WITH A LITTLE LUCK

Fawn, White-tailed Deer, Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

Some photos are the result of good preparation ahead of time and the pictures of “Zorro”, the Common Yellowthroat from yesterday’s post, were among them. But sometimes being at the right place at the right time is everything, means luck can play a decisive roll for a good shot. After spending some time with the warbler I hiked back to the car and started to put my gear away. Suddenly two fawns showed up at the edge of the parking lot, frolicking and enjoying themselves. The camera was pulled out of the bag quickly again and a few shots were made. Having both White-tailed Deer fawns in the frame was not an option and so I focussed on the one that was in better light. As quick as they came out of the forest, as fast they disappeared again. I couldn’t ask for a better day of wildlife photography…

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S

“ZORRO” STRIKES AGAIN

Common Yellowthroat ♂️, Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

We call him “Zorro” and it is obvious why. The Common Yellowthroat is one of the most numerous warblers that spend the breeding season in North America. I found this male singing its heart out already a week ago but didn’t have the right equipment with me at that time. I came back yesterday with tripod, gimbal head, and long lens mounted to the camera and the bird was still in the same area and was calling again. A few small dead trees in a large patch of flower prairie made for good perches but it wasn’t always easy to separate the bird from some of the branch clutter. The Yellowthroat is a great bird for people that just start with wildlife photography. Its black “Zorro” mask delivers a good contrast edge near the eye and the autofocus system of any camera should have no problem to lock the focus if the sensor hits this line.

Finding this warbler species is not so difficult. They prefer open habitats, like brushy prairie and can be found often near wetlands and marshes. First listen for the witchety-witchety-witchety song of the males. If you can locate one, look low in bushes or trees for this olive and yellow fast little bird. The black mask makes the identification of a male easy. The females look similar but do not have the black mask. I spent about an hour and a half with “Zorro” before I shouldered the tripod again and moved on.

Both photos: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

MIDSUMMER RAINBOW

Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

It is these brief moments that can make a walk in the evening very delightful. A couple days ago a thunderstorm moved just south of us and created this nice scene. Landscape photographers love rainbows, but it was the cloud that puts the ice on the cake for me.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM, @1/800 s, f/6.3, ISO 100

CLOUDS AGAIN

Clouds, Dubuque Regional Airport, Iowa, Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4,   @95 mm, 1/500 s, f/10, ISO100

After a busy day with no time to get behind the camera this evening I thought I can share another image from last week, when great clouds set the stage at the Dubuque Regional Airport. I love the line the winding road takes between the surrounding hills and I tried to incorporate it into the arrangement of elements in the photo. The road leads the eye to the puffy storm cloud in the back, but it doesn’t stop there and the view goes up to the clouds above. I saw this image in black and white in my mind when I framed it in the viewfinder. Some very bright traffic signs and a power line were removed in Photoshop. Oh yeah, “men made clutter” doesn’t help a picture like this one…

FEELS LIKE IN A TV AD…

Hackberry Emperor

In the last few days hundreds, if not thousands, of Hackberry Emperor butterflies have emerged and flutter around. It feels like in these TV ads that try to sell you everything with a tropical touch. Well, we have plenty of the larval host plants around here, the hackberry tree. It is not uncommon to see many of these butterfies at this time of the season but these are by far the highest numbers we have seen since we live here above the Little Maquoketa River Valley near the Mississippi. The males land on everything that is bright, sunny spots or just bright objects, and await the females. They don’t hesitate to land on your skin and I read that they readily land on people to drink sweat for salt.

An event like that is a perfect reason to get the old, well trusted SIGMA 150/f2.8 macro lens out of the bag. It doesn’t focus very fast in comparison to more modern lenses, but if it locks on, the sharpness is absolutely wonderful.

NATURE CLICKS #504 - BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE

In the Badlands, South Dakota, the Black-billed Magpie can be found at the eastern border of its residence. With other words, we don’t see this bird here in Iowa. I have photographed the Black-billed Magpie out west before, but the best spot has been always in the Sage Creek Valley of Badlands National Park. They are a little skittish but may give you the chance to frame a shot if you keep calm and don’t move too fast around. I shot plenty of photos of the magpie on the ground, its natural feeding space, and a couple pictures of the bird sitting in a tree. However, my favorite shot from the trip back in early May is the one above, made right in the campground at one of the posts that mark each campsite.

Black-billed Magpie, Sage Creek Valley, Badlands NP, South Dakota

The critical observer may ask, why do they make such big posts for just putting the numbers of a campsite on it? That’s because of the bison. The bulls like to visit the area and as soon they find something vertical, they start rubbing their skin and massive body on it. These poles are buried deep in the ground and still may become loose over time… The magpies love them as a perch. By the way, it’s cousin, the Yellow-billed Magpie is only found in California’s Central Valley and the adjacent foothills. A bird I haven’t seen yet, but hopefully will do sometimes in the future…

3X CLOUDS

Observation point at Dubuque Regional Airport, view to the southeast, at 35 mm focal length, slight crop

I have been on the road the last couple days and have seen some remarkable cloud formations. Driving mostly on interstate and state highways I had to let pass many good opportunities to take out the camera. Finally, on the way home a stop was made at the observation point of the Dubuque Regional Airport this evening. I like this place for cloud photography for two reasons. You have a 360 degree view and no cables or wires obstruct the view. While not a friend of the humidity that comes with the hot temperatures of summer here in the Midwest, I love the clouds that often come with it. All three photos were made within five minutes and in each direction light and clouds were different.

View to the northeast, at 95 mm, slight crop

View to the southwest, at 32 mm, slight crop

HUMMINGBIRD ON “BULLY”-DUTY

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

As every year, the first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds show up by the end of April and their numbers increase during the month of May. This photo was made a month later. The fresh green and tiny branches of a little maple tree in our front yard make a good perch for the birds and we can count on that a male will use it to “bully” the neighbors and drive other hummers away from the nearby hummingbird feeders. Right now, summer has taken over with full force, high temperatures and humidity, and the quality of light is just not the same anymore as it was ten days ago. The early morning rendered some great light and the feathers of the little guy show their brilliance even without a hint of flash.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,    @ 600 mm, 1/800 s, f/6.3, ISO 200, DX crop,

PHOTOGRAPHY HAS TO BE FUN…

White-tailed Deer, Upper Mississippi Valley, near Finley’s Landing, Iowa

I know this White-tailed Deer. Have seen it many times during the last few months while I took our dog Cooper down into the Mississippi Valley for a walk or hike. Quite often it is grazing beside the road that leads down to Finley’s Landing and moves out of the way as soon a car comes around the corner. Most of the time it isn’t worth to raise the lens because the deer hides quickly between dense underbrush, but that day, earlier in May, the deer stopped in a spot that had some good light. This is the time when optical stabilization in a lens can make the difference between a sharp or blurry image. The engine of the car is running, vibration is introduced, and of course, the photographer may not have the best position to keep the camera with the heavy lens in a stabile position. Practicing handhold shooting almost every day is the only way to make a successful click when it really matters. The avid reader of my blog knows that I like to go for the environmental shot in my wildlife photography. With the fallen trunk, of probably an old oak in the background, and new shoots of green around, this image has everything to tell the story about the landscape in this part of the Mississippi Valley and its side valleys. It was one of the moments when I drove up the hill with a big smile on my face. Photography has to be fun…. 😊

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @ 360 mm, 1/200 s, f/6.3, ISO400

ACROSS THE VALLEY

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4, Breakthrough GND filter 0.9,   @16 mm, 1/200 s, f/10, ISO100

A couple weeks ago we had dear friends visiting us over the weekend and as part of the program we went to a popular overlook near Balltown, Iowa, not far from home. From there the eye goes across the Mississippi Valley and over to Wisconsin. It was a little hazy but the puffy clouds let the light shine through and made for some nice sun spots on the fields below. A 3-stop graduated ND filter was used to keep some of the details in the clouds and gives them also a little more drama.

NATURE CLICKS #503 - HOODED MERGANSER

Female Hooded Merganser, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

This female Hooded Merganser was as calm as a bird can be. I was really wondering if there were some ducklings nearby. I have photographed the offspring of Hooded Mergansers May 1st already a few years ago, but it didn’t seem like this female was too worried about any juveniles. However, we can’t expect to see the male Hooded Mergansers around the females this time of the year. Once the female begins to incubate, the male abandons her.

The water level in the Green Island Wetlands is the lowest I have seen in years right now. This is not always pretty for a photographer that looks for a nice background, but it is probably good for the wetlands. The high water level of the last few years has killed lots of trees and shrubs and has a huge negative impact on many birds, except maybe for geese and some ducks. There are still some dead trees that make a home for a few woodpeckers and tree swallows. But where do they go when the last tree trunk is not standing anymore? I have watched that and it is amazing how fast a whole grove of trees is nothing but a flat pile of decaying wood in the water. Some land is finally getting dry right now and maybe some of the shrubs may recover. I’m definitely not an expert on the biology of this ecosystem, but my picture library tells me exactly what birds I have not had in front of the lens lately…

PATIENCE REWARDED

Great Blue Heron, a stealthy hunter for fish

Another great spot to look for neotropical migrants, like warblers, is Bankston County Park. The clear water of the stream that runs through the valley is source of life for many critters and birds. It is also a popular spot for trout fishing. This morning I gave it a try. You can hear the birds, sometimes you may see one, but today I got skunked. Not a single warbler came close enough for a picture. I think I was patient and spent almost an hour in the same spot, a place I had used successfully other years before. Just as I was ready to leave things took a different turn. This beautiful Great Blue Heron landed just in front of me and started the hunt for a fish. The bird waded towards me and obviously cornered a fish below the rock you see in both pictures.

Great Blue Heron after the catch, Bankston County Park, Eastern Iowa

The hunt lasted 26 minutes. I saw the heron strike and the fish was swallowed very quickly. Obviously just a small one. Unfortunately the kill happened behind the rock and out of sight for me. But the way the successful hunter walked away from the scene was priceless and the shutter of the camera was rattling. Patience got rewarded, for the Great Blue Heron and for the photographer…!! 😊

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

NATURE CLICKS #502 - COMMON YELLOWTHROAT

Common Yellowthroat, Mississippi Valley, Mines of Spain, Iowa

After being on a business trip last week it feels good spending some time behind the camera on this Memorial Day weekend. I didn’t have to search long for the first opportunity. The Mines of Spain, a recreation area south of Dubuque in the Mississippi Valley, with forest, patches of prairie, and ponds is usually a good place for bird watching. Right after I started my little hike I came across this Common Yellowthroat, a warbler that breeds here in Iowa. The males are easy to identify with their black mask and the bright yellow throat.

NATURE CLICKS #501 - WESTERN MEADOWLARK

Western Meadowlark, Sage Creek Valley, Badlands NP, South Dakota

There is a bird you may always see while visiting Badlands National Park, the Western Meadowlark. Making a successful click and telling the story of this beautiful bird is another story. I found them many times just beside the gravel road but quite often they camouflage very well in the grass and we can see them only after they take off. Today’s photo was made during a hiking trip along Sage Creek. As so often, I heard the meadowlark before the bird came into sight. A perfect blurred background was due to the bird’s location at the edge of the steep banks of Sage Creek. The Eastern Meadowlark, that we can find here in Eastern Iowa, looks very similar. The best way to distinguish between both species is looking at their malars. The Western Meadowlark’s malars have yellow in it while the eastern’s is mostly white. 

Preferring the environmental photo over the “eyeball shot” you can imagine I was very happy with this picture. Moments I consider the “great ones” in life…

NATURE CLICKS #500 - ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Badlands NP, South Dakota

I still have a few images from my recent trip to Badlands National Park I like to share with you. It wasn’t difficult to find the small herd of Bighorn Sheep this time. The ewes and immature sheep enjoyed the fresh grass at the edge of a parking lot at one of the overlooks. I heard that someone had seen a newborn lamb but I didn’t see any.

Three big rams were dozing peacefully together at a different location, near the rim of a canyon. The peak of the rut is in November, that’s when “dozing in the sun” is definitely over…