MORE TESTING, AND A COUPLE NOT SO COMMON BIRDS

Common Redpoll

We received more snow yesterday and snow removal took priority over photography. After a cold night the birds knew where to find food and water this morning and I decided to spent some time behind the camera and the glass of our balcony window. To make things even more awkward I put the 1.4 teleconverter onto the SIGMA 150-600, f/5-6.3 S lens. This was the first time that I used this piece of glass with the new Nikon Z6II mirrorless camera, extending the focal length to 850 mm. Let me talk about the performance first before we come to the birds. Even behind the double glass of the balcony door, the autofocus still worked fine at f/9 with the Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG. Yes, the pictures are a little soft, probably just due from behind the window glass, and it took higher ISO settings to nail the shots but it was doable.

Now, let’s talk about the birds. At this side of the house we have only a feeder with sunflower seeds hanging from the balcony. That draws in all the seed eaters, like cardinals, titmice, a couple Purple Finches, and dozens of House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, or American Goldfinches.

While shooting, testing, and looking at the results my excitement grew rapidly when I spotted a Common Redpoll. The only time we saw one before was seven years ago, right here on our balcony. They are actually an Arctic bird, breeding high up in the north of Canada. I just read that redpolls sleep in snow tunnels during a long arctic night to preserve body heat. Amazing! They migrate south for the winter but our area is even south of their usual winter range. However, I read reports about sightings here in Iowa every year. Not my best image but I know that some birders follow my website and I like to share my own bird sightings with them.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The other bird I like to mention today is the Yellow-rumped Warbler. We still see between two and five females every day drinking at one of our bird baths, despite the very cold weather. They probably feed on the juniper berries that can be found here on top of the bluffs at he Little Maquoketa River Valley. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is capable of wintering further north than any other warbler. The photography, oh boy, I try really hard to make a picture without the bird bath in it. Do me a favor ladies, just jump onto the stone! 😉

USING THE NATURAL REFLECTOR AGAIN

Blue Jay, Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

After very gray but warmer weather yesterday the sun was back today and with it the cold air. We have still a good layer of snow on the ground and it made sense to use it for some bird photography in the woods around the house. You know already how much I love how the sunlight is bounced by the snow to the underside of the birds. Yes, the birds are here for food and water but they are careful and don’t fly directly to a feeder. Sometimes they also have to wait until a bigger competitor has left. The best chance to make the click is when they perch on branches at the edge of the woods. Since we have so many birds visiting, the photographer can be choosy and aim the lens to the species with the most brilliant colors only…😉

Northern Cardinal, Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

BALD EAGLES, LOTS OF THEM

Juvenile Bald Eagle in all its glory, probably in its 2nd or 3rd year. The bird flew by with something (little fish?) in its bill. 

Yesterday a call from my photography friend Kevin made me aware that a large number of Bald Eagles is present at lock & dam #11 in Dubuque, Iowa. The Mississippi is finally frozen over almost everywhere and the eagles come south to find open water, so they can eat and hunt for fish. Below the dams is always some open water and that’s where they concentrate and strive for the best fishing spots. I estimate we saw about 40-50 Bald Eagles at and around the lock & dam in Dubuque, Iowa today. It is the highest number we have seen since quite a few years.

Adult Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Lock & Dam #11, Dubuque, Iowa

I was excited to explore some of the new focus modes and tried to get a grip on shooting birds in flight with the new Nikon Z6II. Oh boy, the best tools can’t help you much if the handholding skills are not very well developed. I haven’t practiced panning with the long lens for quite some time, but it is an essential skill that needs practice if you want the focus lock on the fast flying subject. The focus tracking capabilities of the camera work very well, better than with any digital camera I ever owned before. If you pan very smooth and follow the subject, you can really concentrate where to position the bird in the viewfinder without loosing the focus and just decide when to press the shutter button. The new tool is great but I guess I have to practice some more and work again on my skills to have a higher keeper rate than what was produced today…

My favorite gesture of the day, the moment when the eagle went from smooth gliding into a sudden dive down.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter

BRAVE THE COLD (OR FIND A WORKAROUND)

Northern Cardinal, Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,   @ 600 mm, 1/640 s, f/6.3, ISO 640

The first week of the year has been a busy one, hence not much time was spent behind the camera so far. We have that beautiful white reflector on the ground, some people call it snow 😉, which is perfect for bird or any kind of wildlife photography. But this needs patience and without enough time the results, even from the “front and back yard studio”, are just kinda mediocre.

It has been quite cold the last couple days and I made only a few clicks from behind the glass of the balcony door. The window glass softens every picture a little bit but it is possible to make an image and practice shooting technique.

There is no lack of our feathered friends, who enjoy water and food around the house, and I try to find new challenges for my pictures, even if time is sparse. The sun was on the right and the bird looked away from it, but it made the crest of this Northern Cardinal stand out. The snow below throws some light into the shadow part and brings this image to life. Not perfect, but we approach the weekend and I may have the time to dress properly and shoot outside, at least for a while. As I’m writing this, the temperature is at -22ºC and due to the windchill it feels like -31ºC (-24ºF). Tomorrow the height will be at -14ºC, I guess it’s T-shirt time…😉

NATURE CLICKS #512 - YELLOW - RUMPED WARBLER

Last “NATURE CLICKS” post for 2021. It was overdue while we watched several Yellow-rumped Warblers at our bird baths since over a months. At least three different birds enjoy the service of a drink and free bath every day. Although our area is considered “migration territory” for this bird, it is not a real surprise that this species breeds here or is still present despite temperatures have plumped a couple days ago. Afraid of scaring the birds away I made the shot through the glass of our balcony door. When you have 4+ inches of snow on the ground the term of “neotropical bird” seems to get a different meaning…😉

Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter,  @ 600mm, 1/250s, f/6.3, ISO800

THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE

John Deere Marsh, Mississippi River, Dubuque, iowa

The trees at John Deere Marsh, down at the Mississippi River, had a white coating after yesterday’s snowfall. The temperature had dropped quite a bit overnight (-14ºC / 7ºF) and the snow was clinging to almost everything. Part of the marsh is still very dry and doesn’t have much water, due to little rainfall last summer. Normally we wouldn’t see that much vegetation still standing and ice would cover the area up to the tree line. As so often, I document weather and climate related changes but still try to do it with an artistic touch.

I focussed on the dead tree in the middle ground with a wide open lens, knowing that foreground and background would render just graphic impressions out of focus, when suddenly the element of surprise came into play. While looking through the viewfinder and zooming with my feet, back and forth, left and right, a male Northern Harrier came buoyantly gliding into the frame. I can’t think of another bird of prey, except for certain owls, that is a better representative for the marsh and wetlands than the Northern Harrier. Their owl-like facial disk helps them with directional hearing to locate their prey. At this time of the year they rely mostly on rodents and birds

The Nikon Z6II is capable to combine multiple shots into one picture but the time was way too short to make a change in camera settings of that magnitude. However, I made three clicks, with the second one the photo you see here. In Adobe Photoshop I copied just the bird from the two other images into the final picture, at the same spots as in the originals. Now you have an idea how this story developed within one second in my viewfinder.

The detail obsessed viewer may see more in the photo. At the tree line in the back is a huge Bald Eagle nest. An eagle is guarding it and maybe we see them breeding again next year at this location.

HOLIDAYS WITH BIRDS

I trust you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday weekend and the photographers among you had a chance to aim their lenses at something interesting or learn and play with a new piece of equipment that you found under the Christmas tree.

As mentioned in the last blog post, it was our first Christmas without snow here but the mild weather was perfect for a hike yesterday and for some shooting with the long lens in the front yard today. Seventeen bird species used the stand that holds the perches, bird feeders, and a bird bath this morning and I used their presence to make myself more familiar with the new Nikon Z6II mirrorless camera. One goal was to customize some of the camera buttons to my preference, so I can operate and change settings at the camera on tripod with the right hand only and without taking my eye from the viewfinder. The left hand can remain on top of the lens barrel, helping minimize vibrations during the shooting process.

The American Goldfinch is in its winter plumage but still very pretty. This picture is a composite, actually showing the same bird. I had this idea when I saw both photos side by side on the screen.

The American Robins stay here for the juniper berries on the red cedars that grow on the rocky bluffs of our valley. They use the bird baths frequently and the best chance for a click is right before they jump down to the water from a higher perch.

The Eastern Bluebirds is another consumer of the juniper berries. Today we had three males and one female here.

The third bird that prefers berries during the winter time is the Cedar Waxwing. They sometimes “wait in line” when other, bigger birds occupy the water source.

Today I saw the first Purple Finch during this winter. They spend the summer up in northern Minnesota and Canada and we usually see them only during the cold season. The appearance of this female is a clear message that some real winter weather may lie ahead of us.

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

NATURE CLICKS #511 - CEDAR WAXWING

Cedar Waxwing, Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter,  @ 600mm, 1/800s, f/6.3, ISO800, DX crop

I shot this photo yesterday morning, just before I went on my hopefully last business trip for this year. There is only one big reason why a few Cedar Waxwings show up at our heated bird baths during this time of the year. We must have a good crop of juniper berries on the red cedar trees here on top of the bluffs above the Little Maquoketa River Valley. Most of the time the waxwings are in company with a number of American Robins. Both bird species love to eat the berries and between feeding frenzies they drink a lot of water. Last winter we haven’t seen a single Cedar Waxwing here, because there was obviously not enough juniper berries available. It is so good to see this beautiful bird back again!

I’m very impressed how good the new Nikon Z6II deals with luminance noise from shooting with higher ISO settings. With my older cameras I would not stretch the ISO settings up to 800 in my bird photography. I always found the necessary noise reduction in post process would remove way too much detail in the bird’s feathers. With the Z6II it becomes a totally different game. It allows shooting in low light, as we had yesterday morning, and a sharp image with all details still intact becomes more likely under these conditions. Another reason I wanted the Z6II. 😊

FIRST FIELD DAY WITH NIKON Z6II

The Eastern Bluebirds will hopefully stay here all winter long.

Today I had my first real field day with the new mirrorless Nikon Z6II camera. It started in our front yard this morning with three Eastern Bluebirds taking advantage of the water in our bird baths. But the real challenge was a trip to the Green Island Preserve, the wetlands along the Mississippi River south from here. It isn’t the season when wildlife is present in abundance but a few raptors, a bunch of American Coots, and a few sparrows gave me some good opportunities to practice with the camera and to develop some muscle memory for the shooting workflow that comes with an Electronic Viewfinder. I do not like shooting with my glasses but the EVF allows me to shoot without them. The new challenge is to keep my eye at the viewfinder after a click and evaluate the results or make changes in the settings menu just right in the viewfinder. As soon I move my head away from the eye piece and look for the brilliant screen in the back of the camera, well, I need my glasses again. It may take some time to memorize not to look at the screen, at least during wildlife photography.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter

American Coots busy feeding on aquatic plants in the Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Beside Bald Eagles and a pair of Northern Harriers, the Red-tailed Hawk is another raptor that finds food in the wetlands during winter time.

A DAY ABOVE THE DESERT

Rabbit Ears, 8,050 ft / 2454 m, Organ Mountain - Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico

I have been traveling for a few days last week but I didn’t forget about my promise to post some more pictures from our recent trip through New Mexico.

We pitched our tent on the east side of the Organ Mountains in “Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument” for a few days. The campground is located just below the “Rabbit Ears”, two magnificent summits. The facility overlooks the Tularosa Basin, home to White Sands National Park and White Sands Missile Range. A stormy day with very high winds was in the forecast and we decided to hike in the mountains near the campground. This high area is home to a number of plants and tree species not seen on the desert floor. Everything looked still very clear in the morning and we were blessed with gorgeous light on the Rabbit Ears above our tent during sunrise. Later during the day the harsh light makes you think twice before you hit the shutter release button of the camera…

Ornate Tree Lizard, a morning guest at the breakfast table

Prickly Pear Cacti, yucca, agave, grasses, and shrubs dominate the desert floor below the mountains

Most wildflowers were gone already but Rabbitbrush doesn’t look bad either between the rocks in higher altitude

Bizarre trees overlook the Tularosa Basin. A sandstorm hides the details of White Sands National Park and all the military installations of the missile range that surrounds it.

ORDINARY SITUATION, BUT THE LIGHT!

Downy Woodpecker, Little Maquoketa River Valley, Iowa

I actually thought to continue with some more photos from our recent trip through New Mexico but a few days ago I caught this picture of a Downy Woodpecker in front of the house and I like to share it with you. There is nothing special about this male woodpecker although they have a special place in my heart. The Downies are here in our woods all year long and we see about 6-7 coming to our suet feeders at the moment. The “woodpecker tree”, a dead cedar log that holds one of the feeders, is always in the front yard. So, what is so special? It is the gorgeous light of the setting sun that hits the tree and let the woodpecker stand out briefly, just moments before the night swallows the scene. I hope you don’t mind and enjoy. More from New Mexico next time, I promise…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2021 #10 - MIGRATION OF THE TUNDRA SWANS

Migrating Tundra Swans, Mississippi River, near Brownsville Minnesota

Right now one of the most interesting stories about fall migration happens here in the Mississippi Valley. Thousands of Tundra Swans migrate from the arctic tundra to the Chesepeake Bay at the Atlantic Ocean. On their way south they stop along the Mississippi River, and one of the best places to watch them is at a couple overlooks near Brownsville, Minnesota, just a few miles north of the Iowa border. The river is already freezing over in some of the backwaters. That means the swans may take off any day with more ice forming soon.

I have been at the Brownsville overlooks several times over the years with the camera and any time I ask myself, how can I tell a better story of this annual occurrence with my photos? It’s easy to take a wide angle lens, point it across the river, which is almost three miles wide at this place, and have thousands of wide dots in the picture. I do that for my own documentary purposes but those images do not make a good wildlife photo. 

So I try a little bit of everything, a single swan, a pair, or a family of Tundra Swans. It seems getting closer to a roosting place would help, but most of them are quite a bit away from the shore. On my way home I looked at a certain bay and got lucky. The bay was already frozen over and became a roosting place for the swans. With the sun disappearing fast behind the bluffs on our side of the river and the shadow line creeping forward across the ice, it was the right time to make a photo that tells a story about fall migration of the Tundra Swans.

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head (last photo without tripod)

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!