BALD EAGLE DAY

Adult Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, lock & dam #14, LeClaire, Iowa

Today I finally had a chance for the first time this winter season to travel down south to lock & dam #14 in LeClaire, Iowa for some Bald Eagle photography and for more exercise with the new Sigma 150-600 Sports lens. I like the late afternoon light at this location the best and so I took my time and visited several other locations along the Mississippi River on my way. The river has ice cover all the way down to Princeton, Iowa but it isn’t solid and there are open spots. South of Princeton I found nothing but open water, except for the bays and some backwater areas. This is unusual in January but except for the last couple weeks it was a relative warm winter. I saw lots of ducks and mergansers that just go so far south as the ice stretches.

Photographers lined up at lock #14, LeClaire, Iowa

The parking lot at #14 was completely filled when I arrived and I don’t think I have ever seen so many people with cameras in this place yet. I think it is great that more and more people go out for nature photography but I personally don’t like big crowds and try to avoid them. Well, I turned around and went across the river on Interstate 80 to the Illinois side of the Mississippi. Wow, I had it all for myself! There was nobody at the dam on this side of the river. The main reason is that shooting from the east side of the river is not always the best in the afternoon but I had my chances. The photo above shows only part of the crowd that gathered on the Iowa side. The river is here more than one kilometer wide. This is next to the exit of the lock and many photographers like this place because the eagles perch in the trees nearby, there is always open water, and you have a good chance to make a picture of a Bald Eagle catching fish.

Immature Bald Eagle, Mississippi River,dam #14, Illinois side

The bay next to the dam on the Illinois side of the river had ice and a nice snow cover. This worked like a giant reflector and the photo of this immature young Bald Eagle flying over was made without flash or bringing up much of the shadows in post process.

NATURE CLICKS #316 - EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens, tripod, gimbal head, SB 800 speed light

Our woods around here support a lot of critters. Oaks, hickory trees, maples, eastern red cedars, wild cherries, and a variety of smaller trees provide food for birds and mammals. The Eastern Gray Squirrels built their nests in the trees, made out of leaves and small branches, and we have always a few of them here. As the winter continues their food stacks become obviously smaller and they take more advantage of the bird feeders than usual. The squirrels must have a really good way to communicate and spread the news, at least as good as the internet…😉  A few days ago, when it was bitter cold here, I counted twenty of them just by looking out the windows. This is a new record and we wonder from how far they come to desperately fight for a few sunflower seeds.

NUTHATCH AND SIGMA 150-600 S LENS TALK

White-breasted Nuthatch, Little Maquoketa River Valley, Iowa

This is a picture I wanted to make since a long time. The White-breasted Nuthatch gave me a little bit of time today at our maple in front of the house to shoot a series of pictures. The fill flash is subtle, just enough to emphasize the colors, and except for the second catch light in the bird’s eye, it is not obvious that flash was even used. The nuthatches are permanent residents in our woods here on the bluffs above the Little Maquoketa River Valley.

I used the Nikon D750 with the SIGMA 150-600, f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens for this photo (picture made @ 600 mm, 1/160s, f/6.3, ISO 250). As more I work with the new lens, as more I fall in love with it. My old SIGMA 50-500 delivered sharp images but it was at its best at an aperture of f/8. I’m very impressed how the new 150-600 S performs already at f/6.3, and I already mentioned in my first article about this lens how much better the bokeh of the new lens is. It’s getting gradually warmer here in the next few days and I hope I have some more opportunities to practice with the SIGMA 150-600 S.

NOT SO FAMOUS LOCATIONS

Lake Carlos State Park, Minnesota

The chance that we can create a good nature photo increases dramatically if we go to an interesting location. Period! Well, we all know this is not always an option. Sometimes life stands in the way. So should we leave the camera in the bag or even at home any time we think the location is not worth any efforts? Of course not! Watching the light and colors, looking for interesting perspectives, or focussing on details can sometimes lead to a photograph at places that usually cannot compete with Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon.

On our way home from North Dakota last October we camped for one night at Lake Carlos State Park in Minnesota. Not a bad campsite, and at least at the end of the season there were not too many people. But every way I looked around, there wasn’t much I really wanted to photograph. It wasn’t until the sun had disappeared and left us with a nice glow on the shore, that I realized the potential for a shot. There was some “camping and boat clutter” between the trees in the background, which were cloned out for this image. The moon and the last light of the day made all the difference.

Earlier I tried to take some pictures of these Pied-billed Grebes on the lake. At that time the reflections on the water were just to bright and I didn’t get a shot that I liked. Ten minutes after the photo with the moon was shot I saw still the colors of the sky reflected on the water. Suddenly it wasn’t about a detailed shot of the birds anymore, it was just all about color and positioning the silhouettes of the grebes in the frame...

NATURE CLICKS #315 - NORTHERN CARDINAL

Male Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinals flock together in the winter and during the early morning or after sunset we can count about twenty visiting our bird feeders. It was bitter cold again today and so we see them even a lot more during the day. Cardinals are very shy and it is not easy to get close. Other birds will tolerate my short presence out in the open and still visit the feeders but the cardinals just sat in the trees and waited until I went back in the house to warm up my fingers.

I used “quick crop”, the DX mode in the Nikon D750, because I wasn’t able to get closer. The low sun delivered a nice light from the side and being fast was key for making the click.

HAVE TO LIKE IT

Pronghorn, Custer State Park, South Dakota

We are in northwest Iowa again and spend time with our family. The winter becomes “serious” and temperatures getting really low here right now. Today we had about -15˚C and tomorrow we expect -25˚C / -13˚F with a windchill down to -40˚C / -40˚F. Minus 40 is the magic number where the temperature on the Celsius scale meets the one on the Fahrenheit scale…

Joan, Cooper, and I went out this afternoon for a little hike and I tried to make some pictures that tell the story about winter. After all, looking at them later on the computer screen, I didn’t like the results. This happens and I don’t blame the weather for it. I rather show nothing than a picture I don’t like. So, this is why a photo from the archive is used for today’s blog post. Not even partially related to today’s article, but at least it is a photo that I like… 😉

FEEDER LOCATIONS

Black-capped Chickadee

I can’t mention enough how important our “front and backyard studio” is for my almost daily practice of wildlife photography. Sure, I have met other photographers that would never aim their glass on a bird that flies in for a feeder, with other words, one that has been “baited”. I highly respect their ethic standpoint as long as they stick with it, but I think they may miss a great chance to study the wildlife and to practice their skills, especially if time is limited because of work or other commitments.

Many birds fly first to a bush or nearby tree before they enter the actual bird feeder. It also serves them as a first refuge if some danger comes up or if they are just scared by a noise or sudden movement. Placing your bird feeders next to a brush or shrub can make a big difference how often your feeders are visited by our feathered friends. If you plan to set up a feeder sometime, give it a thought, plant a bush or tree nearby or use the proximity of an already existing one. The birds will make their visits more frequently and the fun you have will at least double…😉

TEST SHOT (IN A SHAFT OF LIGHT)

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens, tripod, gimbal head, SB 800 speed light

It is very cold here right now in Iowa (-16˚ C / 3˚ F) and because of the wind it feels even a lot colder. I don’t have always time to dress for these temperatures when I see something in the front or backyard, so I shoot quite often through the glass of the balcony door or just open a window briefly, while using every spare minute to learn and practice with the new glass, the Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens. Most of these “test shots” will never be seen by the public eye. This is the big advantage of digital, it allows us to shoot and practice without breaking the bank.

So, what pictures of backyard wildlife photography are really worth to be published? I can’t answer that for everybody, but when light, gesture, color, or either combination of them let a photo stand out or help the story telling, I would consider it.

The cold temperatures drive lots of Dark-eyed Juncos down south and many of them love our feeders, or better, what can they find below them. Juncos usually feed more on the ground. The trees we have around here make it somehow unpredictable how the low sun at this time of the season will impact the light. However, when a shaft of light hit the snow just where the juncos roamed today, I had to make the click...

LIBRARY CLEAN UP

Mule Deer, Theodore Roosevelt NP

The year comes slowly but surely to an end and I use the evenings to tidy my 2015 photo archive. I use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC to organize my photo library since many years. It still feels good to find photos that have potential to be published, at least here in the blog. Beside that I always have some future projects in my head that need some time to grow and using “collections” in Lightroom helps me to shape them without changing the structure of the photo library. Everybody has probably a different way to organize their files. I prefer time folders (one for each month) and use keywords in order to find any photo later by its content. This sounds like a lot of work (it really isn't) but I believe for a wildlife photographer it is important to display all photos of a particular species with just one easy click. It allows to re-evaluate previous work and compare it to the results of the latest shooting session. For me this is essential to see if improvements were made, or to draw conclusions and prepare for the next time a critter or light situation present in front of the lens.

NATURE CLICKS #314 - ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP

Theodore Roosevelt NP, North Dakota

We hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend. I won’t bother you today with a long story about the making of the photo or any other nature observations. This is just another image from our visit in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. The picture is the result of a very slow and careful approach to a herd of Bighorn Sheep. It was a lot harder to get the glass on them than it was in Badlands NP. I hope you enjoy!

NATURE CLICKS #313 - AMERICAN GOLDFINCH

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

This picture of an American Goldfinch looks almost like it was made with a flash light. I use flash quite often for color enhancement in my bird photography, especially in the winter, but this little guy was just hit by a shaft of light from yesterday’s late afternoon sun. Couldn’t resist to make the click...

FIRST PRIORITY

American Bison, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

No, we were not stupid enough to lie down in the prairie grass and in front of a full grown American Bison male just for making a photo from an interesting perspective. We rather used a drop in the terrain and repositioned our car several times for good perspective and background. Staying safe while shooting has to be first priority at all times!

THE PERCH MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Male American Kestrel

Just outside of the North unit at Theodore Roosevelt National Park we came across this beautiful male American Kestrel. What really made me happy about this shot was the fact that for the first time I was able to make a photo of this little falcon without a power line in the picture. Most of the time we see them perched on a power line, looking out for prey. There is nothing wrong with that, it serves the bird well, but having the kestrel perched on a branch makes for the better image...

SERIOUS TALK OR JUST CHITCHAT?

Hands down, this is my favorite shot of a Black-tailed Prairie Dog. The little guy moved around with its mouth full of grass, obviously ready to add it to its winter hoard. I was thinking the whole time while following the critter with my lens, come on, stand up, and the prairie dog finally did me the favor. Even with the food in its mouth, it still participated in the Prairie Dog’s communication system. Who knows what they are talking about, but Prairie dogs have a big arsenal of calls and gestures to warn each other or maybe just to chitchat. We love watching these critters…!

NATURE CLICKS #312 - SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL

Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM, SB 800 speed light

It took me 8 1/2 years to make this photo but tonight I had my chance. We didn’t have to go very far, just step outside the house and look at the big Maple tree right in front of it. The last time I had a Flying Squirrel in front of my lens was in June of 2007. It was a picture of the squirrel feeding at one of our bird feeders. Little did I know at this time about wildlife photography…

We knew that they have been around all these years. We still have big oaks, hickory trees, and maples here that provide food for them. Some of our neighbors have seen them more often but Joan and I just didn’t have another encounter since 2007. Flying squirrels are nocturnal, hence the flash light used for this image. I really like the picture because it shows the fold of skin between its forelegs and hind-legs that allow the squirrel to glide through the air up to 80 meters or more, from the top of one tree down to the trunk of another. It flies with its legs outstretched and the skin between its legs is used like a sail or parachute. In comparison to our numerous Eastern Gray Squirrels, the Southern Flying Squirrel is very small (200-255 mm / 7 3/4”-10 1/8”). Look into its big black eyes and you have to admit that its “cuteness factor” deserves 5 stars… 😊