camera on my desk with just the 24-70 lens attached the next day. I shot this at 70 mm in horizontal orientation due to the position of the log on top of the bird feeder but cropped the photo vertical at the end.

Pine Warblers spend the winter in the southern states and as the name suggests they prefer pine forests, which we don’t really have here in eastern Iowa.

NATURE CLICKS #593 - YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER

Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

I’m aware that this photo will not win me any awards, it took too many steps in post process to make it what you see here. However, it is an important picture for me because it has been two years since I saw the last sapsucker here in our woods.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is an interesting woodpecker that we mostly have seen in April while they migrate up north to Minnesota and Canada. Beside hammering trees for insects they also create sap wells, often several in a row, to collect sap and trap insects.

There is a lack of sharpness in the original RAW file due to the fact that this was shot through the glass of the balcony door. Too make things worse I had to shoot from an angle and about five feet away from the glass because the minimum focus distance of the Nikkor Z 600/ f6.3 lens didn’t allow me to get any closer and not enough time for a lens change.

THE GEESE ARE MOVING

Greater White-fronted Geese migrating north, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

I had the feeling the time was right and didn’t get disappointed this evening. Spring migration has started and about an hour before sunset several hundred of Greater White-fronted Geese headed north in the Mississippi Valley. I think it’s just the beginning and the next few days may open more opportunities. If weather permits I hope to go out again and see more geese heading to the arctic regions in northern Canada.

It was the first time that I tried to photograph this nature event with the Nikkor Z 600 / f6.3 lens, which I use since about six months. Today I got the final proof that buying this lens was a great decision. With about half the weight of my older Sigma 150-600 S lens it is so much easier to track birds in flight and keep a sharp focus over a long period of time while panning with the lens. To make the challenge a bit bigger the 1.4 TC was attached, extending the focal length to 840 mm. Still, no problem to keep up with the birds.

Less than an hour later I just had to turn around for this final photo of the day.

NATURE CLICKS #576 - SCARLET TANAGER

Male Scarlet Tanager

Many people get excited when they see a male Northern Cardinal with its beautiful red plumage any time of the year. There is only a small window in time when we can enjoy the Scarlet Tanager, but this bird can compete with the cardinal easily when it comes to colors. Three days ago a couple males have arrived from South America, where they spend the winter season. With their black wings the males are easily to identify. The females aren’t here yet, at least I haven't seen one so far. Their plumage is yellow and green and they look gorgeous as well.

The tanagers are not as vocal as many other birds and they show up often quietly. They seem to dive down from the higher areas in the canopy and go straight to a feeder. And that’s the habit that makes it difficult for the photographer. I made plenty of clicks of the Scarlet Tanager at our suet feeders, and those are made for my own documentary, but framing them in a tree without a feeder in the picture is not always an option. So what do I show you today? A photo from 2020! Be assured, the light was as good as it was today and if I have more luck in the next few days, I’ll post another photo of the beautiful Scarlet Tanagers…

NATURE CLICKS #575 - BALTIMORE ORIOLES (FM + M)

Yesterday the first female Baltimore Oriole showed up and today another one and two males visited the yard. Before you see them you can hear their rich, whistling song from the treetops. Always a delight!

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, Westscott FJ80 II speed light, Westscott Magnetic diffusion dome

NATURE CLICKS #574 - ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Every day day this week more birds have arrived. The first Rose-breasted Grosbeak showed up three days ago and yesterday we had four males around the house. Probably most of them move on to Minnesota or Canada but we always have at least one breeding pair in our woods. They spend the winter in Central or northern South America and the males arrive mostly a little earlier than the females. No sighting of a female Grosbeak yet.

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, Westscott FJ80 II speed light, Westscott Magnetic diffusion dome.   @850 mm, 1/400s, f/9, ISO 2000, image slightly cropped

NATURE CLICKS #573 - PECTORAL SANDPIPER

Pectoral Sandpipers, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Last weekend ended with a short visit in the Green Island Wetlands, the area 40 miles south of our home that includes a wildlife preserve and a mix of lakes and marshland, separated from the main channel of the Mississippi River by dikes.

I saw Wood Ducks in their best mating mood, Sandhill Cranes, some pairs of Canada Geese with little goslings, Hooded Mergansers, a number of Pied-billed Grebes, and again two migrating Greater Yellowlegs.

As the sun got ready to set, a last drive along the gravel road on the west side of the wetlands led to the discovery of 30 Pectoral Sandpipers, foraging in a big puddle at the edge of a field. Their breeding grounds are high up in the arctic tundra of Canada and they obviously stopped at Green Island for some re-fueling. Their bills probed into the water and mud with high frequency in search for invertebrates. I used my car as a blind and moved slowly in the field towards the puddle. The sandpipers didn’t seem to take any notice of my presence and kept feeding.

Moments like that keep me going and feed my passion for bird watching and reporting about it here in the blog. The Pectoral Sandpipers spent the winter down in South America and their long journey to the breeding grounds up on the arctic tundra is just amazing.

I shot this at 850 mm with the 1.4 teleconverter attached to the Sigma 150-600 S lens. A small, cosmetic crop was applied to the final image.

SPRING ENCOUNTERS

Cedar Waxwing

After quite a bit of traveling lately it feels good to sit on the porch in the morning with a cup of coffee on the table and spend some time behind the camera. We had some really warm days in February already but this was the first weekend that felt really like spring, with lots of sunshine and very warm temperatures. During the last couple of weeks, after our return from Oregon, several migrating birds have arrived, some earlier than usually. Among them are Eastern Phoebes, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chipping Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, and this morning the first House Wren inspected our nest boxes. At the other hand, a couple species are still present that normally leave our woods and move further north as soon the temperatures are above freezing, like Dark-eyed Juncos and Purple Finches. A trend we have seen already during the last three years and that makes me wonder if we experience a change in migrating behavior due to much warmer winters. I make notes every spring since 2007 beside recording first sightings of the season with the camera.

The most colorful bird I had in front of the lens today was this Cedar Waxwing. They are supposed to be here all year long but we don’t see them very often during the cold season. Their appetite for cedar berries during the winter gave them obviously their name. Since we have red cedars here on the bluffs above the Little Maquoketa Valley, the waxwing’s appearance is not really a surprise.

THE LONELY GUY

Greater Sandhill Crane, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

During yesterday’s trip to the Green Island Preserve I found only one Sandhill Crane. This is not really a surprise, we are stopover territory and most cranes breed further north and have probably moved on already. We do have some breeding pairs here in eastern Iowa but this bird had obviously no mate yet, maybe it is still a bit too young. Since I saw a Sandhill Crane already two month earlier in the same area I wonder if this is the same bird and it may have some impairment. I haven’t figured out that yet since I can’t be there every day to keep track.

Photographically it was the same approach as in yesterday’s image. The 1.4x teleconverter was employed and the camera was set to DX mode, delivering the same angle of view as a 1275 mm lens. I cropped the picture a little bit on the left and right hand side to keep more of the muddy mess around the bird out of the frame.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, @850 mm (1275 mm DX mode), 1/2500 s, f/9, ISO0800

SWANS, SWANS, AND MORE SWANS

Migrating Tundra Swans, Mississippi Valley, Green Island, Iowa

I wasn’t able to count all the swans I found yesterday at Blakes Lake in the Green Island Wetlands. I think it’s safe to say there were at least 400, but probably more, feeding in the shallow waters of the lake. Heat shimmer above the water surface made it kinda difficult to  see details of the birds in the viewfinder of the camera. While standing on the dyke there were quite a few more swans moving in and this was the chance to make a few clicks from a shorter distance. It wasn’t until I had a closer look at the birds on the screen of my computer that I realized that there were quite a few Tundra Swans among the Trumpeter Swans, which latter I had seen during the last few weeks already. This also explained the considerable increase in numbers of swans present on the lake.

While the Trumpeter Swans may stay here in eastern Iowa during the winter, the Tundra Swans spent the winter at the Mid-Atlantic coast. They are back now and on the way to their breeding grounds in the arctic region of Canada and Alaska. Trumpeter Swans are slightly bigger but this is not always a safe indicator for identification. It is the yellow spot that adult Tundra Swans show at the base of their bill that leaves no doubt about what species we see.

The yellow spot is at least very good visible in the full size photo of these two Tundra Swans flying overhead. The size reduced picture you see here in the blog makes it a little more difficult to see this important feature.