IN THE MEADOWS

Dickcissel, Dubuque, Iowa

Today I have a couple bird species for you that are threatened by habitat loss. I still find them every year in a meadow that can be easily turned into commercial use. It has been developed for this purpose but so far nobody has built anything there. I hope every summer it stays this way.

Both species are beautiful songbirds and even when they are hunkered down in the grass, like yesterday afternoon, we can at least hear them. I waited patiently and had a few moments when they left the grass, perched on a higher point, and posed for my camera.

Bobolink

Male Dickcissel

WORKING WITH THE LADIES

Female Red-winged Blackbird, Mill Creek Ponds, Eastern Iowa

If we want to talk about one of the most common birds here in Iowa, at least during the season without snow, it has to be the Red-winged Blackbird. They are omnipresent wherever there is open space. The males arrive a lot earlier in spring from the south than the females and everybody here knows this black bird with its striking red bar bar on the wings that gave this bird obviously its name. You may not agree, but I’m always intrigued by the beauty of the female blackbirds, in particular during breeding season.

A couple days ago I stopped at the Mill Creek Ponds in a side valley of the Mississippi River. The long time followers of my blog may remember that I have photographed breeding Trumpeter Swans many times before at this location, but to my disappointment no swans seemed to be there this year. As always, the blackbirds have their habitat between the reeds of the wetlands and around the Mill Creek Ponds. Of course plenty of male birds are there and defend their territories aggressively.

I really focussed on the female birds this time and tried to incorporate the reeds along the pond in the background. I believe photographing a common bird should include a certain quality of light, otherwise I won’t publish it. 6PM is still way before sunset, but this valley receives the last warm sunlight for the day a lot earlier. While the first photo is all about the beautiful plumage of the blackbird lady, the second one is all about the gesture.

I try to make it a habit to shoot the long lens with the 1.4 SIGMA teleconverter attached. Having 850 mm focal length on a full frame sensor camera makes it very desirable for bird photography. Shooting a lot more with this tool lately, my keeper rate went up quite a bit. I can afford to be choosy about what image to use for a blog post…😉

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

1. photo:   @ 850 mm, 1/400 s, f/9, ISO 400

2. photo:   @ 850 mm, 1/640 s, f/9, ISO 400

ON THE RIVER (FINALLY!)

Painted Turtle, Mud Lake, Mississippi River, Eastern Iowa

Gorgeous weather today made us loading the kayaks onto the roof of the car and open finally the kayak season for this year. Fifteen minutes later we launched a wonderful paddle trip in the warm light of the evening sun, down in the backwaters at the Mississippi River. Not much waterfowl in sight, because it’s breeding time, but eagles, pelicans, blackbirds, a couple herons, and of course a number of muskrats made still for good wildlife watching.

This Painted Turtle looks like it was running away from us, but it was only stretched out and put its rear end into the warm sun. I had all the shots I wanted on the memory card already when the turtle finally slid into the water because the distance became to close. My tactic is always to give the boat a little direction with some carefully executed paddle strokes, stop paddling, grab the camera, and fire away while still moving towards my subject. Sometimes I wedge the kayak between some logs or reeds and keep a stabile position while making the clicks. I said it more than once here in the blog, it is the low perspective in the boat that I really like. It puts me almost to eye level with the critter or bird and allows to shoot this kind of an environmental portrait.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/400 s, f/13, ISO 400

NATURE CLICKS #521 - EASTERN KINGBIRD

Eastern Kingbird, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

I made a quick trip to the Green Island Wetlands this evening and came home with this photo of an Eastern Kingbird. This wasn’t an easy shot due to some strong wind. The Eastern Kingbird is not as skittish as many other birds and it gave me plenty of time to make a number of clicks. But its perch swayed in the wind unpredictable and made focussing a bit of a challenge. This large flycatcher hunts mostly for insects. It defends its breeding territory vigorously against other kingbirds. During winter, down south at the Amazon, this bird has a different lifestyle. They move around in flocks and the diet consists of fruits.

I tried to position myself so I had some open water behind the bird. Some growing reeds were far enough away to blur nicely and made for an undisturbing background.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG,    @ 850 mm, 1/640 s, f/9, ISO 640

INCUBATION TIME

House Wren guarding the nest

It’s breeding season for most of the birds in our woods. Many species incubate their eggs and are not seen as often as the weeks before during their mating time. We are very fortunate to have three different species sitting on eggs right here at the house. As during the last three years a pair of American Robins has built a nest on our balcony. They had originally four eggs, two didn’t make it, but two little chicks are currently fed by their parents. We avoid being on the balcony as much as possible.

The second bird is the Gray Catbird I reported about a few days ago. I discovered a nest today with two eggs. They built it between the branches of a mountain pine that grows right beside our porch. Another area we will try to avoid in order not to disturb the birds during incubation and the time after.

Last but not least, as every year a pair of House Wrens has occupied a nest box in our front yard and another female sits on eggs in another box at the back of the house. House Wrens are not monogamous and there is a good chance that the little male bird in today’s photos has something to do with the nest in the backyard as well. However, he tends and protects the bird box at the front. The wren sings his heart out, especially when the female has left the nest for a few minutes. He does that usually from a perch in the neighborhood, and not near the nest, so a possible predator will be attracted to him and not the clutch of eggs or the female while she is trying to find something to eat for herself.

I use this great photo opportunity and practice a lot with the long lens and teleconverter attached. The 850 mm focal length allows me to stay away as much as possible from the birds and still can fill the frame without cropping a single bit off.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, 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,

1. photo   @ 850 mm, 1/200 s, f/9, ISO 640

2. photo   @ 850 mm, 1/125 s, f/9, ISO 400

NATURE CLICKS #520 - GRAY CATBIRD

Gray Catbird, Little Maquoketa River Valley, iowa

I’m very happy that we see a pair of Gray Catbirds near the house this spring. We always had them in the area but mostly not so close and frequently. They prefer low and dense vegetation and at another property in the neighborhood, where I used to see them, trees and bushes have been removed because a new house will be built. We don’t remove the underbrush in our woods and perhaps the catbirds figured out this would be a better place to live. I think the Gray Catbird is one of the most underrated birds. Most people recognize them by their distinctive “meeow-call”, which obviously gave the bird its name. However, they are also able to perform a song as a mix of notes, squeaks, and imitations of other birds. It sounds beautiful and I recently heard it again during time of courtship display.

I try to get better with my bird photography and have lately more often employed the 1.4x teleconverter when the distance to my subject was too far. This is my preferred method instead of cropping, but can be a challenge if light is very low. The long lens needs good support for its extended focal length of 850 mm, either a stabil tripod or proper handholding.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, 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,   @ 850 mm, 1/1000 s, f/9, ISO 500

SWALLOWS IN THE WETLANDS

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Not writing anything here in the blog during the last few days doesn’t always mean I’m not behind the camera. A project around the house took priority this weekend. But beside bird watching in the early mornings here at home, I made another trip down south along the Mississippi River. A number of different sandpipers and plovers were present but were often too far away for a good photo beyond a documentary shot.

Nevertheless, I had some good moments with swallows. A Northern Rough-winged Swallow hasn’t been in front of my lens for a long time. This branch was hanging above a water-filled canal in the Green Island Wildlife Preserve. A perfect habitat for catching insects and replenish energy resources in their little bodies. The fresh green of the trees on the other side of the canal was nicely out of focus and is a perfect backdrop for such a spring photo.

Tree Swallows

I wonder how long we still will see Tree Swallows in the Green Island Wetlands. Their natural nesting places, cavities in trees, will quickly disappear while the majority of trees near the water is dying from water levels too high during recent years. This may benefit the habitat for some waterfowl but I see already a decline of other bird species, like warblers, in this area.

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

SONGBIRDS IN THE BADLANDS

Western Meadowlark

Hands down, spring is the best season to watch songbirds, either during their time of migration or while they are in the mood for mating. Badlands National Park has a great variety of songbirds and I was able to add three new species to the photo library during our recent visit.

We had no problems finding Western Meadowlarks, they were present in abundance. This very vocal bird can be found along the road sides in the grass, between sagebrush, or in the early morning perched on a traffic sign or fence post and singing its heart out.

Lark Bunting

Probably not my best photo of a bird but this male Lark Bunting was a first sighting for us. It was part of a larger group, males and females, and the males were in their full breeding plumage. The Lark Bunting is the only sparrow that completely changes between plain winter plumage and distinctive breeding colors (source: iBird Pro app).

Vesper Sparrow

Perched on the same fence as the Lark Bunting were a couple Vesper Sparrows. I have probably seen this bird before but it was the first time ever that I photographed this species.

Lark Sparrow

Coming back from a hike into the backcountry we found a number of Lark Sparrows feeding on the ground at the campsite. They walk on the ground rather than hop, unless during courtship. They are in favor of areas with bare open ground and scattered bushes, habitats that are more common in the West and Midwest than in the East of the country. The Badlands offer such habitats and it is not difficult to find them at this time of the year.

Black-and-white Warbler

When I saw briefly this bird gleaning insects from the bark of a tree, I knew immediately that I had a Black-and-white Warbler in front of the lens. I have seen them here in eastern Iowa before a couple times and they forage nuthatch-like on tree trunks. I was actually after another warbler species between some thick brushwood, probably an Orange-crowned Warbler, but I never got a real sharp shot. The photo of the Black-and-white Warbler makes me happy the same way!

Spotted Towhee

This photo was made between the same brushwood as the one before. I moved carefully with my tripod to find an open spot between all the branches of the tree and without scaring this beautiful bird away. When the click was made I thought I had an Eastern Towhee in front of the lens, a bird we can see occasionally here in our area. But the Eastern Towhee does not appear that far west and so it had to be a Spotted Towhee. From the front side they look almost identical. This was another first sighting and a welcome addition to my bird photo library.

I wish time wasn’t such a limiting factor for shooting wildlife in and around Badlands National Park. Two days are hardly enough to pursue all photographic ideas I have in mind. But with every visit we know the area a little better and that makes it easier to find the best spots during a next visit.

NATURE CLICKS #519 - LONG-BILLED CURLEW

Long-billed Curlew, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

I have seen the Long-billed Curlew only along the coast in Southern California before, always during winter time, and it was a little bit of a surprise when I found them last spring in South Dakota. The Badlands have a lot of grassland to offer, with a few marshy spots here and there, and they are actually a perfect breeding ground for this large sandpiper. It is an uncommon bird and to my surprise we found them again a week ago at the same area of the national park. With their extraordinary long bill they are able to to reach ahead and pick up insects or to probe just below the surface of mud or soil. They also feed on burrowing wolf spiders in South Dakota, with the curve even matching the general shape of a spider burrow (source: sdakotabirds.com).

Distance was closer than last year but still not enough for an uncropped image. We watched them using the car as our “mobile blind”. In these wide open grasslands you have no chance to approach them by going on foot. There is also a lot of other birds and critters to watch and the last thing we wanted to do is disturbing any of them. Overall we saw five curlews and it was highly interesting to watch them foraging after their migration from the south.

NO BADLANDS WITHOUT BISON

The question that came in was, why do you go back for more photography to an area you have been many times before (I was in the Badlands 8 times, Joan even more). After being six times in Badlands National Park, always in the fall and between 2005 and 2020, I just wanted to be there during spring time. Last year it was my first attempt. The story of spring can be told in many ways and making an image of a newborn bison calf is the photo I have in mind for this part of the season. While in autumn the herd of bison would always be around the Sage Creek Wilderness, near the campground we always stay. They are somewhere else in the backcountry during spring time. With other words, I have not seen or photographed a new born calf yet. Main reason is that during just one weekend you can’t hike into the backcountry with such a time limit.

Well, so how can we tell the story about spring with just a bison male in the frame? We saw many bison bulls , just by themselves or in small groups. It always amazes me, how can an animal eating nothing but grass and develop such a muscular body? And yes, there is power behind it. This is not just a grazing cow, bison can employ high speed if they feel threatened. Maintaining a safe distance to the critter is mandatory and it is the law! Even during my limited time out west over the years, I have seen some very, very stupid things people do just to get a snapshot of a bison. I can get excited talking about it…!!

So what else tells the story of spring? You probably have recognized the winter fur of the bison, shed off piece by piece. How do we get this all in one picture? First the eye of the bison bull had to be sharp. Blurry eye means, pic goes to the trash can. With a very narrow depth of focus (@ 600 mm, f/6.3), I figured out increasing local contrast on parts of the fur (which is not 100% in focus) may help to tell the story, while still keeping the focus point on the eye and horn of the bison. Not a perfect image of this resident out west, but I think the story of a male American Bison, roaming in the Badlands, at this time of the year, can be told.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/1000 s, f/6.3, ISO 800

THE GESTURE!

Black-tailed Prairie Dog performing the “jump-yip” call. Badlands NP, South Dakota

With all the pictures of Black-tailed Prairie dogs I made over the years there was still one missing, a photo of our favorite gesture. The famous “jump-yip” call can communicate alertness, territorial defense, or can be an “all-clear” signal. (source: https://www.prairiedoghoogland.com/vocalizations )

We just love watching the social behavior of prairie dogs and in the Badlands the numbers seem to increase with every visit we made since 2005. There is no problem to find them in Badlands NP and the photographer can be choosy about location and direction of light.

The “jump-yip” call lasts maybe a second or even less and you never know when they do it. However, a fast frame rate is the key to catch the action. The Nikon Z6II delivers 10 frames per second with my personal settings applied (14 bit depth NEF (RAW), shooting mode: Continuous High, extended). Shooting with 12 bit depth would even allow 14 frames per second, but I do not like to change and rather have more color data in my pixels.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,   @ 600 mm, 1/1250 s, f/6.3, ISO 400

NATURE CLICKS #518 - BURROWING OWL

Burrowing Owl, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Just because the burrowing Owl is diurnal, means active during the day while most other owl species are nocturnal, it still remains a challenge to get close to one of them. It has been a thrill again during our visit in Badlands National Park to see and photograph this small owl. They find good places for nesting in abandoned burrows of prairie dogs, who are plentiful in many areas of the Badlands.

Two spots where I found the Burrowing Owl last year didn’t seem to have them this spring but we found several owls at other places. This photo is definitely my favorite picture of the whole trip. We were cruising with slow speed by car and looking for all kinds of wildlife, when I saw suddenly this beautiful owl sitting on a small ridge right above Sage Creek Road. This dusty gravel road connects the remote west entrance of the park with the famous Badlands Loop Road and with the town of Wall, South Dakota. While you may find some Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep along the Loop Road, for all the other critters and birds Sage Creek Road is the place to be, unless you hike into the backcountry.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/640 s, f/6.3, ISO 200

NEW ARRIVALS

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

It was a great day for bird watching and photography. I took my morning coffee and breakfast on the porch today, with the camera ready to shoot on a tripod. The second half of the day was spent in the wetlands, but this is certainly for another blog post. More migrants have arrived during the last few days. The first female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was surprisingly already here a week ago, while the first males were spotted yesterday. This morning we counted at least 11 male Grosbeaks around our bird feeders. The most we have ever seen at the same time. I don’t care for a picture at a feeder very much but when the birds come close and use nearby bushes or trees during their approach, the index finger is on top of the shutter release button.

Male House Wren

This little House Wren sings his heart out since a week but no females have arrived yet. He has already stuffed several of the bird boxes with loose little twigs and branches. A female will hopefully soon inspect his work and they are the ones that choose and “fine tune” the nest if they are willing to mate. It’s an exciting time of the year…!

NATURE CLICKS #517 - BELTED KINGFISHER

Female Belted Kingfisher, Bankston County Park, Eastern Iowa

During my walks in the river valleys and along small creeks here in eastern Iowa I come quite often across with a Belted Kingfisher. Making a picture of this pretty bird is a different story. They don’t let you come close most of the time. Today I had this female kingfisher for almost a minute within the reach of the long lens. It was still too far away for a perfect shot. Luckily the image was sharp and allowed me to crop it quite a bit. This is not my preferred way to present a photo, but it led to a picture better than the last one a couple years ago. A small step, but there is a reason why I still call the kingfisher “the bastard”. This will only end when the time comes and I have a photo that satisfies my ideas of a great wildlife image…

ELEGANT FLIGHT

Greater Sandhill Cranes, Mississippi River, Green Island Preserve, Iowa

If the river is in motion, and I mean when the ice breaks under big temperature changes, everybody can make an interesting picture at any other moment. We went down south today and I certainly hoped to get a few more shots of birds that are the ambassadors of the change in season we all look forward to.

The swoop of Sandhill Cranes I saw yesterday was still present in the Green Island Preserve and during a hike in the wetlands today, we saw some of them taking off and finally getting close enough for a few pictures. Hearing their call after a not very hard , but already long winter is another bonus to the pleasure of watching their elegant flight.