NATURE CLICKS #583 - COMMON YELLOWTHROAT

Male Common Yellowthroat, Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area, Dubuque County, Iowa

Yes, I made a picture of a Common Yellowthroat exactly a week ago but felt I still had some unfinished business. I wanted to get closer to this small but magnificent warbler and  really wanted a shot without any men-made items, like the wire cage around a young tree, in the frame. Well, I went back today to the Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Area to try my luck again.

The light situation was very similar than a week ago, with a slight overcast, perfect for photographing grassland birds. The difference was, it was much, much warmer than last week and the sweat poured out of every pore in the body. There were quite a few Yellowthroats making their calls in the prairie grass. The male’s wichety-wichety-wichety song, which they sing frequently during summer, is easy to recognize. It just takes some patience to get them out of their cover and in front of the lens. The Common Yellowthroats spend their winter in some of the southern states and in the tropics.

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

NATURE CLICKS #581 - HOUSE WREN DELIVERS

It has been a successful breeding season for most of the birds here on the bluffs above the Little Maquoketa Valley so far. We have seen young birds from almost all species that call this area their home and also from some of the migrating birds.

As every year, several House Wrens had nests in the bird boxes we provide and the chicks of two successful broods have left the nests already. This male wren with a spider in its bill helps to feed another bunch of nestlings at the moment. I don’t know yet how many of the little guys are in the nest but hopefully will find out when they start to stick their heads out of the box in front of the house. The female flies in probably a little more often with food, but the male watches the nest and distracts potential predators with its loud melodious calls and chatters. The frequency of how often the House Wrens bring more food tells us that there is no lack of insects or spiders this year, with its wet and warm summer so far.

I shot this picture during a time with an overcast last weekend and used a little hint of soft flash to fill in on the bird while it approached carefully the nest.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Westscott FJ80 II speed light, Westscott Magnetic diffusion dome

NATURE CLICKS #580 - INDIGO BUNTING

Indigo Bunting, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Yesterday in the wetlands I tried to capture some beautiful yellow American Golfinches, eating seeds from the plants that line the dykes between the lakes. It wasn’t a very successful effort. The goldfinches didn’t like my presence and moved on to another spot any time I stopped the car. But to my surprise another finch species posed nicely for a while in front of the camera. This was the first time I ever saw an Indigo Bunting in the grass and between the flowers on the dyke. This little guy was singing its heart out and I heard a second one nearby.Their feathers are actually black but the diffraction of light through their feathers make them look blue. One reason we can see them in many shades between turquoise and black.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG

CRAYFISH DINNER

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

This was a tricky shot of this Great Egret in the wetlands along the Mississippi River today. I navigated my car (the well known mobile blind!) carefully in a position where I hoped to have an unobstructed view at this bird. The size of the vegetation is enormous after the rain we had lately and there was a lot of grass and other wild plants swaying in the wind between the bird and me. Luck was on my side and just where I had anticipated a possible shot, the egret caught a crayfish and ate it right away.

It is quiet on the lakes and between the reeds at this time of the year in the backwaters of the mighty Mississippi River and it takes some efforts to get a bird in front of the camera. However, I enjoyed being back again after some busy weeks and nothing can beat the time spending in the Great Outdoors!

By the way, the neck of this Great Egret seems to show some impact and it makes me wonder, if the bird had a hard time with a predator or if it just is the result of a fight with another egret about the right to mate…?

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG,   @ 850 mm, 1/1250 s, f/9, ISO 400

ALONG THE TRAIL

Black-veined White / German: Baum-Weißling

During a hike with family in the nature reserve of Königsbrücker Heide, northeast of Dresden, Saxony, we came across these two butterflies that were very busy with each other. I believe these are Aporia crataegi (Black-veined White / German: Baum-Weißling).

I didn’t take any other lens than the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f4 S with me, so I shot this at 70mm und cropped it quite a bit in post process.

NATURE CLICKS #579 - ORCHARD ORIOLES

Male Orchard Oriole

Here is the other oriole we are lucky enough to have in our woods this year again, the Orchard Oriole. They are a bit smaller than the Baltimore Orioles and the males are very easy to identify. The females not so much, there are sometimes similarities to other birds, like warblers or immature Baltimore Orioles. They are not so noisy as the Baltimore Orioles and the male often surprises me when it suddenly shows up right in front of my lens.

All photos: 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, Westscott FJ80 II speed light, Westscott Magnetic diffusion dome

Female Orchard Oriole

BREAKING THE RULES, EXCEEDING THE VISION

Baltimore Oriole, defying the rain

It’s usually a no-no to employ a speed light in the rain if you aim your lens at birds, but I did it anyway. As you already may know, I use the flash for color enhancement, and not as my main light source. It lead finally to a photo from being just a static portrait of a Baltimore Oriole to a much more dynamic picture. So where is the story? That splash on the branch made all the difference between a static image and how we can capture the dynamic of a particular moment. I thought it was a way to go, so break the rules and embrace the results if the final version of your photo exceeds your vision…

A HUNGRY BUNCH

Feeding time for the American Robin nestlings

Four little necks go up in the air as soon as one of the parents approaches the nest with food in their bill. This time it was enough for all four of the chicks what the father had found for them. Both parents feed the offspring. With the warm weather this weekend and a little bit of rain ones in a while the conditions are pretty good for finding worms, caterpillars, and other insects. It is amazing how fast the young Robins grow within just a few days.

The nest is on a wooden supporting structure for the grape vine branches that grow above our balcony. No, we don’t have a lot of grapes but the leaves that just start to pop out provide nice shade during the summer and help to keep the house cool.

I shot this picture from below through the glass of the balcony window.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm,   @200mm, 1/1000s, f/10, ISO2000

CARING PARENTS

Male Eastern Bluebird with food in its bill, observing the environment before entering the nearby nest box. @ 850 mm, 1/320 s, f/9, ISO 2000, photo slightly cropped.

We have quite a few stories going on here with birds building a nest or having it already and feed their young ones somewhere around the house. Not for the first time a pair of American Robins built it right on our balcony and they are very busy since a few days, stuffing food into four hungry bills that stick out of the nest.

In the backyard is a bluebird nest box but the last couple years the more aggressive House Wrens took it over and the bluebirds had no chance. Finally this season a pair of Eastern Bluebirds were able to incubate and now the parents started feeding their offspring. How many bird babies are in the nest? We don’t know yet and we do our best not to disturb the birds.

@ 600 mm, 1/400 s, f/7.1, ISO 1000, photo slightly cropped.

I placed myself with the tripod next to some bushes beside our house and wanted to blend in as much as possible. The bluebirds did not hesitate to fly with food to the nest, a sure sign they accepted my presence and didn’t see me as a danger. They land first in a nearby tree and observe the environment of the nest box before they actually enter the entrance hole. The first photo was made at such a perch and I used the 1.4 teleconverter plus a little bit of cropping in post process to keep a safe distance. No picture justifies a threat to the life and well being of an animal.

FOLLOW UP

Yellow Warbler hunting for insects

I can’t resist to post another photo of my recent shooting of warblers in Bankston County Park. This Yellow Warbler didn’t care that I was nearby and concentrated on its real interest, to catch an insect above the water surface of the small river below this branch.

Today I was back in the valley again and finding a warbler that sits still for more than half a second was next to impossible. Mating season for this species is in full swing, and you know how that goes…

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, 1/1250 s, f/9, ISO 2500, image cropped

NATURE CLICKS #578 - AMERICAN REDSTART

As promised in yesterday’s blog post I show you another warbler that performed as crazy as the Yellow Warblers. Acting like a flycatcher, snatching insects mid air from, and being perched on the branches that overhang the river in Bankston County Park, the American Redstarts are just a delight to watch. As the Yellow Warblers, the redstarts nest here and raise their offspring. They spend the winter in southern Florida, southern California, and in Central America.

It sounds all technical but I have been really thrilled last weekend watching these two warbler species catching insects at the Middle Fork Little Maquoketa River in Bankston County Park, a place I can highly recommend to any wildlife photography friend in the Dubuque, Iowa area.

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

NATURE CLICKS #577 - YELLOW WARBLER

It is one thing to shoot in a more controlled environment, like in the front yard of the house, and as I have done mostly last week. When the birds come to you it is not so difficult to adapt quickly and change your camera and speed light settings if necessary. With other words, it is somehow predictable. It is much more challenging to be out in nature and away from the home turf, as experienced yesterday again.

Since I have seen only one species of warblers in our woods last week I thought it is time to try something different. The valley in Bankston County Park is carved out by the clear water of the Middle Fork Little Maquoketa River. It is a great nature place here in eastern Iowa and it was a successful trip yesterday afternoon. I found a number of Yellow Warblers and another species (more about that in another blog post). They will most likely nest in the valley and raise their offspring. Right now it is all about eating and probably finding the right mate. The warblers perch often in the branches right above the water of the fast flowing creek and try to catch insects in flight, like flycatchers do it. Very soon all leaves will be out and pictures like I show you today are not possible anymore.

Many flycatcher species have one big advantage, they return quite often to the same perch after catching prey, making it easy for the photographer to get a shot. Not so the warblers, they land on a different branch, even in a different tree, most of the time. Following them with the camera was a challenge to say it mildly.

While at home I like to shoot with the speed light for better color rendering but this was not an option here. With the flash I shoot mostly in ”sniper mode”, a single shot each time the shutter release button is pressed. With the fast moving birds I worked without flash and used high speed frame advance rate with 10 frames per second.

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

NATURE CLICKS #576 - SCARLET TANAGER

Male Scarlet Tanager

Many people get excited when they see a male Northern Cardinal with its beautiful red plumage any time of the year. There is only a small window in time when we can enjoy the Scarlet Tanager, but this bird can compete with the cardinal easily when it comes to colors. Three days ago a couple males have arrived from South America, where they spend the winter season. With their black wings the males are easily to identify. The females aren’t here yet, at least I haven't seen one so far. Their plumage is yellow and green and they look gorgeous as well.

The tanagers are not as vocal as many other birds and they show up often quietly. They seem to dive down from the higher areas in the canopy and go straight to a feeder. And that’s the habit that makes it difficult for the photographer. I made plenty of clicks of the Scarlet Tanager at our suet feeders, and those are made for my own documentary, but framing them in a tree without a feeder in the picture is not always an option. So what do I show you today? A photo from 2020! Be assured, the light was as good as it was today and if I have more luck in the next few days, I’ll post another photo of the beautiful Scarlet Tanagers…

NATURE CLICKS #575 - BALTIMORE ORIOLES (FM + M)

Yesterday the first female Baltimore Oriole showed up and today another one and two males visited the yard. Before you see them you can hear their rich, whistling song from the treetops. Always a delight!

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, Westscott FJ80 II speed light, Westscott Magnetic diffusion dome

NATURE CLICKS #574 - ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Every day day this week more birds have arrived. The first Rose-breasted Grosbeak showed up three days ago and yesterday we had four males around the house. Probably most of them move on to Minnesota or Canada but we always have at least one breeding pair in our woods. They spend the winter in Central or northern South America and the males arrive mostly a little earlier than the females. No sighting of a female Grosbeak yet.

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, Westscott FJ80 II speed light, Westscott Magnetic diffusion dome.   @850 mm, 1/400s, f/9, ISO 2000, image slightly cropped