NATURE CLICKS #519 - LONG-BILLED CURLEW

Long-billed Curlew, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

I have seen the Long-billed Curlew only along the coast in Southern California before, always during winter time, and it was a little bit of a surprise when I found them last spring in South Dakota. The Badlands have a lot of grassland to offer, with a few marshy spots here and there, and they are actually a perfect breeding ground for this large sandpiper. It is an uncommon bird and to my surprise we found them again a week ago at the same area of the national park. With their extraordinary long bill they are able to to reach ahead and pick up insects or to probe just below the surface of mud or soil. They also feed on burrowing wolf spiders in South Dakota, with the curve even matching the general shape of a spider burrow (source: sdakotabirds.com).

Distance was closer than last year but still not enough for an uncropped image. We watched them using the car as our “mobile blind”. In these wide open grasslands you have no chance to approach them by going on foot. There is also a lot of other birds and critters to watch and the last thing we wanted to do is disturbing any of them. Overall we saw five curlews and it was highly interesting to watch them foraging after their migration from the south.

NO BADLANDS WITHOUT BISON

The question that came in was, why do you go back for more photography to an area you have been many times before (I was in the Badlands 8 times, Joan even more). After being six times in Badlands National Park, always in the fall and between 2005 and 2020, I just wanted to be there during spring time. Last year it was my first attempt. The story of spring can be told in many ways and making an image of a newborn bison calf is the photo I have in mind for this part of the season. While in autumn the herd of bison would always be around the Sage Creek Wilderness, near the campground we always stay. They are somewhere else in the backcountry during spring time. With other words, I have not seen or photographed a new born calf yet. Main reason is that during just one weekend you can’t hike into the backcountry with such a time limit.

Well, so how can we tell the story about spring with just a bison male in the frame? We saw many bison bulls , just by themselves or in small groups. It always amazes me, how can an animal eating nothing but grass and develop such a muscular body? And yes, there is power behind it. This is not just a grazing cow, bison can employ high speed if they feel threatened. Maintaining a safe distance to the critter is mandatory and it is the law! Even during my limited time out west over the years, I have seen some very, very stupid things people do just to get a snapshot of a bison. I can get excited talking about it…!!

So what else tells the story of spring? You probably have recognized the winter fur of the bison, shed off piece by piece. How do we get this all in one picture? First the eye of the bison bull had to be sharp. Blurry eye means, pic goes to the trash can. With a very narrow depth of focus (@ 600 mm, f/6.3), I figured out increasing local contrast on parts of the fur (which is not 100% in focus) may help to tell the story, while still keeping the focus point on the eye and horn of the bison. Not a perfect image of this resident out west, but I think the story of a male American Bison, roaming in the Badlands, at this time of the year, can be told.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/1000 s, f/6.3, ISO 800

THOSE SUNSETS...

Sage Creek Wilderness, Badlands NP, South Dakota

After a mostly cloudy and very windy and dusty day the sky started to clear and the sunset did the rest to add to the story of this evening in Badlands National Park last Saturday. When a show like this is over, a glass of wine tastes twice as good and while having an interesting conversation with another camper, a great day in the wilderness winds down perfectly…

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 24 mm, 1/50s, f/5.6, ISO 200

THE GESTURE!

Black-tailed Prairie Dog performing the “jump-yip” call. Badlands NP, South Dakota

With all the pictures of Black-tailed Prairie dogs I made over the years there was still one missing, a photo of our favorite gesture. The famous “jump-yip” call can communicate alertness, territorial defense, or can be an “all-clear” signal. (source: https://www.prairiedoghoogland.com/vocalizations )

We just love watching the social behavior of prairie dogs and in the Badlands the numbers seem to increase with every visit we made since 2005. There is no problem to find them in Badlands NP and the photographer can be choosy about location and direction of light.

The “jump-yip” call lasts maybe a second or even less and you never know when they do it. However, a fast frame rate is the key to catch the action. The Nikon Z6II delivers 10 frames per second with my personal settings applied (14 bit depth NEF (RAW), shooting mode: Continuous High, extended). Shooting with 12 bit depth would even allow 14 frames per second, but I do not like to change and rather have more color data in my pixels.

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, 1/1250 s, f/6.3, ISO 400

NATURE CLICKS #518 - BURROWING OWL

Burrowing Owl, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Just because the burrowing Owl is diurnal, means active during the day while most other owl species are nocturnal, it still remains a challenge to get close to one of them. It has been a thrill again during our visit in Badlands National Park to see and photograph this small owl. They find good places for nesting in abandoned burrows of prairie dogs, who are plentiful in many areas of the Badlands.

Two spots where I found the Burrowing Owl last year didn’t seem to have them this spring but we found several owls at other places. This photo is definitely my favorite picture of the whole trip. We were cruising with slow speed by car and looking for all kinds of wildlife, when I saw suddenly this beautiful owl sitting on a small ridge right above Sage Creek Road. This dusty gravel road connects the remote west entrance of the park with the famous Badlands Loop Road and with the town of Wall, South Dakota. While you may find some Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep along the Loop Road, for all the other critters and birds Sage Creek Road is the place to be, unless you hike into the backcountry.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/640 s, f/6.3, ISO 200

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

View from Sheep Mountain Table, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

We spent the weekend in one of our favorite areas, Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Spring is a great time for wildlife photography in this area, but I like to start with one of the landscape images from this weekend to give friends and followers of my blog that are not so familiar with the Badlands an idea about this rugged terrain. The photo was made at the edge of Sheep Mountain Table, in the Stronghold Unit of the park, which is also part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Most visitors of the national park will never go to this part in the southwest, because it is off the beaten path and a bit away from the easily accessible North Unit. Its beauty is nevertheless unsurpassed.

Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4,   @70 mm, 1/250 s, f/10, ISO100

LUCK WAS ON MY SIDE

On my way back home from the Green Island Wetlands I always drive by at an elevated point of the road that overlooks an old oxbow lake of the nearby Maquoketa River, a U-shaped pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off. Most of the time the oxbow pool isn’t even visible because the water level is too high and the surrounding marsh land is totally submerged. Last Saturday I hit the brakes hard when I saw the light unfolding over this part of the landscape. Out of 24 quick shots this one was the one I like the most. The clouds moved rapidly and every picture was a little different than the next one. I missed great light opportunities like this before, just because I simply found no place to stop and park the car safely. This time the luck was on my side!

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 70 mm, 1/320s, f/9, ISO 200

NEW ARRIVALS

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

It was a great day for bird watching and photography. I took my morning coffee and breakfast on the porch today, with the camera ready to shoot on a tripod. The second half of the day was spent in the wetlands, but this is certainly for another blog post. More migrants have arrived during the last few days. The first female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was surprisingly already here a week ago, while the first males were spotted yesterday. This morning we counted at least 11 male Grosbeaks around our bird feeders. The most we have ever seen at the same time. I don’t care for a picture at a feeder very much but when the birds come close and use nearby bushes or trees during their approach, the index finger is on top of the shutter release button.

Male House Wren

This little House Wren sings his heart out since a week but no females have arrived yet. He has already stuffed several of the bird boxes with loose little twigs and branches. A female will hopefully soon inspect his work and they are the ones that choose and “fine tune” the nest if they are willing to mate. It’s an exciting time of the year…!

NATURE CLICKS #517 - BELTED KINGFISHER

Female Belted Kingfisher, Bankston County Park, Eastern Iowa

During my walks in the river valleys and along small creeks here in eastern Iowa I come quite often across with a Belted Kingfisher. Making a picture of this pretty bird is a different story. They don’t let you come close most of the time. Today I had this female kingfisher for almost a minute within the reach of the long lens. It was still too far away for a perfect shot. Luckily the image was sharp and allowed me to crop it quite a bit. This is not my preferred way to present a photo, but it led to a picture better than the last one a couple years ago. A small step, but there is a reason why I still call the kingfisher “the bastard”. This will only end when the time comes and I have a photo that satisfies my ideas of a great wildlife image…

DOWN IN THE VALLEY

Little Maquoketa River Valley, Iowa

A photo left over from last week. When I left the house and drove down quickly into our valley it still looked like we would have an interesting sunset to watch. It didn’t happen, the cloud in the background was faster and changed the scene. I wasn’t too sad, the sun sets 365 days every year somewhere in the world… The houses down there are not that pretty but can tell certainly a story about a little village that has seen better days.

I actually like the muted light on the landscape and tried to keep it for the final image. It was important the bright roofs of the buildings do not overpower the soft colors in the sky and I underexposed by -0.66 EV. In post process the shadows in the trees and also the field in the foreground were brought back slightly, and that’s how I envisioned the final photo when the shutter button was pressed.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 39 mm, 1/400s, f/8, ISO 400

FIRST OF THE YEAR

We were in a shelter building of the campground, celebrating the 4th birthday of our granddaughter Addie, when the rain of a powerful thunderstorm poured down on our tent. A little later, as the storm moved out, we checked the tent but everything was still dry as expected. The last half hour before sunset was filled with some dramatic light. It was our first camping weekend of the season and we had the tent camping area of Spring Lake Park, near Jefferson, Iowa all for ourselves. It doesn’t get much better.

I really like the Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S lens for this kind of landscape work. With fast moving clouds and lots of trees to consider this zoom range is perfect for trying different perspectives within a short manner of time. The first photo was made at 24 mm while for the second the longer end of the zoom range was used.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,

Sunset after a thunderstorm at Spring Lake, Iowa

DRESDEN

The war initiated by Russia in Ukraine, started only days before we went to Germany. There are many places in the world that have experienced the impact of war, but few that suffered destruction as much as Dresden, the capitol of Saxony, during World War II. 

In February 1945 Dresden was a densely crowded city, filled with refugees fleeing the advancing Red Army. Three days of an Allied bombing attack left many parts of the city in total destruction and thousands of people dead. If you are historically inclined, or like to see some images about how parts of the city I show you in my blog today looked like after the bombing, feel free to click the link below. It gives you a comprehensive overview about the scale of this act of war. https://www.history.com/news/dresden-bombing-wwii-allies

My 88-years old father survived the fire bombing of Dresden at the age of eleven and my kids and granddaughter live in this now again beautiful city. What else links Putin’s war into thoughts about Dresden? Six years of Putin’s career as a KGB foreign intelligence officer he spent in Dresden…

During my childhood this place was nothing but a piece of rubble. The ruins of the Church of Our Lady (Dresdner Frauenkirche) were left as a memorial for many years after the war. All the buildings surrounding it were gone.The reconstructing of this church was finished in 2005. It is considered an outstanding example of Protestant sacred architecture, featuring one of the largest domes in Europe.

Dresden Castle / Royal Palace - reconstructed Eastern Courtyard

Monument of August II the strong (1670 - 1733)

Any time I’m in Dresden I make a picture of this monument. Oh no, I’m not really inclined to any royal ideas, but the light on the golden surface makes every photo of this historical marker unique. When in addition a dad plays hide and seek with his toddler around a statue, like the so called “Golden Rider”, the photo becomes less static.

It warms my heart to see the success of rebuilding and restoration efforts. A classic view from Carola Bridge over to Dresden Altstadt, the center of the city. By the way, the fenced in area is the location for a big stage during the summer, used for concerts, film festivals, and other cultural events. Years ago we enjoyed blues legend B.B. King at this venue. Can you imagine a better background than the night skyline of Dresden for such a concert?

Not only banners, like this one in Dresden downtown, express the solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We learned that several of our friends in Germany share available living space in their houses with refugees from this country under attack.

KÖNIGSTEIN FORTRESS

The Friedrichsburg. Today this pavilion is a place for banquets and weddings.

The Fortress Königstein (Festung Königstein) was on our list of destinations we liked to visit during our recent trip in Germany. I have been there quite a few times during my younger years but Joan had seen it only from below or from a distance in the past. The fortress is located near Dresden, in the mountains of Saxon Switzerland, on the left bank of river Elbe. It would be too much here in the blog to write about its significance but you can learn more about one of Saxony’s best tourist attraction by using the link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Königstein_Fortress

It was a windy and chilly day and that kept probably some of the people away. The main tourist season will start anyway with the upcoming warmer weather. However, this was great for photography in those areas of the fortress that are usually filled with visitors. Here are a few pictures from that day.

The 9.5 hectare (23.5 acres) rock plateau rises 240 meters above the Elbe and has over 50 buildings, some over 400 years old.

Steep ramp through several gates at the entrance. The Königstein Fortress has never been conquered during its long history but served often as guard for the Saxon state reserves and secret archives during times of war.

Fantastic view across the rocks, valleys, and mountains of the Saxon Switzerland with the Elbe River below. Panorama from 5 photos, merged in Adobe Lightroom.

Since 1955, the fortress has been an open-air, military history museum of high touristic value.

The rampart run around the fortress is 1.8 km (1.12 miles) long, with walls up to 42 m high and steep sandstone faces. (source for all facts: Wikipedia, see link above)

AFTER THREE YEARS

Hauptmarkt (main market) in front of city hall, Bautzen, Saxony, Germany,

It has been three years that I visited my home country Germany and met family and friends, and I guess no explanation is necessary why it took so long to go across the Atlantic Ocean. Half of the trip was for education and training on the business side. The print and finishing industry is undergoing rapid changes, and Europe is leading the game in automation and robotic solutions for the post process in the printing industry (my part of the business). Mind blowing solutions were demonstrated to me and my American colleagues, a trip worthwhile!

The second half of the journey was dedicated to visits with family and friends. My wife Joan joined me in Dresden for this part of the trip. It was a very emotional visit (three years is a long time) and I’m absolutely grateful to have friends and family that offer hospitality way beyond anybody’s expectations. We really like to thank my kids, their families, and our friends who helped in an unforeseen situation during the last week. Anke, Tarja, Seraphine, André, Ramona, and our hosts in Bautzen, Gabriela and Claus!!! You are the best, and we hope to see you soon, maybe in the United States of America!!!

OK, it’s a photography blog, let’s talk a little about the image. I grew up in the over 1000 years old city of Bautzen, in the State of Saxony, and even after three years of absence still had the feeling, I have seen everything before. These blooming trees in front of the Rathaus (city hall) have not been there in my childhood. Many changes were made in this town during the last 32 years, after the wall came down in Germany, which divided east and west of the country for political reasons. Years ago I would have never made an image from that perspective on a day with overcast. With the blossoms in color contrast to the Rathaus and the mood of this gray day the click had to be made. It’s actually pretty busy during the week in downtown Bautzen, but I waited patiently until nobody was in the frame…

WITH A LITTLE IMAGINATION

The snow is almost gone and it takes a little imagination to make a photo with bare trees and vegetation from last year that is more or less brown and grey. When the sun sets above our ridge and the wind has calmed down, it’s time to pour a glass of wine, sit down in a chair on the porch, and enjoy the first evenings of the year with mild temperatures. With at least one f-stop underexposure and white balance settings at 6000 Kelvin or higher, the colors of decaying grasses in the front yard don’t play a role anymore. The setting sun and the backlit silhouettes of grass, swaying in the wind, are enough to let us forget about the dull colors that dominate the landscape after the winter…