BOSQUE DEL APACHE

Snow Geese, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, a wetland in the New Mexico high desert, is known as a wintering place for ten-thousands of Sandhill Cranes, Snow and Ross’s Geese. More than 370 species of birds have been observed since 1981, making it a favorite destination for nature lovers and photographers year-round. We stopped there exactly a month ago, which was a little early. Large numbers of cranes and geese arrive late November and stay until the end of February according to several websites. However, a few hundred birds were present during our visit. Bosque del Apache NWR remains on my list of places to visit for a longer period of time. Now, since we scouted the area, I have a better idea what to expect and how to plan a trip back to these floodplains of the Rio Grande River.

Shooting with 600 mm at the height of the day and no clouds in the sky makes heat shimmer inevitable. Nothing is really sharp in this photo but it still tells a story.

WILDLIFE IN THE VALLES CALDERA

Valles Caldera, National Preserve, New Mexico

About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera. This National Preserve is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich ranching history. (source: park website) 

The Valles Caldera is not far from Bandelier National Monument and we spent a couple evenings in the area, hoping to see some wildlife. A herd of grazing elk was in the distance, but too far away for any decent photo. Near the visitor center we were lucky to see this coyote roaming around. With its wonderful fur the animal blent well in between grass and sage brush. A prairie dog colony was not very far and the coyote knew probably where to find them.

A day earlier these two Common Ravens enjoyed the rays of the last sun on top of a metal structure. I always think it is the most difficult bird to photograph. Although they sat pretty still, finding the right exposure and a point to focus on their black feathers seems always to be a challenge. Well, they gave me plenty of time to try out different settings in the camera…

LOOKING FOR THE LAST ONES

I was sitting on the porch this evening, knowing that it might be the last chance to say goodbye to a few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that stop on their way south for a short drink at one of the remaining flowers in the yard, or at least at one of our nectar feeders. The migration wave ends here at the end of September, with an occasional sighting of a hummingbird in early October. Looking a little more critical at this photo you may recognize that this picture was taken at an earlier time of the year. There aren’t enough flowers in the yard anymore to make for such a colorful background. Well, it will be seven month from now until one of us will say, I saw the first hummingbird of the season!

DEPTH OF FOCUS AGAIN

Northern Leopard Frog, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

Here is another photo where the decision about the depth of focus (or depth of field, whatever you prefer) had an impact how this Northern Leopard Frog can be presented in its natural habitat. As you can see (without seeing me 😉), I was flat on the ground to be on eye level with the critter. You may also realize that the background is very busy and not very flattering. I started shooting with f/8 to have a little more than just the area around the eye in real sharp focus, but the clutter with sharp contours in the background killed the picture. The frog with its pattern did not stand out enough. The final photo was shot with f/4. Still not a great background but it is at least out of focus, much softer, and the Leopard Frog with its wonderful eye had a chance to shine.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4,   @190 mm, 1/1250 s, f/4, ISO400

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2021 #7 - APPROACH BY KAYAK

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, near Mud Lake, Iowa

Daylight becomes shorter a little bit every day but the evenings are still long enough for a paddle trip on the Mississippi River. It was a very quiet evening today on the river. Birds and other wildlife is not as present as earlier in the season but we had some good moments. Many Bald Eagles nest along the river and this one is a local in the Mud Lake area. This log, stranded on a mud bank at the main channel of the river, was obviously a good perch for the eagle. It seemed to enjoy the setting sun as much as we did, but had surely an eye on the fish that comes near the surface. While I took some time to approach the eagle slowly with the camera, Joan had moved on and was rewarded with the brief sighting of an adult and a young river otter. Otters are not uncommon but we haven’t seen one in our area for quite some time.

Green Heron, Mississippi River, Backwaters of Mud Lake, Iowa

The backwaters of Mud Lake were not as easy to paddle as the main river this evening. Lots of aquatic plants, tons of duck weed, and some algae slowed us down quite a bit. This little Green Heron fits right into this habitat. They are not as common as the Great Blue Heron and having an opportunity to aim the lens at this bird is always a great treat.

All photos: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S

NATURE CLICKS #510 - EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE

Yesterday we were treated with a nice performance of an Eastern Wood-Pewee, feeding two juveniles in our front yard. This small flycatcher is present every year in our woods but I have never seen more than one at a time. Their song, a slurred “pee-ah-wee” or their call, a shrill “p-e-e-e-e-e-“ makes it easy to locate them between the leaves.

They sally out from an exposed perch to capture flies, bees, butterflies, wasps, and beetles and often return to the same perch. This makes it more predictable for the photographer. We had some rain and the adult pewee found plenty of insects near the ground for its offspring.

Juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee

Another flycatcher, the Eastern Phoebe, looks very similar, but the pewee has a yellow base on its lower mandible while the phoebe’s bill is all dark. Another way to distinguish the two species is looking at their behavior on the perch. The Eastern Phoebe pumps its tail and the wing bars are less distinctive.

A VISIT IN THE NOT SO WET WETLANDS

Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, iowa

It was overdue but yesterday I had finally a chance to make a trip to the Green Island Wetlands, 40 mile south and along the Mississippi River. As expected the water levels were at its lowest since a long time and many areas had no water above the mud at all. This is probably not a bad thing. The last few years have been very wet and much of the wooded land was submerged under the water. As a result most of the large trees and many shrubs died. All the dead wood you see in the above photo gives you an idea how bad it is. My hope is that during a dry year like 2021 some of the bushes can recover and become a nesting habitat for songbirds again. There is no hope for the trees…

Sandhill Cranes

As always, I was interested what kind of wildlife would be present. Only one Great Blue Heron and one Great Egret tried their hunting luck. Most of these stealthy fish hunters had probably moved closer to deeper waters along the river. A few Canada Geese and a female Wood Duck were about the only waterfowl I saw. But one bird species that obviously stood the ground and still found enough food was present and came within the range of my long lens, the Greater Sandhill Cranes. I saw six birds feeding and walking between grass and reeds. It is always a joy tho watch them and listening to their calls.

YARD PHOTOGRAPHY

Juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I have been an advocate for shooting in the yard since a long time. It is the proving ground for practicing our skills, for becoming familiar with new equipment, and it can be an interesting habitat that teaches us how all things in nature depend on each other. In our woods it seems the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that were born here earlier this summer have moved towards the south already and other hummers that grew up further north have taken their places at our feeders, or use the nectar from the flowers in the yard. It’s easy to take a photo of a resting bird, but the photos with spread out and buzzing wings have a much greater impact to the viewer. This juvenile male returned several times for a couple seconds to the flowers of our hosta plants. It made sense to pre-focus on the flowers and just wait until the hummer lands again. Getting the AF sensor onto the eye and throwing a hint of flash at the bird is all what it takes. With 200 mm focal length you don’t want the camera on a tripod. Handholding gives you more flexibility and speed in the process.

‘WISCONSIN DESERT’, VISIT ON A SAND PRAIRIE

Six-lined Racerunner

Last Sunday we went to an unusual nature preserve in our neighbor state Wisconsin. Here is a quote from the Wisconsin DNR website that gives a much better description of this 1,104 acres (446.8 ha) preserve than I can ever give you.

Spring Green Preserve, known as the 'Wisconsin Desert', features a rolling sand prairie on an old Wisconsin River terrace and harbors a unique flora and fauna that are adapted to the hot, droughty environment. The dry sandy soils contain many desert-like plants such as false heather, three-awn grass, and prickly pear cactus. Nearly 40 species of annuals and biennials thrive here, a high number for a prairie, […} Several sand blows, with shifting dunes and open sand, are scattered throughout. Bird life is diverse and includes large numbers of rare open country birds […]

Small part of Spring Green Preserve, a sand prairie born about 17,000 years ago.

Although already late in the season we still found a good number of interesting plants and insects. The biggest thrill for me was the sighting of a Six-lined Racerunners (Aspidoscelis sexlineata), a sun-loving lizard that lives in a variety of habitats, including bluff prairies and sand prairies. I have never seen one before and was very happy to get a few shots of this fast critter.

At places like the Spring Green Preserve is always a good chance to meet people that enjoy nature and travel as much as we do. Thank you to the couple from Madison for the interesting conversation! 

Great to see some real bees in the flowers

All photos: Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM

NO SUMMER WITHOUT

The loyal long time readers of my blog may have wondered already, what’s about hummingbirds this year. Well, they are here as always since the end of April. It started with only three or four and I had some concerns about if it would be a bad year. But the breeding business went on and a few weeks later many juveniles appeared at our three hummingbird feeders. We go through one gallon (3.785 liters) of hummingbird food (just sugar and water, mixed 1:4) every week. the metabolism of these tiny birds is incredible.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I spent a good hour with them late Sunday morning, sitting in a low position on our front porch with the tripod in front. One of the feeders is right between the flowers and a small maple tree next to it is the perfect perch for the male that believes he owns this place. With a hummer in flight I usually like the wings blurred, telling the story of a bird that really can buzz. However, this time I pushed the limits a little bit in the other direction and increased the ISO up to 1000, which allows a much faster shutter speed. I’m not so sure if I will stick with that…

NATURE CLICKS #508 - SOLITARY SANDPIPER

Solitary Sandpiper, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

Today was one these humid days when you just don’t want to move at all but last Tuesday evening it was the perfect weather agin to take the kayak to the water. It has been six years ago when I had the last time a Solitary Sandpiper in front of the lens and I wonder if this bird is already on its way back to the south from the breeding grounds in the wooded northland regions of Canada. They are not truly solitary but this sandpiper doesn’t migrate in large flocks. (source: iBirdPro app)

Being just slightly above the water surface with camera and lens was the key for today’s photos. Shooting from a kayak makes you aware how useful the optical stabilization in the lens can be. There are a lot of things that can lead to an unsharp image, the bird moves, the boat moves, the photographer can’t hold the camera steady…, you get the idea.

Killdeer competing for the feeding spots

Here is a bonus picture for today. The Killdeer was competing with the Solitary Sandpiper for the best feeding spots along the muddy banks. They are a lot more common and usually one of the first shorebirds that arrive here in eastern Iowa in spring. They are considered shorebirds but the Killdeer often lives and nests far away from the water.

All photos: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2021 #5 - A LIVELY RIVER

This Muskrat, which is a semiaquatic rodent but actually not a member of the genus Rattus, swam right at me and was in interaction with a second one.

Many people enjoy the mighty Mississippi River during the summer weekends and the main channel becomes often very busy and noisy. As the day came to an end yesterday, the most motorized boats were gone and the river fell back into silence. I finally got the kayak into the water again and paddled Mud Lake, a backwater area that is separated from the main channel by an artificial, overgrown rock dam. Mud Lake is still connected with the big river but has very little current and is a wonderful nature area, in particular during this time of the season.

Bald Eagles, pelicans, herons, gulls, and geese fly up and down the river but it’s easier to photograph them from land. I wanted to see again what’s out there in and on the water and took dog Cooper and the long lens with me for a two-hour kayak trip.

Arrowheads that grow along the shore of the dam in the shallow water show their flowers. They produce tubers down in the mud that are an important food source for at least 15 species of ducks, snapping turtles, and muskrats, hence the name “duck potatoes”.

Shortly after I left the sandy boat ramp at Mud Lake Park this Northern Water Snake crossed in front of the kayak. I have seen them before but never took a picture from the boat. They are non venomous but may bite when agitated.

Mud Lake is covered by huge rafts of water lilies and make it a beautiful green habitat. Even some parts of the channel are overgrown with them this year and paddling through the big leathery leaves can be a challenge at times.

No paddle trip without seeing turtles. Most common at Mud Lake is the Painted Turtle. This one stretches its hind leg into the sun.

The water lilies are a great playground for the Red-winged Blackbirds. They find an ideal buffet of insects on the big leaves and blossoms. This female gave me a nice display.

PERFECT SUMMER HABITAT

Great Blue Heron, Bankston County Park, Dubuque County, Iowa

The current heat and humidity take a little bit the fun out of wildlife photography with a heavy long lens, but here is a photo from earlier this month. The Great Blue Heron knows where the fish are and if the photographer has a clue as well, a picture can be taken. The little stream at the bottom of the valley is a good place. This photo represents my idea of an environmental portrait quite well. With the vegetation along the creek at its peak for the season, it tells a good story about a perfect summer habitat for this Great Blue Heron here in the driftless area of northeast Iowa.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @ 600 mm, 1/250 s, f/6.3, ISO400

NATURE CLICKS #507 - BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (AND MORE)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

The Metadata of my picture library reveal that we have never seen a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the height of the summer here in our woods. Occasionally I had one in late spring or very early summer in front of the lens. They move very fast up and down on the outer branches and shrubs in search for all kinds of small insects and spiders. This makes taking a sharp image that shows the whole bird a big challenge. You can’t really shoot from a tripod because it would make following the bird’s moves impossible. Changing position constantly and handholding the camera with the long lens is the best option as far as I’m concerned.

This bird is either a female or a juvenile that was born earlier this breeding season. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers can built up to seven nests during one season and have 1-2 broods. There are many reasons for nest loss or brood failure, from parasitism or mite infestation to predation.

Young House Wrens, ten hours before leaving the nest

By the way, our young House Wrens, I had posted about yesterday, Ieft the gourd with the nest this morning at sunrise. I saw the last one jumping into some house plants that we keep on the porch during the summer. Later I heard their chatter in the nearby woods. I hope they all will make it! The male House Wren is already on courtship again and tries to attract a female to one of the other nest boxes. All seasons during a year have exciting moments. The wrens leaving the nest is always one of them!

JOGGING FOR BEST POSITION

House Wren feeding

As always, this time of the year the young House Wrens are jogging for the best position at the entrance of the nesting place the parents have chosen. This time it is an old gourd that hangs from the edge on the side of our porch since many years. The wrens have used it before. The nearby wooden nest boxes we have in the front yard are not used at the moment, but might if another brood will happen this summer. I saw at least three nestlings and it will not take long until they leave the hollow pumpkin. The parents feed every few minutes and the prey they deliver into the hungry bills gets a little bigger every day.

I try to stay away from the nest while taking my pictures and employ the long lens at 600 mm focal length and crop a little bit in addition. It was too dark under the roof of the porch this evening and the speed light was used towards the ceiling to bounce some light at the birds.

It isn’t the only pair of House Wrens that feed their offspring around here. There is another brood in a nest box behind the house and we can hear some chatter from our neighbors backyard as well. We are happy to have them here every summer.