SUMMER AIN’T OVER YET

Giant Swallowtail

It is hard to believe that this photo was created already 40 days ago, when the purple cone flowers were in their prime and a food source for some Giant Swallowtails. Time is flying. Overall it wasn’t a good year for butterflies. It seemed we had not as many as other years. My biggest concern is about the Monarch butterflies. I saw only a single one in our yard all summer long and very few at other places I visit frequently. Most cone flowers have dried-up already and the seeds are eaten by American Goldfinches. Some of the trees loose their leaves already but summer isn’t over yet and the remaining butterflies find stilll other flowers with nectar in them.

FOR THE SWALLOWS, FOOD IN ABUNDANCE

Juvenile Barn Swallow, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA

Here are a couple more images from last weekend’s visit in the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge near Olympia, Washington. Despite the rain, there was tons of insects, means food in abundance, for all six species in the swallow family that can be found in the Nisqually delta, especially during low tide. However, this juvenile Barn Swallow landed next to me on the reeling of the boardwalk trail that goes across the estuary. It obviously was still hoping to be fed by any of the parents.

The Sigma 150-600 was on camera but the Nikkor 70-200 was available in the backpack as well. I was afraid that the bird would fly away before I had performed a lens change and just stepped back a few feet to get beyond the minimum focal distance of the Sigma, which is slightly below 10 feet (3 m).

For the second photo it really needed the long lens and I even cropped the image a bit. Dead trees or logs, stranded in the mud, are a favorite perch for all kinds of swallows. Our guide Rob told us that the Barn Swallows have their nests most likely underneath the boardwalk we were walking on. There is also a couple of big barns in the sanctuary, left from the time when this was still used as farmland. Farm buildings are preferred places to build nests for this species, hence the name Barn Swallow.

WHERE THE RIVER MEETS THE SEA

It was low tide and these Double-crested Cormorants used this small island to socialize and took care of their plumage.

At the southern end of the Puget Sound is the Nisqually River Delta, a biological diverse and rich area with a variety of habitats. The freshwater of the Nisqually River combines with the saltwater of Puget Sound and forms an estuary, which was restored in 2009 and was set aside for wildlife. The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 to protect the delta and its diversity of wildlife habitats. (source: Brochure Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge)

Last Saturday I joined a guided tour in the refuge. Rob, a volunteer and our guide took us more than four hours on all the trails and the boardwalk through the estuary, despite the rain most of the time. It was time well spent, we saw lots of wildlife, and learned much about the delta and its biological diversity.

The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a great place for watching and photographing critters and birds. It is now on my list of places I like to revisit, with hopefully more time on hand when I travel again to the Pacific Northwest. Here are a few documentary shots I was able to make during the hike.

We saw several flocks of Least Sandpipers. It is the smallest shorebird in the world. The photo was made from above on the boardwalk trail that goes across the estuary.

Our guide knew where to find them. These tiny little chorus frogs blend very well into their environment. This is most likely the Pacific tree frog.

A bird I have seen here in eastern Iowa during migration very often before, the Greater Yellowleg. At low tide there is plenty of food they can find in the mud or in the remaining puddles.

Talking about wildlife diversity, a Great Blue Heron hunts for fish near a group of Harbor Seals in the background, while a cormorant just flies through my picture at the same time.

 

SEEDS FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER

Male American Goldfinch on a Purple Coneflower

It is the perfect season for American Goldfinches because food is here in abundance. They are real vegetarians in the bird world, preferring strictly a vegetable diet. They breed later than most birds, starting not before June or July when plenty of seeds are available to feed their young ones. Most of our purple coneflowers are fading away at the moment but we still leave them standing until the seeds are gone. As you can see the American Goldfinches love them and we can see them often at other places hanging on thistles or wildflowers that produce seeds.

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, 1/3200 s, f/8, ISO4000, cropped

KILLDEER IN MIGRATION

Killdeer, Mississippi Valley, Green Island, Iowa

A couple days ago I spent the evening in the Green Island Wetlands, hoping for some good light and maybe spotting some migrating shorebirds. I’m not very good at counting large numbers of birds but I estimated about 200 Killdeer on one of the mudflats that have been under water for quite some time during the flooding we had in July. Food was obviously there in abundance. The birds were too far away and the camera stayed in my lap while watching them.

Later, an hour before sunset, I moved to a big puddle on the westside where I had good luck with sandpipers earlier this season. First I had only three Killdeer feeding in the shallow water or in the mud, but at the end, shortly before sunset, I was able to choose from about two dozen birds which one to get in the viewfinder. The Killdeer is one of the earliest birds that arrive after the winter and they are building their nests in shallow ground depressions in gravelly areas, like parking lots or in fields. It’s hard to tell which bird is a juvenile, they all have nearly the same size. The Killdeer is a common bird here during the summer but I have never seen so many at the same time. I’m glad I didn’t miss them during their migration to the South this year.

LEAVING THE NEST, IT’S SCARY!

Young House Wrens leaving the nest

It has been already a week ago but I still like to share this little photo story with you. This is already the third brood of House Wrens that was a successful one this summer season in one of the nest boxes around the house. When the parents think it is time for the offspring to leave the nest they still bring food, like caterpillars, crickets, or bugs but they wait outside the nest box without feeding the little chicks inside. When the first one stuck more than its head out of the hole I knew the time was coming and made the camera ready. Number one didn’t hesitate very long and flew into the bushes nearby after about five minutes. Number two, the one on the right hand side in the picture, waited a few minutes longer, despite the parents called and tried to lure the little guy away from the nest. Well, the desire to eat made the chick finally jump, but only onto the little perch that sticks out of the nest box. There was fear about what’s coming next and he tried to climb back into the box. But no way, number three was already there and the entrance was blocked. Oh boy, after a few seconds of balancing on the wooden stick the young wren finally followed the parents into the woods. Number three didn’t hesitate very long and the nest box was empty.

It’s still early in the season and we hear again a couple male House Wrens around here sending calls out to attract another female. It has been a good breeding season so far, not just for the wrens. We see many young birds around here in the woods and that’s a good thing to write about and to capture it with our photos.

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.