NATURE CLICKS #521 - EASTERN KINGBIRD

Eastern Kingbird, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

I made a quick trip to the Green Island Wetlands this evening and came home with this photo of an Eastern Kingbird. This wasn’t an easy shot due to some strong wind. The Eastern Kingbird is not as skittish as many other birds and it gave me plenty of time to make a number of clicks. But its perch swayed in the wind unpredictable and made focussing a bit of a challenge. This large flycatcher hunts mostly for insects. It defends its breeding territory vigorously against other kingbirds. During winter, down south at the Amazon, this bird has a different lifestyle. They move around in flocks and the diet consists of fruits.

I tried to position myself so I had some open water behind the bird. Some growing reeds were far enough away to blur nicely and made for an undisturbing background.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG,    @ 850 mm, 1/640 s, f/9, ISO 640

DETAILS FROM THE HOLLOW

Stream at the bottom of the canyon, White Pine Hollow State Preserve, Eastern Iowa

White Pine Hollow, a densely wooded state preserve, is said to be the only old-growth patch of white pines still growing in Iowa. (source: Wikipedia) It is not very far from our home and last Sunday I thought it was time to revisit this interesting place of wilderness again. The old pines are impressive but it is the surrounding deciduous forest that gives the visitor at the bottom of the hollow a jungle-like feeling. A little caution is advised, especially if you hike with a dog, because at this time of the year you may have a good chance to pick up a tick in the woods. A nature lover who can overcome this fear is treated with a great wilderness experience. White Pine Hollow is said to contain 625 species of plants and two endangered species of animals. If macro or detail photography is your field of interest you will be in photographers heaven. A day with a slight overcast is perfect and I recommend to travel light, because it can be very humid in the canyon. Also a pair of good hiking boots and the use of common sense in this wild environment is not a bad idea for a trip to White Pine Hollow.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4, FTZ adapter

Wild Geranium, easy to find almost everywhere

A mossy log of a fallen tree provides the base of life for this mushroom

 

INCUBATION TIME

House Wren guarding the nest

It’s breeding season for most of the birds in our woods. Many species incubate their eggs and are not seen as often as the weeks before during their mating time. We are very fortunate to have three different species sitting on eggs right here at the house. As during the last three years a pair of American Robins has built a nest on our balcony. They had originally four eggs, two didn’t make it, but two little chicks are currently fed by their parents. We avoid being on the balcony as much as possible.

The second bird is the Gray Catbird I reported about a few days ago. I discovered a nest today with two eggs. They built it between the branches of a mountain pine that grows right beside our porch. Another area we will try to avoid in order not to disturb the birds during incubation and the time after.

Last but not least, as every year a pair of House Wrens has occupied a nest box in our front yard and another female sits on eggs in another box at the back of the house. House Wrens are not monogamous and there is a good chance that the little male bird in today’s photos has something to do with the nest in the backyard as well. However, he tends and protects the bird box at the front. The wren sings his heart out, especially when the female has left the nest for a few minutes. He does that usually from a perch in the neighborhood, and not near the nest, so a possible predator will be attracted to him and not the clutch of eggs or the female while she is trying to find something to eat for herself.

I use this great photo opportunity and practice a lot with the long lens and teleconverter attached. The 850 mm focal length allows me to stay away as much as possible from the birds and still can fill the frame without cropping a single bit off.

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,

1. photo   @ 850 mm, 1/200 s, f/9, ISO 640

2. photo   @ 850 mm, 1/125 s, f/9, ISO 400

SHOOTING IN THE RAIN

Catfish Creek in the rain, Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

The last two days brought some much needed rain. While in town, running some errands yesterday evening, another shower poured down on the Mississippi Valley. The Mines of Spain, a wooded recreation area in the northwest corner of Dubuque, Iowa has some interesting spots for photography in such weather, and so I headed for it quickly. Catfish Creek crosses this area before its confluence with the mighty Mississippi River. The rain created bubbles on the water surface and the rocky bluffs in the background were hugged by the fog. The green of the leaves is so lush in May and you can’t get this light and mood in the same way for the rest of the year. It helps to have a camera and lens that is weather sealed. I enjoy the rain and probably should go out more in such weather…

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 44 mm, 1/40s, f/8, ISO 100

NATURE CLICKS #520 - GRAY CATBIRD

Gray Catbird, Little Maquoketa River Valley, iowa

I’m very happy that we see a pair of Gray Catbirds near the house this spring. We always had them in the area but mostly not so close and frequently. They prefer low and dense vegetation and at another property in the neighborhood, where I used to see them, trees and bushes have been removed because a new house will be built. We don’t remove the underbrush in our woods and perhaps the catbirds figured out this would be a better place to live. I think the Gray Catbird is one of the most underrated birds. Most people recognize them by their distinctive “meeow-call”, which obviously gave the bird its name. However, they are also able to perform a song as a mix of notes, squeaks, and imitations of other birds. It sounds beautiful and I recently heard it again during time of courtship display.

I try to get better with my bird photography and have lately more often employed the 1.4x teleconverter when the distance to my subject was too far. This is my preferred method instead of cropping, but can be a challenge if light is very low. The long lens needs good support for its extended focal length of 850 mm, either a stabil tripod or proper handholding.

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, 1/1000 s, f/9, ISO 500

SWALLOWS IN THE WETLANDS

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Not writing anything here in the blog during the last few days doesn’t always mean I’m not behind the camera. A project around the house took priority this weekend. But beside bird watching in the early mornings here at home, I made another trip down south along the Mississippi River. A number of different sandpipers and plovers were present but were often too far away for a good photo beyond a documentary shot.

Nevertheless, I had some good moments with swallows. A Northern Rough-winged Swallow hasn’t been in front of my lens for a long time. This branch was hanging above a water-filled canal in the Green Island Wildlife Preserve. A perfect habitat for catching insects and replenish energy resources in their little bodies. The fresh green of the trees on the other side of the canal was nicely out of focus and is a perfect backdrop for such a spring photo.

Tree Swallows

I wonder how long we still will see Tree Swallows in the Green Island Wetlands. Their natural nesting places, cavities in trees, will quickly disappear while the majority of trees near the water is dying from water levels too high during recent years. This may benefit the habitat for some waterfowl but I see already a decline of other bird species, like warblers, in this area.

Both photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,

SONGBIRDS IN THE BADLANDS

Western Meadowlark

Hands down, spring is the best season to watch songbirds, either during their time of migration or while they are in the mood for mating. Badlands National Park has a great variety of songbirds and I was able to add three new species to the photo library during our recent visit.

We had no problems finding Western Meadowlarks, they were present in abundance. This very vocal bird can be found along the road sides in the grass, between sagebrush, or in the early morning perched on a traffic sign or fence post and singing its heart out.

Lark Bunting

Probably not my best photo of a bird but this male Lark Bunting was a first sighting for us. It was part of a larger group, males and females, and the males were in their full breeding plumage. The Lark Bunting is the only sparrow that completely changes between plain winter plumage and distinctive breeding colors (source: iBird Pro app).

Vesper Sparrow

Perched on the same fence as the Lark Bunting were a couple Vesper Sparrows. I have probably seen this bird before but it was the first time ever that I photographed this species.

Lark Sparrow

Coming back from a hike into the backcountry we found a number of Lark Sparrows feeding on the ground at the campsite. They walk on the ground rather than hop, unless during courtship. They are in favor of areas with bare open ground and scattered bushes, habitats that are more common in the West and Midwest than in the East of the country. The Badlands offer such habitats and it is not difficult to find them at this time of the year.

Black-and-white Warbler

When I saw briefly this bird gleaning insects from the bark of a tree, I knew immediately that I had a Black-and-white Warbler in front of the lens. I have seen them here in eastern Iowa before a couple times and they forage nuthatch-like on tree trunks. I was actually after another warbler species between some thick brushwood, probably an Orange-crowned Warbler, but I never got a real sharp shot. The photo of the Black-and-white Warbler makes me happy the same way!

Spotted Towhee

This photo was made between the same brushwood as the one before. I moved carefully with my tripod to find an open spot between all the branches of the tree and without scaring this beautiful bird away. When the click was made I thought I had an Eastern Towhee in front of the lens, a bird we can see occasionally here in our area. But the Eastern Towhee does not appear that far west and so it had to be a Spotted Towhee. From the front side they look almost identical. This was another first sighting and a welcome addition to my bird photo library.

I wish time wasn’t such a limiting factor for shooting wildlife in and around Badlands National Park. Two days are hardly enough to pursue all photographic ideas I have in mind. But with every visit we know the area a little better and that makes it easier to find the best spots during a next visit.

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