TRAVELS THROUGH THE DAKOTAS

Bison at sunset - Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Hello everyone! Yes, we are back from a 19 days long vacation trip in the Dakotas. We explored the grasslands, wilderness, and mountains of South and North Dakota this time. There were plenty of opportunities to see and watch wildlife and many stunning moments while visiting beautiful landscapes. Most of the time we pitched our little tent right where the action takes place, where the light unfolds, and where the only sound you may hear at night is the howling of the coyotes or the hooting of an owl. Of course, a “few” clicks were made along the roads and trails, and if this stirred up your interest, please stay tuned during the next weeks. 😊

NATURE CLICKS #301 - JUVENILE SNAPPING TURTLE

During my usual “photo-and-dog-walk” in the evening I meet quite often other people that enjoy being outside as much as we do. Today I was at the Deere Marsh, the wetland area at the Mississippi River behind the big John Deere factory north of Dubuque, Iowa. I met a couple with their two dogs and we had a nice conversation about nature and other things. Even our dogs were friendly to each other. They went ahead towards the parking lot while I still tried to capture some pictures during sunset. After a while the couple called me over because they had discovered a bunch of young Snapping Turtles that obviously were crossing the trail on their way from a turtle nest to the water. I guess we can call this little one “cute” under consideration that the shell length of an adult snapper can exceed 15 inches (38 cm) and they can weigh up to 40 pounds (18.2 kg).

Looking into my photo archive back home I found out that I watched and photographed my first young Snapping Turtle eight and a half years ago at almost exactly the same place. This area has undergone quite some brutal construction changes for the sake of wetland restoration 2-3 years ago. It was hard to believe during that time that we would ever see a real recovery. We saw a lot of prairie wildflowers coming up this year, new young willows started growing (good for small birds), I saw Sandhill Cranes, herons, pelicans, and other birds, and todays encounter feeds my hope that this area is finally on a good way…

WAVED GOODBYE

Ruby-throated hummingbird, immature male

As every year it’s time to wave goodbye to the hummingbirds. They all migrate to Central America for the winter, making a nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico while relaying on fat reserves only. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only hummer breeding east of the Great Plaines. I made a last photo of this immature male hummingbird Monday morning, just before I hit the road, kinda knowing that they might be gone after my return Wednesday night. The feeders are cleaned and will be stored in the basement until the end of April next year. We usually see the first one about May 1st every year. Can’t wait for this moment again...

TRUMPETER SWANS, IT'S ALL ABOUT GESTURE...

Mill Creek Ponds, Iowa, September 26, 2015

I told you yesterday I was on a “wildlife mission”. Shame on me, I have not reported about the Trumpeter Swans at Mill Creek Pond, near Bellevue, Iowa, this year until now. It doesn’t mean I wasn’t there. During my first visit on June 14, 2015 I had the pleasure and excitement to see both adults taking care of five cygnets at the nest site. I saw the first Trumpeter Swans in my life 2007 in Yellowstone National Park. I watched a pair of swans at the Mill Creek Ponds since 2010 and was able to report about a first cygnet in 2011. A year later three cygnets were raised and 2013 I was able to count two young ones. I don't made any clicks in 2014 but I believe I saw two juveniles. However, it is an ongoing story...

The shot below from back in June was not so difficult to make. We had an overcast that day and the range of light, from the white in the feathers to the black bill and feet, was within what the sensor of the camera can capture without loss of detail. I expose most of the time a little more towards the blacks for the sake of richer colors and better contrast. This is my style of photography, and not just for wildlife. Sure, we all can post process an image to death and bring more light into the darkest spot. There is nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn’t take away the focus on the subject in an image.

Mill Creek Ponds, Iowa, June 14, 2015

The first photo is from yesterday. Two juveniles resting at the north shore of the pond, and a third one was with the other adult bird just outside of the frame. Although the photo was made just about an hour before sunset, the range of light was quite a challenge. I made a lot of clicks but didn’t seem to find what goes beyond a documentary shot. First, color isn’t something in this shot that ‘makes’ the image by itself, even if I like the warm tones on the heads of the young, sleeping swans. That leaves light and gesture on the table. No doubt, there was good quality light. All what it took was exposing strictly for the highlights to keep some details in the feathers. During two hours of observation the adult swans were resting most of the time or just cleaned and greased their feathers. Yep, a little boring! I knew I had something when one of the adult birds stood up and flapped its wings. Here was suddenly the gesture that made the difference, and in combination with light and the warm colors tells the story. Yes, the swans lost two cygnets sometime between June and now, but this is not unusual. Lots of predators and other, maybe weather related circumstances are a daily struggle for the adult Trumpeter Swans. They raised three cygnets again, and this by itself is a wonderful story of bird restoration here in Iowa!!

I chose both images for today’s post for the same reason, even if they were totally different in their making. It’s the powerful message of the adult Trumpeter Swans about protecting their offspring, sent out by just their sheer presence and gesture...

NATURE CLICKS #299 - BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER

No new warblers today. Maybe we had a big migration wave coming through yesterday? This is not my best bird photo but it is the best I made so far of a Black-And-White Warbler. They can be found foraging for little insects on tree trunks or big branches. This warbler seems never to rest and although its feathers and color provide a good contrast to focus on with the lens, it is not easy to get a sharp image. At least I’m very happy that I had a chance to see this bird for the first time during fall migration.

NATURE CLICKS #298 - TENNESSEE WARBLER

We had another wonderful late summer - early fall day, with warm temperatures and some leaves falling to the ground. I’m very busy at the moment and tied to my desk most of the day, but my office window allows to check bird traffic at the south edge of our woods. When I heard the tsit-tsit call of a warbler my alarm bells went on immediately. Sure enough, I saw at least four different warbler species foraging in the trees today. One was a first sighting for me, a Golden-winged Warbler. Unfortunately the only photo I have is not sharp enough to be presented here in the blog.

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM, SB 800 speed light

I’m always very careful while trying to identify warblers. Today I made about two dozen clicks of several Tennessee Warblers, in different locations, and from different angles. Not all are perfect images but still good enough for bird identification. After consulting our guide books and the iBird Pro 7.2 app, I’m pretty sure these were Tennessee Warblers. Especially in fall they can be sometimes mistaken for the Orange-crowned Warbler. The spring migration of the warblers was a bummer for me this year, we didn’t see any here on the bluffs above the little Maquoketa River Valley. It looks like we are making up for it now…😉

NATURE CLICKS #297 - EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE

Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM, tripod, gimbal head, SB 800 speed ligh

The light of the setting sun was great for bird photography the last couple nights down in Mud Lake Park at the Mississippi River. Another candidate that will strike off soon towards the tropics is the Eastern Wood-Pewee. This one here is probably a juvenile because you can still see some black on its otherwise yellow lower mandible. The pewee prefers an exposed perch to capture prey. This flycatcher returns quite often to the same perch and gives the photographer sometimes more than one chance to capture the image. 

NATURE CLICKS #296 - YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER

Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM, tripod, gimbal head, SB 800 speed light

It really feels good to go out again and aim the lens toward a bird, especially on a day as this Saturday. I love those days between summer and fall, not so hot anymore, and clear and crisp when it comes to light. Down in the valley, at the Mississippi River, seemed to be a good place to look for migrating birds, and it was indeed not disappointing. 

A “bouquet” of Yellow-rumped Warblers found in the Mud Lake area obviously the right place to rest and gain some strength for the next leg of their journey to the South.

It took some efforts to get close to the birds. The grass at the south end of Mud Lake Parkis almost chest high. The warblers were present in a dead tree, next to the shore, but getting there with the whole rig of camera, long lens, and tripod took some time. Time that was finally well spent because the birds didn’t mind my presence after all.

I have photographed Yellow-Rumped Warblers several times before, but never in the fall. Their colors are not as bright as during spring migration but it is still one of the most adorable birds.

Thank you to all of you who check out my blog frequently, even if I’m not able to post on a daily base. At this time of the year my regular job and business travel activities prevent me quite often from what I like to do so much, watching wildlife and going out shooting pictures...

NATURE CLICKS #295 - JUVENILE WOOD DUCKS

Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM, DX cropping mode, additional cropping

It is a busy time with work at the moment, hence the lack of new photos, but since I’m not in the ‘real news business’ I hope you still get a kick out of some nature observations that happened already more than a couple weeks ago, and that I like to share with you.

It puts a smile in my face if I see the offspring of any bird that breeds and spends the summer here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. These three juvenile Wood Ducks were not the only ones that enjoyed the life in the canals along the levees in the Green Island Wetlands, surrounded by plenty of duck weed. When they are that big already, they don’t stick together as much as during their first weeks in life. In July I took a couple pictures of 13 ducklings crossing one of the canals that divide the wetlands! Later in the season the number shrinks usually, because their life is full of danger. Foxes, eagles, coyotes, hawks, they all love to have duckling for dinner. With the hunting season ahead not very many may make it into the next year…

As you may have found out by following my blog, I get out into the great outdoors probably a little more than the average person. I meet all kinds of people out there and hear many different stories and the reasons why they like or even love nature. To be honest, it is shocking how little some of the people that out themselves as hunters know about the wildlife they like to kill. Yep, they use the words ‘necessary regulations’, but admit they have quite often absolutely no clue about what their shooting target is... 

NATURE CLICKS #294 - MONARCH

To be honest, I postponed writing a blog post about the Monarch butterfly for quite some time, hoping to get still more and better shots of it as the summer season progressed. I hope it was a good year for this species, at least I have seen a lot more of them than during the last 3 - 4 years. Millions of Monarchs from central and eastern North America migrate to the mountain forests of central Mexico each year to spend the winter there. If you use the internet you will find out why the Monarch butterfly is a candidate to be on the list of endangered species. It is a very complex thread, ranging from extensive logging operations in Mexico to the consequences of climate change, especially global warming. It is, as so often, not just one man-made event but the summary of several factors that have lead to a dramatic decline in the last years

Every website that talks about solutions to stop the decline recommends to plant and care for Milkweed (see the second image). This is the plant the Monarch caterpillars depend on. Hey friends here in North America, let this plant grow in your front and backyard!! Who needs “golf-course-look-alike” grass patches around the house? Only your ego! Your kids and grandkids will never ask in 2035, how did your grass look twenty years ago? It is a sad question if they will ask you, have you ever seen a Monarch butterfly?...!!!

NATURE CLICKS #293 - PICKEREL FROG

I do not like the very warm and humid weather we have this labor day weekend but this frog didn’t seem to mind it. I found this little guy on the bottom of a canyon in the White Pine Hollow State Preserve, near Luxembourg, Iowa. I’m not one hundred percent sure if this is a young Pickerel Frog because I only have this image from its side. In Iowa the Pickerel Frog is only found in the very eastern part along the Mississippi. There is a chance that this is its cousin, the more common Northern Leopard Frog, but it looks like this frog has a paired series of squarish blotches extending down the back between the dorsolateral folds. No other frog in Iowa has paired squarish blotches. (source: The Salamanders and Frogs of Iowa, by J.L. Christansen and R.M. Bailey, Nov. 1991). I guess next time I pay a little more attention to the details while I see the critter … 😉

Both images: Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

The second photo shows the habitat, a slow running stream that runs between the rock walls of the canyon, and pools filled with crystal clear water. The reason I went to White Pine Hollow was because I wanted to try out a new photo technique that actually required fast running water. There wasn’t enough water coming down the creek this time and so this project had to be put on hold, but coming back with these photos was a nice reward for hiking into the canyon despite heat and humidity.

STATE OF THE SEASON

Great Blue Heron

Todays photos are not so much about the birds, even if they are still the subject of the image, but more about the ‘environmental’ part, the part that tells the actual story in both photos. The Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret, just “do their thing”, standing or wading in the water, and looking for fish that could be the next meal. So what’s the story?

Great Egret

We can see the humongous size of the water lily leaves, that normally float on the water surface. We may notice the muddy slope behind the Great Blue Heron and all the duck weed that covers the water. And these little details tell the actual story, the story about life in the wetlands during late summer, after a period of time without rain, with low water levels, and after every plant has surpassed the peak of their beauty... No groundbreaking news, just an invitation to go out and find the beauty of mother nature during this labor day weekend, even if it is hot and muggy... ;-)

NATURE CLICKS #292 - DIFFERENTIAL GRASHOPPER

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

Grashoppers, crickets, and katydids dominate the sound spectrum almost everywhere where nature has a chance to unfold in Iowa during the month of August. Especially at night it is a never ending “wall of sound” produced by these insects.

I mentioned it before, I’m not into macro photography but when Joan discovered this full grown Differential Grashopper last weekend in the Devonian Fossil Gorge, located below the emergency spillway of Coralville Lake, I had to make a few clicks. I could swear this grasshopper was at least 60 mm long (~2 1/2”) but my books say they are only 45 mm (1 3/4”). However, it was bloody big!!

The Nikkor 24-120 mm, f/4 isn’t a macro lens, but I had it on camera and any piece of my other gear was tucked away in the car. Well, this is as good as it gets under these circumstances… ;-)

CHANGING TACTIC

Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM

This weekend Joan and I explored Lake Macbride, which is located between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Heavy rain delayed our departure Friday night but we set up our campsite and launched the lake with our kayaks finally Saturday afternoon. This is an 812-acre lake and the park is with 2,180 acres Iowa’s largest state park.

We had some really good bird encounters in the forest and on the lake, for instance a Caspian Tern, Bald Eagle, Wild Turkeys, Pileated Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Green Heron, to name only a few. Of course, not everything leads to a photo and as I have written here before, the keeper rate by shooting from a kayak is ‘a little’ lower than by using a tripod on solid ground.

Approaching a Great Blue Heron with the boat is a tricky task. Most of the time they took off with a croaking call before we even got close enough to make a picture. This guy had escaped already twice. They just fly away and land at a different spot a few hundred yards down the shore. This shot was made after we changed our tactic. We paddled around the bird in a safe distance and approached it finally with the wind in the back. We drifted slowly towards the bird, without using any paddle strokes. The heron liked that obviously a lot better and allowed us to get into shooting range. I made the movements with the camera very slow and carefully. Fill flash was again essential to bring out the color of the feathers. This didn’t bother the bird a bit and I made quite a few clicks during this 12-minute approach.