After five or six of gray and mostly rainy days this week the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. Joan, dog Cooper, and I took a ride in the car, heading south in the Mississippi Valley. A strong blowing wind had definitely an influence on the appearance of birds around the river and wetlands in the valley. Beside the usual suspects we saw a lot more ducks than during the last couple weeks. That doesn’t mean the photo opportunities have increased at the same rate. However, we came across two pairs of Blue-winged Teals. The leading male was already outside of the frame but the other three ducks stayed close together. Colder air temperatures than during the last weekends kept heat shimmer in bay and obtaining focus across the water wasn’t so difficult.
NATURE CLICKS #485 - BUFFLEHEAD
Buffleheads, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Preserve, Iowa
Without any doubt the Bufflehead is one of the prettiest ducks we enjoy watching at this time of the year. It is the smallest of the diving ducks. They feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and seeds. Their prey is swallowed underwater. Soon they will move on to their breeding grounds up in Canada. They nest in cavities that are mostly made by woodpeckers, in particular Northern Flickers.
It looks like it isn’t difficult to photograph this duck but they are very fast and hardly ever come to a total standstill. Another male Bufflehead was trailing behind those three and both pairs were very busy feeding in the shallow waters of a lake in the Green Island Preserve yesterday. As so often, with the ice just gone and warm air over the water, heat shimmer effects the focus of the camera and my keeper rate for sharp images was not as high as usual.
GULLS WITH CHARACTER
Ring-billed Gull, Mississippi River, Sabula. Iowa
The local nature enthusiasts and photography friends may probably say, oh, just a Ring-billed Gull, we have so many of them. It’s true, but I always give the more common species a chance to be presented here in my blog. There is a few ingredients for a photo like this. Last weekend the remaining ice in the little marina of Sabula, Iowa had this dark blue color that makes for that nice background and you only see it in the old ice of a season. A blue sky is mandatory and of course, the gulls have to cooperate. And if you have in addition a nice light from the side, the camera has to come out of the bag for sure.
It was actually pretty busy. The birds caught little fish and argued about them a lot. some of the birds are really characters. This one looks like the cat that had eaten the canary. It just had gobbled down a fish, looked up into the sky for the other competitors, and seemed to think, haha, you didn’t get it, I did! Can you tell I had fun making these photos?
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BACKGROUND (AGAIN)
Greater Sandhill Cranes, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands
Who can blame me? The transition between winter and spring is the most exciting time of the year for a lot of nature lovers and photographers. For the third weekend in a row I went back to one of my favorite wildlife spots in the area, the Green Island Preserve wetland area, about 40 miles south and part of the ecosystem of the Mississippi River. It was not as busy with ducks and geese as last weekend, but still a great place to enjoy wildlife, chase the light for a good image, or just inhale the sounds and moods of the season.
After trying hard on a pair of Sand Hill Cranes without an image even worth to mention, another pair of cranes gave me later finally quite a good display. The challenge in spring is always finding a good background. The cranes forage not so much in the water but in the marshes and probe with their long bills in the mud between reeds and grasses from last year. In addition the access to the Green Island marshes and lakes is almost everywhere from a slightly elevated position, on top of a dyke or the road. This makes the lens pointing towards the ground even if it is only a slight angle.
So, what’s different with today’s photo? The Sandhill Cranes were on top of a dyke. I was in the car on the road and a body of water between me and the birds. With other words we were on the same eye level. The area behind the cranes is lakes, marshland, more dykes, and flat overall. The trees in the back are about two miles away and border the Mississippi River. This is the kind of background I like to have. It gives a sense of location and even the grasses around the cranes become part of the story and leave no doubt about what time of the year the photo was taken. I wish the cranes would feed more often on top of the dykes…😉
GEESE AND OTHERS ON THE MOVE
Greater White-fronted Geese, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa
Yesterday I took another trip to the Green Island Wetlands, and boy, what a change to the weekend before. The snow is melting really fast and a few spots had finally open water. With that said, food sources become available for all kinds of birds and they indeed move in immediately. I saw seven Greater Sandhill Cranes, a big flock of Red-winged Blackbirds occupied some trees, and twice the call of a Killdeer filled the air, although I didn’t see any. But the biggest sign of spring for me were several overflights of Greater White-fronted Gees
Canada Geese
Wherever the ice had disappeared and open water was available, pairs of Canada Geese had moved in and jockeyed for the best spots. Some may travel further north but the Green Island Wetlands are a popular breeding ground for Canada Geese.
What else, of course a number of Bald Eagles. I discovered another nest location, which is the fourth one I’m aware of in this area. Other raptors can be watched, like a Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawks, and for the first time I saw a Rough-legged Hawk at Green Island.
Getting close enough to a particular bird is always the biggest challenge for any photographer. If you finally have your bird in the viewfinder and you just can’t get it sharp, despite you do everything right, you probably deal with heat shimmer. The warm air above the remaining cold snow and ice creates this inferior mirage that prevents a sharp image. A problem that can’t be ignored, especially when working with a long lens. Sometimes it is better just to watch and enjoy the moment…
YESTERDAY WAS WORLD WILDLIFE DAY
Downy Woodpecker
Yesterday was World Wildlife Day and everybody but me posted a nice wildlife photo on Instagram or other popular websites. I simply forgot about it 🙄. By writing this blog on my website I try to create awareness about wildlife since 2010 and maybe you can forgive me. The photo is actually from yesterday evening and this Downy Woodpecker posed nicely on the old cedar tree trunk in the last bit of sunshine. This winter we had up to six of North America’s smallest woodpeckers here and they are usually not as shy and skittish as their larger cousins. I always enjoy having them in front of the lens and the Downy is my choice to celebrate World Wildlife Day this year, even if it is belated… 😊
NATURE CLICKS #484 - JUVENILE BALD EAGLE
It was about time to make a trip along the Mississippi River again. Despite the warm weather we had last week, the river is still frozen almost everywhere and most fields and marshes are snow covered. Food sources are still limited for many birds and it took me a while to find an animal that triggered my desire to make a photograph. However, it was a sunny and relatively warm day and it was just nice to be out and about.
This juvenile Bald Eagle was perched in a tree next to the boat landing in Bellevue, Iowa. This is just below the lock and dam and was one of the few few spots on the river without ice cover. It takes the Bald Eagle about four to five years to acquire adult plumage, with their distinctive white head and tail feathers. This one looks like it is in its second year, with some white mottling on its breast and belly already present.
After a few ‘safety shots’ I zoomed with my feet , back and forth, left and right, and tried to find a spot where no branch cuts through the eagles head. Not paying attention to this kind of detail is a mistake I made way too many times in the past during bird photography. The eagle was very cooperative, turned its head around a few times, but stayed in the same position and gave me all the time I needed to make the photo you see today.
Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, 1/400 s, f/8, ISO 100, @600 mm, shot in FX mode but cropped in post for DX dimensions.
NATURE CLICKS #483 - AMERICAN KESTREL, A PAIR
Male American Kestrel, near Sherrill, Iowa
I see them quite often in the same area. Most of the time the kestrels take off as soon the car stops. Not so today! Their preferred perch are the utility wires around here. Today’s photos were taken at different times. First I saw the male kestrel on my way to the Mississippi River. The picture is cropped because I stopped in a safe distance. I debated with myself if the pole should be included but is so much part of the story that I decided to keep it in the frame. Right after I continued driving I saw suddenly the female kestrel with a mouse flying away from the ground. Rodents, like mice or voles, and small birds are their main food source during the winter. The weather got much warmer the last couple days, the snow is melting rapidly, and I’m sure the mice stuck their heads out of the holes to find food as well. For some this obviously ends fatal.
Female American Kestrel
The second photo was made on my way back at the same spot. I didn’t see the male but the female American Kestrel perched nicely on the utility wire next to the road. This time I stopped almost beneath the bird but she didn’t pay attention to my presence at all and it took almost a minute before this little falcon turned her head in my direction.
The American Kestrel is the smallest but most common falcon in North America. They are migratory birds and the pair I saw today again may move further north pretty soon. However, here in the Midwest kestrels can be watched all-season.
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…
A SUCCESSFUL HUNTER
Sharp-shinned Hawk
There was some turmoil in the air but let me start with the story before the drama unfolded this morning. Part of my morning routine is to check on bird feeders, water levels of the heated bird baths, and just watch the actions of our feathered friends from behind the balcony door. As seen other times before, there was a moment this morning when every bird either went away or just froze any movement. All the woodpeckers and nuthatches stopped moving and looked like sculptures and no sparrow, junco, finch, titmouse, or cardinal was really visible. This is a sure sign that our Sharp-shinned Hawk is in a nearby tree and on the hunt. I looked into the woods behind the house for ten minutes but couldn’t see the raptor. I just knew the hawk was there. Suddenly hell broke loose and some of the 25-30 Northern Cardinals that were hiding between tree branches panicked and among them was the hawk. He caught one of them mid-air and dropped immediately to the ground. And this was where both photos were made. You can’t see the poor cardinal under the snow but you get a picture of a successful hunter. The hawk spent a few minutes sitting over its prey before it took off and flew into a grove of eastern cedars and out of sight.
Sharp-shinned Hawks are pursuit hunters and catch their prey, mostly small birds, often by surprise, either mid-air or on the ground. They can navigate dense woods at high speeds and are agile and acrobatic fliers.
I was lucky to find an unobstructed view between the trees and the hawk gave me enough time to calm down and handhold camera and long lens while shooting from the balcony deck.
BRAVING OUT ANOTHER STORM
Another winter storm hit the area again a couple days ago. I tried to capture a photo with some storytelling about and how the birds brave it out. It doesn’t really need much to give the viewer an idea. The snow covered branch and the snow trails in the background set the stage for this male House Sparrow. Shutter speed had to be slow to make a trail and here 1/50 second at f/8 was used to make the click. Some people don’t think it is worth their time to aim the lens at such an ordinary bird but I strongly disagree. They are part of our natural heritage and just because they are abundant doesn’t mean they are less important. And look at at this guy, isn’t he pretty?
NATURE CLICKS #482 - SAME HAWK, SAME LOCATION, DIFFERENT DAY
I thought I give it a try again today and went back to the same location as yesterday. Sure enough, the Rough-legged Hawk was present again, this time perched in a tree, a little further away from the road. They are known to perch sometimes on very slender branches on top of a tree and I have watched this behavior at the dark morph of a Rough-legged Hawk lately at a different location. This time the bird waited for me and gave me a few seconds to make some clicks before she flew away. You can see how the feathers cover her whole legs. The name “Rough-legged” refers to that. In North America only Golden Eagles, the Ferruginous Hawk, and the Rough-legged Hawk have feathers all the way down to their toes. We expect another snow storm tomorrow and I wonder sometimes how these birds manage to survive these often brutal weather conditions…
NATURE CLICKS #481 - ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
These are my lucky shots today. On my short trips to the Mississippi River during lunch break I drive quite often with the camera on the passenger seat or in my lap and look for wildlife. Rough-legged Hawks spend the summer up on the arctic tundra and come down to southern Canada and the U.S. for the winter time. Up north they feed mostly on lemmings and voles, while mice and other rodents are on their diet here during the winter. This hawk is a light morph but I have watched a dark form as well during the last two months only a couple miles away from this location. This Rough-legged Hawk is possibly an immature female but I’m not an expert enough to say that with certainty.
Rough-legged Hawk, near Sherrill, Iowa
She was perched on a utility post, a perch they like to hunt from. They need open habitats, such as fields or prairies. The procedure is always the same. I make sure nobody is behind me, slow down the car, roll the window down, take the hands off the steering wheel, grab the camera, stop the car, and start shooting. I have trained this many times on gravel roads without traffic but it still needs a bit of luck to get the picture. The hawk took off right before I came to a standstill but she flew towards me and I was able to fire five shots. I thought I missed the focus completely but later at home I found out that two shots were at least usable, although they are not tack-sharp.
It was not a first sighting of a Rough-legged Hawk, but I’m very happy because it was the first time I was able to come back with a picture that is more than just a documentary shot for the records.
Both images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, …@600 mm, 1/1600 s, f/8, ISO400. Shot in full frame mode (FX) but cropped in post to DX dimensions, which delivers an angle of view like with 900 mm focal length.
VISIT FOR LUNCH
The deeper snow makes our little herd of White-tailed Deer even braver and since a few days two fawns show up already around noon for a lunch. While one ate the seeds that dropped from the bird feeders, its sibling stood guard and observed the surroundings. They must have found out that the photographer prefers this time over the hour after sunset due to better light…😉 Look at the ears! They change direction every few seconds and tell the story about the mission of this little guy.
However, this evening two does and four fawns returned, obviously knowing that I had thrown a couple extra hands of bird seeds onto the snow. At night we hear some coyotes bark, yip, and howl behind the house or down in the valley. Live is not easy for the deer at the moment…
Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4, @200 mm, 1/800 s, f/8, ISO200
AFTER THE SNOW STORM
Dark-eyed Junco
We had about a foot of fresh snow last night. While the snow storm slowed down this morning I made a few clicks of the birds that try to survive the winter here in eastern Iowa. Dark-eyed Juncos are present by the dozen and are among my favorite birds to photograph.
The challenge is always to separate the dark eye from the rest of the upper part of the bird. Getting a little bit of light on the eye ring is key and it helps if the eye has a hint of catch light, even if it is the reflection of the flash that was used to bring out some colors. The flash also helps to tell the story about “Winter-wonder-land”. The background has to be dark if you want to see the falling snow. A slower shutter speed makes for nice snow trails but this morning I wanted to capture more of the calm that follows a snow storm. Without totally “freezing” the snow flakes in the background the desired balance was attained at 1/640 s for this image.