NATURE CLICKS #389 - NORTHERN FLICKER (2 FORMS)

Male Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker --------     

The Northern Flicker is a woodpecker we see here mostly between October and May, although a few nest in the area. Their usual breeding range is further north in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and all over Canada. Their preferred diet is ants, other insects, berries, and fruits and it is not unusual to see them feeding on the ground. In the eastern and central part of the country the “Yellow-shafted” is common and the males are easily to identify by their black malar mark and golden yellow flight feathers and underwing linings.

Intergrade between Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker

The “Red-shafted” nests in the western US and southwestern Canada. Their feathers are orange-red on the underside of their wings and the males have a red malar mark on their face. Last Saturday I saw for the first time a bird with a red malar mark near our house and learned quickly that intergrades between Yellow-shafted and Red-shafted are not uncommon. The flicker in the second picture shows clearly the red malar mark but has also the yellow feathers.

You know that I’m always raving about the great light for bird photography when we have snow on the ground. The first picture was taken yesterday while it was still snowing. A hint of flash in addition brings out the colors very nicely. Easy shot.

The second photo was made before the snow and with a gray overcast last weekend. In order to make this image, while the woodpecker was still on the tree trunk, I had to shoot through the glass door of our balcony. Understandably using flash for color improvement was not an option. I cranked the ISO up to 2000 (Yiiiks!) for this documentary shot and got at least a sharp enough image for posting here in my blog.

GUESS WHO IS STILL HERE!

Yellow-rumped Warbler, near Durango, Iowa ----------

In December 2017 I reported that we had a Yellow-rumped Warbler still coming to the bird bath and feeders despite temperatures way below freezing (http://www.exnerimages.net/blog/2017/12/31/happy-new-year). Guess what, the female warbler is still here and I saw her today eating from a suet feeder and hanging around for a little bit.

WINTER AND ITS LIGHT

Red-bellied Woodpecker -----------    

I was determined to get the camera on a tripod and practice some bird photography this weekend, but got a little frustrated on Saturday because a gray overcast and dull light just didn’t lead to any satisfying results. Of course, pilot errors played a role in the game as well… 😏

This was different today. We got some snow overnight and the sky cleared finally this morning. I call this ideal conditions and have written here in the blog before how the reflecting light from the snow can help with exposure and story telling.

The male Red-bellied Woodpecker is pretty, no matter what, but throwing a hint of bundled light through the MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender ( http://www.exnerimages.net/blog/2017/3/30/gear-talk-magmod-magbeam-wildlife-kit ) makes the red on his head just popping. I shot this with 1/160 s, more than fast enough for a sharp image and slow enough to make the falling snow part of the story telling in this image.

2017 RETROSPECT / 7

American White Pelicans -----

The collective fishing efforts of the American White Pelicans at the Mississippi River are a subject I come back to photograph every summer and working with these majestic birds in great light is always rewarding. Their gentle movements seem to be very coordinated and sometimes it feels like they follow a choreography in their efforts to catch as much fish out of the river as possible. The photo leaves room for interpretation. Is the pelican in the back the one who guides the efforts? Or is it just a novice who needs still to learn how to catch fish? Who knows, but the gestures of this pod of pelicans tell the story about some serious fishing efforts just below lock & dam #11 in Dubuque, Iowa. The best time for quality light at this location is between mid and late afternoon, but don’t even bother if the sky is gray. Your picture may tell a different story if the blue of the sky is not reflected from the muddy waters of the big river...

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, @ 600m, 1/1600s, F/8, ISO100

30TH ANNUAL BALD EAGLE WATCH IN DUBUQUE

If you live in or near the tristate area around Dubuque, here is a reminder. Tomorrow, Saturday 01/20 is the 30th Annual Bald Eagle Watch in the Grand River Center. There are live bird programs and other activities, lots of information about the eagles and other nature related things available. The Dubuque Camera Club will have a table at this free family event. I will be there as well and if you like to talk photography, wildlife, or learn about good locations for nature photography in the Upper Mississippi Valley, don’t hesitate to stop at the DCC information desk. The event is open from 9:00AM to 4:30PM. Hope to see you tomorrow!

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 / 5

Male Orchard Oriole, 1st summer, near Durango, Iowa ----------     

May has been all about bird photography ones more for me in 2017. I don’t even have to go too far, things happen right here in our woods north of Dubuque, Iowa.

We usually see a large number of Baltimore Orioles stopping briefly on their long journey and eating from oranges we provide. Some of them stay here during the summer and raise their offspring. Not a daily event is the sighting of an Orchard Oriole. Last year we had more than ever before and it was fun to see both species at the same time. This male oriole was in its first summer and didn’t have the dark chestnut-orange color of its body yet as the adult males.

2017 RETROSPECT / 4

Whimbrel, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, California ---------

There is no doubt that April is one of my favorite times for wildlife photography, especially birds. There is bird migration going on in eastern Iowa and many other areas in the country. I had my good share of images here in the Midwest but I chose a picture for 2017’s retrospect from the coastal wetlands in California. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve at the Pacific coast near Huntington Beach, California is a destination I have been many times before. Last year I explored another area not far from Bolsa Chica, San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary in Orange County, and it led to photos of new birds and great story telling about well known species.

The Whimbrel breeds in Alaska but spends the winter months along the coast of California. I was a little surprised to find them still in the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in April, but hey, I didn’t mind… The gorgeous warm light of the late afternoon sun eliminated the need for fill flash. Except for the shooting position from slightly above, which you can’t do much about in the Bolsa Chica Wetlands due to access restrictions (which I absolutely support and obey) I have been happy with the results. Having many clean shots of a Whimbrel and other new birds we don’t see here in Iowa in my files made this trip a highlight of 2017’s photography adventures.

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.

BALD EAGLES - GESTURES, LIGHT, AND TEMPERATURE CHALLENGE

Great gesture, the moment when the eagle drops suddenly down to go for a fish ----   

The weather conditions are ideal for Bald Eagle photography at the moment. First we had a clean blue sky, which in combination with a low sun in the afternoon makes for good colors and light. And second, it was cold, and I mean really cold, and this requires the eagles to eat a lot in order to survive. If the eagles are hungry they are in permanent move in search for fish, and this gives us photographers a lot more shooting opportunities than if the temperature is just around the freezing point.

When the eagle is about to put its talons into the prey you can hear the camera shutters rattle...

As expected, about 60 miles down the river at lock & dam #14 in Le Claire, Iowa the parking lot was quite full and people enjoyed watching and photographing a good number of Bald Eagles today. The cold bares some challenges and being properly dressed is absolutely essential for spending time behind the camera. I saw several people climbing out of their cars full of enthusiasm and making a fashion statement with every piece of clothes they wore, but ten minutes later they disappeared again because they were not dressed warm enough. Shooting with gloves is not my favorite thing to do but there was no way around it today without a high risk of frostbites.

The flight patterns of a juvenile Bald Eagle while hunting for fish is harder to predict, their lack of routine shows quite often.

I took many pictures of Bald Eagles already during the last thirteen years since we lived near the Upper Mississippi Valley. So why going back to the best spots over and over again with the camera? Well, just watching these majestic creatures is priceless and having hundreds of photos in the files doesn’t mean there are no new gestures or light patterns to discover, and there is always this one special picture that still needs to be made…😉

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

2017 RETROSPECT / 1

I finally found some time tonight looking into my photo archive from 2017 for pictures that may deserve to be seen by the public and that mark some of the highlights during the last year. In January I spent quite some time along the Mississippi, which was other than right now not frozen over for the most part.

When a Bald Eagle drops out of the tree and glides towards the open water you know the hunt is on. This one flew right at me but I was able to nail the focus on its eye, which has to be sharp, no matter what. If not, the picture goes to the trash can…

This photo of an excited Herring Gull was made below lock and dam #14 in Le Claire, Iowa. The direct light of the late afternoon sun helps to bring out the dynamic of the scene. I chose both photos because the quality of the light makes the story telling a breeze.

NATURE CLICKS #388 - DARK-EYED JUNCO

Can you tell I’m having fun again shooting birds? The snow on the ground is my favorite reflector and the flash arm with flash light can stay in the photo bag if the sun is out and its light is bounced back from the ground. The Dark-eyed Juncos are here in large numbers and take advantage of free food and water from the heated bird baths. They feed mostly on the ground and go never too far away from a hiding place, like our bushes and mountain pines. I saw a hawk flying in today and within a second you can’t see any of them anymore. They even use the old dried leaves between the shrubs to hide. The juncos don’t make it always easy for the photographer because their dark eyes blend often right in with the feathers, and if there is no catch light on the eye it looks kinda lifeless. I don’t think that only a bird with a catch light in its eye makes a good photo, but in case of the Dark-eyed Junco it makes all the difference.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The year ends with very cold temperatures and snow on the ground, ideal conditions for some bird photography in the backyard today. This young female Red-bellied Woodpecker posed nicely on the trunk of this gnarly Ironwood (American Hop Hornbeam).

Female Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dec 31, 2017, near Durango, Iowa

The weeks before Christmas the weather has been relatively warm and to our surprise we had a female Yellow-rumped Warbler at our bird bath and below the suet feeders. The northern edge of their winter range is normally several hundred miles south from here, but another birder told me that is not totally unusual to see a few here in eastern Iowa if the winter is mild. I was awed when the warbler still came to the bird bath and feeders today despite the fact that the temperature was at -18ºC (0º F) and with a solid snow cover on the ground.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, October 2017

Usually I would end the year with a few “Retrospect” blog posts about my photographic highlights during the year, but some last-minute business trip between Christmas and now kept me from doing it. Maybe I find the time in January… However, I like to thank everybody for stopping here, for your emails and messages with opinions, critique, and advice. I appreciate all of them and would be happy to see you back in 2018!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

IT WILL TOUCH YOU

The Tundra Swans are still present at the Mississippi ----- 

Remember, a week ago I posted pictures and reported about the large concentration of migrating Tundra Swans at the Mississippi River, just north of the Minnesota border. Joan had to work last weekend and so we gave it a try again today and drove north on the scenic roads that follow the river. Guess what, the swans were still present and after a mostly gray and rainy week it was nice to see thousands of Tundra Swans again in good sunlight.

View from Brownsville Overlook, Minnesota

This is only a fraction of all the swans. The compressed view of the 600 mm lens makes the Wisconsin side of the river appear a lot closer than it actually is. The Mississippi is here about 3 km (~2 miles) wide. The main channel for the boats is behind the island with the tall trees.

If you live somewhere in northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin, or southeast Minnesota and you haven’t been there yet, take the time to see the swans. It will touch you, no matter if you a photographer or just someone who likes nature.

STILL INTRIGUED

Tundra Swans, Mississippi River, between New Albin, IA and Brownsville MN ----

I admit, I’m still intrigued by yesterday’s wildlife experience. Watching ten-thousands of Tundra Swans on the Mississippi isn’t an everyday occurrence even for us that live near the Mississippi Valley and enjoy bird migration every year one way or the other.

Between all the noise created by the Tundra Swans I heard, and it was confirmed by other birders, the french horn like call of at least one Trumpeter Swan.

The Tundra Swan is smaller than the Trumpeter Swan and most adult birds have a yellow spot at the base of their black bill, while the Trumpeter Swan has an all black bill. The yellow spot varies in size and shape as I realized by studying the pictures from yesterday’s photo shooting. The photo above shows the distinct field mark very well. I had the focus on the juvenile bird in the back while they took off, hence it has better sharpness than the swan in front. It is not difficult to distinguish an adult from a young bird, and there were lots of families with one to four juveniles.