RETROSPECTS 2020 - #12

Milky Way, Medicine Rocks State Park, Montana

I’m ending my retrospects not with a photo from December last year. For actual reasons I show you another image from Medicine Rocks State Park in eastern Montana, taken in September 2020. In December, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) designated Medicine Rocks State Park in Montana a certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary. There are now 14 dark sky sanctuaries worldwide.

I consider myself a beginner for night photography. I’m looking into that for quite some time but I’m often discouraged by the light pollution we face most of the time, even in a not so densely populated area like here in eastern Iowa. Back in Montana last year it was just amazing and I’m not sure if any picture can reflect how gorgeous it really was. I have seen impressive skies before, for example back in the mid 80’s during backpacking tours in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania in southeastern Europe, but dark places like that become rare. We camped in Medicine Rocks State Park for two nights but only during the first the skies revealed some of their secrets…

If you followed patiently my retrospect series I like to thank you. I enjoyed sharing some of the photographic moments of 2020 with you again and I hope it helped to overcome the daily worries that might be larger than usual for some of you these days.

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #11

Black-capped Chickadee

My retrospects 2020 series isn’t so much about the best picture for each month but for the moments that put a smile in my face when I look at the image. In November, after the leaves are all on the ground but snow hasn’t touched the land around, the one thing that makes me taking the camera everywhere I go is the crisp light. Without the haze of the warmer months here in Iowa and the sun low above the horizon, the quality of light makes photography pure fun.

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #10

Mississippi River, Lock & Dam #11, October 11, 2020

It was the beautiful colors of the leaves we had last October that were my most photographed subject last fall. One opportunity was a shooting together with other members of the Dubuque Camera Club at Eagle Point Park in Dubuque, Iowa. I’m pretty sure nobody came back with an empty memory card that day. I showed some photos from this event before but here is a picture that hasn’t been published yet. Below the park is lock & dam #11 of the Mississippi River. You can’t see the lock in the foreground but I like how the winding road leads the eye away from the dam and into the colorful hills on the Wisconsin side of the river.

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #9

Feral horses, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, south unit

In 2020 was our second visit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We already fell in love with this landscape and its wildlife five years earlier and wanted to go back again. Each unit of the park has something special to offer. One of the animals to look for in the south unit are the feral horses. You probably will find some of them if you have enough time on hand, but getting close enough for a photo is not always guaranteed. In 2015 we had a couple brief moments but last September we were able to spend more time with these beautiful feral horses. Lots of moments were captured but the ones that tell the story about their social ties stand out for me.

HOARFROST

Oaks, near Balltown, Iowa

I haven’t counted the days recently when we had a gray overcast, I just know it is always too many during the winter. But today was different. Some dense fog hugged the landscape and as a result we had hoarfrost clinging to trees and shrubs. All what we had  to do was go out and capture the beauty with the camera…

Near Bankston County Park, Iowa

Bankston County Park, Iowa

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #8

The Castles, Slim Buttes, South Dakota

Now we have entered the new year and I’m still not done with my photography ‘Retrospects’ for 2020. So here is another one. 😉

The Castles, a grouping of steep-walled, flat-topped buttes rising 200-400 feet above the surrounding prairie, was a place we revisited during our trip through the Dakotas and Montana. The photos taken during the day were ok, but it was that one evening we camped there I was looking forward to. The colors of the sandstone remnants came to life during the hour before sunset and the moon above the rocks is a bonus that makes up for the missing of any clouds. It was another good photography moment in 2020…

SHAPES IN ICE #3

Mississippi River, Finley’s Landing, Iowa

I wish all of you a happy and successful year 2021! I start the new year with this photo from the collection SHAPES IN ICE. I thought the gas bubbles frozen in the ice were picturesque or at least very interesting.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4, @ 200 mm,

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #7

Juvenile Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

I work out of a home office, no matter what, and with not much business or leisure travel this year it is easy to get symptoms of the “cabin fever”. Usually this feeling occurs during long winter months and not in July and so I made it a habit to take our dog at lunch time and walk him at a place in nature. With the Mississippi only a few miles away and many other river valleys, little canyons, or patches of prairie not far either, it is just a matter of deciding where to go. As the avid readers of my blog already know, Mud Lake Park is one of my favorite places. Not only the closest spot to the mighty Mississippi from our home, but always with a chance to see wildlife or weather related drama in the sky. It hit me by surprise when I found this juvenile Bald Eagle sitting on a branch right above me.  A few days later I learned that the parents were actually feeding two young birds but that day I only saw one.

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #6

Barn Swallows, Dubuque, Iowa

The month of June was again filled with good wildlife sightings but one great opportunity came with an invitation from my photography friend Kevin. He owns an old barn near his house and we were shooting Barn Swallows that had their nests in the building. We did that already two years ago and I didn’t hesitate a second when he invited me again this year. Kevin has produced some amazing photos with swallows in flight and approaching their nest during this summer. I used my chance that afternoon and focussed on two spots at the barn and tried to catch some nice gestures while the birds interacted with each other. Time well spent again and definitely a highlight for me in June 2020.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2020 #8 - ICED OVER

I do not like to end the year without another ‘Mississippi River Stories’, as always, coming from the stretch of the river that borders Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. Although I have been at the river more than any other year, sadly my blog did not reflect that in 2020.

Mississippi River, Beach at Finleys Landing, Iowa, December 26, 2020

I took our dog Cooper yesterday to Finleys Landing, a small marina and county park that includes a beach, very popular during the summer. This time we had it for ourselves. No snow this Christmas, but the cold temperatures we got a few days ago froze parts of the Mississippi in high speed. You may look at these images and think this was the result of several weeks, but fast dropping temperatures and the immense force of the mighty Mississippi created this landscape of ice sculptures. You literally can hear how the big river changes its shape every minute…

The Nikkor 70-200, f/4 was the second most used lens this year, just hardly defeated by the SIGMA 150-500, my primary wildlife lens. I love the 70-200 and I’m pleased how it made its way into my landscape photography. It really helps to tell a story between a detail shot, like in the the first image, or a scene that gives a sense of location, as in the second photo.

CANYON HIKE

Whitewater Canyon Wildlife Management Area, Eastern Iowa

Our little Christmas hike this year led us to the bottom of Whitewater Canyon here in Dubuque County. Almost all snow had melted away before the holiday but pretty cold temperatures were responsible for some built up of ice at Whitewater Creek. I like how the curves lead the eye into the background, the only spot that still had some sunlight, while the warm reflections on the ice and water bring you right back.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4, @130 mm, 1/125 s, f/10, ISO200

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #5

American Redstart, Bankston County Park, Iowa

We are in the month of May for my ‘Retrospects 2020’ here in the blog, the place where I pull up some memorable moments that enlightened the year photographically. As every year all the neotropical birds arrive from their journey by the end of April or during the first days in May. There is no lack of interesting colorful species.

This year I spent more time in Bankston County Park, a small river valley with a rocky bottom and a pond, and only twenty minutes away from home. Two of my five ‘first sightings’ of birds in 2020 happened in this little nature paradise and I have already plans for more exploration in this area for next year.

Probably the most common warbler we can find there is the American Redstart. The best chances to make a good click is at their time of courtship. During the rest of the summer they stay higher up in the trees and it is more difficult to aim the glass at them.

THE LITTLE PATIENT

White-breasted Nuthatch

A few days ago a hard bump against one of our big windows made me jump out of my office chair and run outside. I knew immediately what happened and found this little female White-breasted Nuthatch unconscious down in the snow. Even though most of our windows are protected with bug screens or have bird protection decals on the glass, it happens from time to time that a bird hits the glass of one of the two big windows that can’t be reached easily and lack protection.

I kept the little guy in my hand and warmed it up for several minutes until she regained consciousness. For a few minutes the bird rested on the front porch where I took the first picture. I was happy to see her flying to my “woodpecker tree”, a dead cedar that holds a bird feeder and is used for yard photography. There she spent another ten minutes before the nuthatch finally returned into the woods.

The size of this White-breasted Nuthatch tells me it is probably one of the juveniles from this year. The older birds are slightly bigger. They don’t migrate and are here all year long. I’m glad it turned out well for the little patient… 😊

RETROSPECTS 2020 - #4

White-faced Ibis, Green island Wetlands, Iowa

April is another great month for bird photography. Many species use the Mississippi Valley as a migration corridor. One of my most memorable moments this year was a first sighting and an extensive shooting session with a congregation of eleven White-faced Ibises. I found them feeding along the banks of a dike in the Green Island Wildlife Area on a gray overcast day.

The Ibis probes with its long curving bill in the mud along shores and in wet soil, searching for earthworms and other invertebrates. This was probably one of the more difficult wildlife shootings I have done, although I shot from the comfort of my car, using it as a blind.

The “elements” were not favorable that day. Gray sky made for low light and muted colors. The worst thing to face was heat shimmer, very common at that time of the year in the wetlands. The water is still very cold while the air above is warmer and that creates heat waves, resulting in soft images and inaccurate autofocus. The long lens compresses this effect and if you are not aware about it, it makes you wonder why none of the pictures is sharp.

Although I made several hundred clicks that afternoon in April, the photo above is among my favorites. It is all about the gesture the ibis makes, with its eye turned up towards the sky and looking at a Bald Eagle. While the birds were busy probing their bills into the mud and feeding whenever they found something, every half an hour a Bald Eagle would circle above, probably looking for a good snack as well. When that happened the ibises would stop, freezing motionless for a little while, and finally take off and fly a circle to distract the eagle. After the eagle had enough and flew away, the eleven White-faced Ibises returned to the dike and continued searching for more food.

This year I had five first sightings of bird species that are now also part of my photo library, but the three hours I spent with the White-faced Ibises was one of the best times behind the camera. The Wildlife Management Biologist of the Iowa DNR for this area confirmed by email that they were very rare visitors in this area. I was back on site the next day but the birds had moved on.