NATURE CLICKS #531 - GREAT BLUE HERON

Great Blue Heron, Green Island Preserve, Mississippi Valley, Eastern Iowa

Can you tell why sometimes I like to go out in the rain and shoot with a heavy overcast? Yes, that doesn’t work well when there is a piece of gray sky or just its reflection on the water in the frame. But if you can eliminate any “sky related” things in the background of your image at this kind of weather, you may get a well balanced shot. The Great Blue Herons are kinda skittish and don’t like the photographer, even in its mobile blind, the car, nearby.

I shot this almost over my shoulder, using the brief moment the heron waited before it flew to a different spot. I knew if I would back up the car to get in a little more comfortable position, the bird would not wait for me. I just “hung” the lens barrel outside the car window and tried my luck. It is the kind of photo I like to pursue in my wildlife photography, the critter in its natural habitat. I love when the result comes out of a challenging situation…

BRAVING THE THUNDERSTORM

Great Egret, Green Island Preserve, Mississippi Valley, Eastern Iowa

When I left home for the wetlands today I knew already that a thunderstorm would cross the area this afternoon. Later we had even a tornado warning but finally the thunderstorm and rain came with moderate wind and not much lightning. During the storm very few critters are visible but nothing seemed to bother the Great Egrets. Three of them perched on some trees above the water surface in one of the lakes of the Green Island Wildlife Area. If I wanted to tell a story about the bird, braving these weather conditions, the rain had to be visible. Usually this can be done by slowing down the exposure time and with a dark background, which highlights the falling rain. The wooded banks of the Mississippi Valley are perfect for such a backdrop. The rain came finally down so hard, it wasn’t really necessary to shoot with a slow shutter speed. This photo was made at 1/640 s, ISO 800, fast enough for a sharp image at 600 mm focal length and still rendering blurred rain across the image.

NATURE CLICKS #530 - COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE

Common Snapping Turtle, Bankston County Park, Eastern Iowa

Today I had quite a few interesting wildlife encounters but not all of them can be documented with the camera. This one was easy, a good size Snapping Turtle rested right on the grassy trail in Bankston County Park while I walked our dog Cooper. A little dog and a snapping turtle may not always go well together, so I made sure he kept a safe distance. Snapping Turtles are not dangerous but on land they will defend themselves and snap if they feel threatened.

During these walks with the dog I almost always take the camera with me but not a variety of lenses. Today the Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 was my choice. A little short for wildlife and with only 70 mm maximum focal length I had to go on my knees and get really close to the turtle. This snapper lives probably not in the little river that runs through this valley but rather in the nearby pond or even in one of the small pools hidden in the woods.

Here is a fact for you to think about, the snapping turtle family evolved in North America, has lived in its wetlands almost unchanged since 90 million years, and has survived the period of mass extinction of the dinosaurs…

NATURE CLICKS #529 - GARTER SNAKE

In past blog posts I have always complaint that our sightings of snakes have declined during the last ten years in this area. However, last Sunday in the Green Island Wetlands I had three encounters, two Northern Water Snakes and this beautiful Garter Snake. Some enforcement work at the dikes that cross the wetlands is going on and as a result much of the top vegetation is gone at the moment. Maybe that was the reason that I saw three snakes within a very short time.

I don’t really want commit on the exact name for this garter snake. The colors of the critter are not 100% what I found in any online guide or my books. It is probably a Common Garter Snake but I’m not sure. Any advice by an expert is highly appreciated.

I jumped out of the car to make this and a number of other pictures. The snake was aware of my presence the whole time. By slowly walking around it the sun was finally in my back for better light and less reflections. After five minutes it had enough of watching me, turned around and moved slowly away towards the water on the other side of the dike.

CLOUDS ARE THE HELPER

Great Egret, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

It can be a little tricky if a Great Egret poses between the lush green of the wetlands in full sunlight. To blow out the highlights and end up wit absolutely no detail in its plumage is very easy. The white feathers of this member in the heron family do not have a lot of texture, but it is nice if the little bit of structure we can see remains intact. If a cloud moves in front of the sun the contrast in the scene can be managed much better and both, the egret and the background, receive the exposure they deserve. Watching the sky, I waited for this moment.

From a fallen tree in the water the Great Egret looks out for prey or walks slowly between reeds, arrow heads, and water lilies. At this time of the year all surrounded by duckweed. In the Green Island Wetlands their diet consists probably mainly aquatic insects, fish, or frogs.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG     @800 mm, 1/1250 s, f/9, ISO 800, aperture priority, dialed in -0.3 EV

NATURE CLICKS #528 - GREEN HERON IN THE WETLANDS

Green Heron, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

I realized today that I haven’t been in the Green Island Wetlands since the end of May. A good reason to pack the long lens today and head out to this area of marshland, lakes, and woods along the Mississippi River. August is the time when herons and egrets are present, not always by large numbers, but with the lush green background of reeds, arrow heads, and water lilies the chances for a good shot are definitely there.

Green Herons are common and widespread, but it can be hard to see them. While their larger relatives, like the Great Blue Heron, can be often found in open parts of wetlands, the stocky and small Green Heron tends to be at the edges, in shallow water, or concealed in vegetation. The bird I found today balanced on a half-submerged tree branch in the water, surrounded by nothing than duck weed. As mucky as that may look to some, I think it makes for a nice background that separates the subject from the rest of the scene. As most of the time I use my car as a blind. The heron got a little nervous after I stopped but gave me about a minute to make some clicks before it finally disappeared in the jungle of cat tails and arrow heads on the mud bank in the background. The Green Heron wasn’t the only critter I had in front of the lens today, so please stay tuned for more to come…

NATURE CLICKS #527 - MY FRIEND “THE BASTARD”

Male Belted Kingfisher, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

I still owe you a picture from one of our paddle tours with the kayak earlier this month. It looks like I’m getting better with taking a picture of my friend “the bastard”. The long time readers of my blog may remember that I gave the Belted Kingfisher this ugly name, because I still do not have a photo that satisfies my ideas of a good wildlife image. Yes, this time I got this male kingfisher at least sharp but the image needed still some cropping. It was actually a pair that flew ahead of us along the shore of the Mississippi River. I would love to fill the frame with this beautiful bird but they are extremely skittish and took off from their perch several times as soon I had them within the reach of the 600 mm focal length. Using the kayak is anyway not the best approach for this bird. Hiding in a tent blind may lead to better success and maybe one of these days in spring or fall I will do that. I’m not unhappy with this environmental shot of the Belted Kingfisher but I know there is still a lot of room for improvement. I guess I keep calling him “the bastard” until then…😉

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/250 s, f/6.3, ISO 400

TODAY’S SURPRISE

White-tailed Deer, Little Maquoketa Valley, Eastern Iowa

Joan and I, we both have seen this young buck recently. We probably know this particular White-tailed Deer since it was a little fawn and watched it visiting our front yard together with its mother and another sibling before, especially during winter.

I went over to a neighbor property today, trying to identify a bird we heard screaming many times before. We had our guesses, but were never totally sure what it was. Today I saw it, and I’m able to confirm that it is a Red-tailed Hawk. The parents and its offspring scream across the valley. I call discoveries like that good news!

While walking back to the house I suddenly became aware of a movement along the edge of the woods. There he stood! The light overall was kinda harsh, but with a dense area of forest in the background, this didn’t play much of a role.

I have photographed does and and fawns of White-tailed here on top of the bluffs at the Little Maquoketa Valley, but having a buck like this in front of the lens is not an every day occurrence. Soon this buck will shed the velvet on its antlers and participate in the rut. I hope to see him again!

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2022 #5 - LIFE ON THE DRIFTWOOD

Ring-billed Gulls like to rest on a long log in the water. You can tell by its color that it is a preferred place. The gull’s social behavior is fun to watch and if you wait long enough, they let you get really close.

I always looked for driftwood, often big trees, that stranded somewhere in the mud during our recent paddle trips with the kayak on the Mississippi River. These logs are a potential place where birds can perch or other animals, like muskrats or turtles enjoy a bath in the sun or just eat.

Background is everything for telling the story of a critter in its habitat. Getting a good background is not always easy while moving in a kayak but it can be very rewarding if the approach is thought through and timing, direction of light, and the acceptance of our presence by the animal come all together.

A young Hooded Merganser enjoyed the last sun before it disappeared behind the bluffs of the river valley. I tried to get close enough to separate the bird from a bunch of gulls sitting on the same log. Water lilies in the background give a sense of place without much explanation.

An old mossy tree root that has been a long time in the river already is the perfect place for a sun bath for this Painted Turtle. The water of the Mississippi main channel is far enough away for a nice blurred background.

With no water in the background the attention goes directly to the birds. The perspective from below eye level of the gulls and great light make this photo a keeper for me.

The same American White Pelican I showed you already a few days ago. Not the most exciting gesture but driftwood and bird are kissed by “killer light” of the setting sun.

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

NATURE CLICKS #526 - RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

Here is a couple more pictures of yesterday’s photo session. I believe the first is a male juvenile, too young for having already a ruby-red throat. Their appetite is not less than that of an adult bird and they feed on the same flowers as the butterfly I showed you in my last blog post. It was shot with the same setup and a little flash helps again to reveal the colors.

This is the dominant male, “the bully”, who likes to perch in a small maple, just next to a hummingbird feeder between the flowers. He will chase everybody away who comes close to that feeder or any flowers nearby. Hummingbirds are very protective of their territory and use a series of vocal declarations or visual displays to scare any intruder away. I chose this photo for the hummer’s gesture, with one of the feathers in the bill after he had cleaned and preened his plumage.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender      @ 600 mm

SUMMER AT ITS BEST

Giant Swallowtail

Pleasant temperatures allow for all kinds of activities at the moment. I spent some time this afternoon at the flower garden in front of the house. Plenty of hummingbirds are frequent visitors, but wait, this is for another blog post.

It seems the number of large butterflies is lower this year, but let’s wait until August is over before I may give a final verdict. At least this Giant Swallowtail gave me a number of opportunities today. It feeds on the purple coneflowers with very fast wingbeats and in the past I tried to make this kind of a picture with the 150 mm macro lens. Since I was actually out for the hummingbirds, the Sigma 150-600 was on camera and that allows much better tracking of a fast moving butterfly in the viewfinder. A few clouds made for quick changing light conditions and so I used the Nikon SB800 speed light with the MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender to add a hint of light for boosting colors, in particular when the sun disappeared for a minute.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender      @ 600 mm, 1/160 s, f/8, ISO 640

NATURE CLICKS #525 - AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

American White Pelican, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

The weather is just right for spending time on the Mississippi River in a kayak during the evenings. A couple days ago I came across this solitary juvenile American White Pelican. Usually a larger group roosts far away, almost on the other side of the river, but this lonely guy was perched on a log right next to the entrance of the marina at Mud Lake. The bird let me come very close but kept an eye on me while I was drifting carefully around it, trying to get the sun behind my back. I shot a lot of pictures with different backgrounds but this photo was my final choice, where good light, background, and gesture of the pelican came all together in the frame.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/800 s, f/8, ISO 200

NATURE CLICKS #524 - BLACK TERN (FIRST SIGHTING!)

Black Terns, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

If this was a species I have photographed before or a very common bird, I would not show you this backlit picture, which definitely lacks some sharpness. BUT, this was the very first time that I even saw a Black Tern. Another first sighting for me! Joan was already back at the boat ramp in the marina at Mud Lake Park with our dog Cooper and unfortunately missed it. When I paddled back upstream to the marina I saw these four terns flying overhead. Hard to make a click with fast flying birds while in a kayak on choppy water. To my surprise they suddenly landed on the roots of a big tree trunk that had drifted into the mud near the shore of the Mississippi River. This is the best of the four clicks I was able to make before the Black Terns took off to the sky again. I went back to the river for another trip with the kayak this evening but none of the terns was present. I guess I had a lucky day yesterday… More to come, please stay tuned.

NATURE CLICKS #523 - FOSTER’S TERN

Foster’s Tern, Mississippi River, near Mud Lake, Iowa

Despite a stiff breeze it was a perfect day for a paddle trip with the kayaks on the Mississippi River this afternoon. It wasn’t the first time that I saw a Foster’s Tern just outside of the marina at Mud Lake but it is a bird we don’d see very often. The tern was in good company with a number of Ring-billed Gulls. They all enjoyed resting in the sun on this massive log that was stranded in the mud. The diet of a Foster’s Tern consists mostly of fish, but they also do not reject insects, small crustaceans, mollusks, or frogs. They catch fish at the surface or by plunging into the water from a perch or a hover.

The challenge was to isolate the bird from the rest of the bunch for this photo. The water was a little choppy and that’s when image stabilization in camera or lens really helps to get a sharp shot. I had to paddle into a field of water lilies in order to get between the sun in the west and the bird.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,     @ 600 mm, 1/1250 s, f/8, ISO 200, image slightly cropped

Big patches of water lilies in full bloom along the shore of the mighty Mississippi

SURPRISES

Male Baltimore Oriole

It’s always nice to see some birds that don’t visit us every day. During the first days in May we always celebrate the arrival of some Baltimore Orioles. Some just stop here to feed on orange halves during their migration and others have their breeding grounds here in eastern Iowa. As the summer gets closer we don’t see them much anymore because they are busy raising their offspring and are found mostly higher up in the canopy of the trees. This year we didn’t really hear any and thought none of them had a nest nearby. To my surprise a few days ago this beautiful male oriole just showed up and checked out our front yard. I guess they are around somewhere here…

Juvenile male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Only fifteen minutes earlier two juvenile Rose-breasted Grosbeaks came to the seed feeders. We probably saw their parents every day but it is good to know that a new generation has left the nest. Good times!