LOOK AT THE SKY

American Goldfinch

More snow during the last days and at times the sun came even out and made for good light. The American Goldfinch is the bird that changes plumage twice a year. The bright yellow summer plumage of the males, with the black cap on their heads, is hard to beat, but I also enjoy their not so bright winter colors and tried hard to get an image that does justice to my claim. The snow below helps again to make the yellow feathers shine. These finches don’t give the photographer much time to think about the picture. Quite often they perch on a branch for only a couple seconds or even less. I love the pose of the bird, having a glimpse to the sky and looking for predators, before jumping down to the bird bath or flying over to a seed feeder.

WINTER SPARROW VARIETY (4 CHOICES)

I have been an advocate for paying attention to the more common species of birds since wildlife photography became part of my life. It means, the ones we may see almost every day or the kind of bird that doesn’t draw the attention as much as a more exotic looking species. Sparrows are mostly overlooked. They are small and because many of them are not so rare makes us thinking, a sparrow is just another sparrow. You know what I mean. Last weekend the appearance of a couple species, that are here only seasonal, made me focus with the camera on this agile ground feeders. You can decide which one you like the best. I just love all of them!

American Tree Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow

They have their breeding grounds high up in northern Canada and Alaska but during winter time the American Tree Sparrow spends its time here, in particular in trees and shrubs along streams. Most of the time I see them along the Mississippi River but this photo was made just on our snow covered balcony.

White-throated Sparrow

Another sparrow that breeds up in Canada, northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. It seems there is always one that hangs out with the local bunch of house Sparrows during the cold months of the year.

Dark -eyed-Junco

Although it doesn’t have the word ‘sparrow’ in its name, they belong to this family. I recently reported about this species here in the blog. The Dark-eyed Junco is our best “winter indicator”. If they show up, you can be sure temperatures below freezing are not far away. In late winter, when the Dark-eyed Juncos suddenly disappear, we just know, the snow shovel can be put away for the season (exceptions are possible! 😉)

House Sparrow

We have a little flock here every winter. They like the cover beneath the mountain pines we planted next to the house years ago. This one is obviously a young male sparrow. However, he doesn’t look right! It’s obvious that his tail feathers are missing. We only can guess if our local Sharp-shinned Hawk got a hold of him, but the most common of all sparrows escaped…

TWO BEAUTIES

Female Eastern Bluebird

The day started with some snow removal. Fresh snow means the birds will come to our feeders and bird baths in larger numbers. It was nice to see a couple Eastern Bluebirds among them this morning. They are not here for the sunflower seeds. The bluebirds depend on berries during winter and the juniper berries of the Eastern Cedar trees, that cover the rocky bluffs here at the Little Maquoketa Valley, are probably their primary food source. A reason why we see the Eastern Bluebirds only at the heated bird baths that we provide. Beside drinking they sit there sometimes for several minutes and obviously warm up a little bit when it is cold.

Male Eastern Bluebird

To open the glass door to the balcony and stick the lens out into the open for making a click is not always an option. Some birds may not come to the feeders, like the cardinals, but most importantly the warm air that mixes with the cold air outside will create a heat shimmer and make getting a sharp focus almost impossible.

I take the lens shade off the SIGMA 150-600 and keep the front element of the lens as close as possible to the glass of the door. This is of course no optical glass and some blur may occur. The Dehaze-slider in Adobe Lightroom becomes very helpful for solving this problem and removing the extra blur on the bird. Lightroom’s new masking functions allow to keep the blur on the background and make the bird even stand out a bit more. All what I can say is, shooting through the glass of a window or door has never been so easy…

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 #540 - RED-TAILED HAWK

The red-tailed is probably the most common Hawk we see here in eastern Iowa. Their plumage can be highly variable. I saw this one several times today down in the Green Island Wetlands. Shortly after this shot was made the bird landed in another tree nearby and as I came closer I realized the hawk shared this tree with probably 200-300 Red-winged Blackbirds. They didn’t seem to be too concerned about its presence and the hawk knew he was too slow to get a healthy blackbird for dinner. The hope was probably to catch a bird that struggled or wasn’t able to move as quick as the rest of the flock. The temperatures were just slightly below freezing and to me it isn’t a surprise anymore to see Red-winged Blackbirds during winter time.

It’s not my best photo of a hawk. A gray overcast is always poison for a good bird image with the sky or water as a background. The gesture of the hawk came to my rescue. It was still enjoyable to be out in the wetlands today and better times for bird photography are just around the corner…

RETAINING VALUE

Lenticular cloud, Owens Valley, California, 2009

The long and dark evenings during winter are the best time to tidy up or reorganize the photo library. While doing this I stumble sometimes over an older picture that may have some potential to be shown to the public. In the fall of 2009, during a trip through the Sierra Nevada in California with some German friends, we explored the Owens Valley and its surroundings. A lenticular cloud was hanging all day long above the area. It was just a matter of finding the right angle of view for integrating it into the landscape.

At this time I was shooting already two years with my first DSLR camera, the beloved Nikon D200. Looking at these old images almost 14 years later makes me aware ones more that I just had started to scratch the surface of photography. Only a couple months earlier I had added the gorgeous Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZF to the camera bag. During this trip I used this lens with its manual focus a lot. The sharpness and rendering of this piece of glass was so much better than what I had owned ever before. I still use it today. Cameras will come and go and become technically obsolete very quickly. A real good lens retains its value much longer.

Nikon D200, Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZF, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head   @ 1/20 s, f/22, ISO 100

NATURE CLICKS #539 - DARK-EYED JUNCO

Dark-eyed Junco, Little Maquoketa Valley, eastern Iowa

A couple inches of wet snow fell last night and with that white reflector on the ground I tried to capture some pictures of the birds who visited our bird feeders during the late afternoon. With an overcast in the sky the light faded away quickly after 4pm. First I considered to use a flash but the reflection of the snow was enough to throw some light from underneath. The car was parked in our driveway and I used it as a blind. We have lots of Northern Cardinals here at the moment and with their bright red they are always photogenic. Today they didn’t come close enough but it was fun to work with the Dark-eyed Juncos instead. This medium-sized sparrow is here only during winter time. They have a considerable geographic color variation but in our region the slate-colored is mostly seen. They forage primarily on the ground but perch sometimes briefly on low hanging branches when they move around.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/250 s, f/6.3, ISO 1600

BACK IN THE NORTHWOODS

Fay Lake, Florence County, Wisconsin

It was the traditional ice fishing weekend with friends up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Great camaraderie, good food, lots of laughters, moderate temperatures, and yes, a few fish saw the light above the ice. While here in eastern Iowa all the snow had melted, up north there was still plenty of the white stuff on the ground and the ice on the lake was solid and about 12” (30 cm) thick. Good enough for driving safely onto the lake.

I know I have posted photos of Fay Lake before, but it is never twice the same. The camera comes out of the bag shortly before we collect our fishing gear and leave the ice. The sun is low and we were rewarded with a nice glow on the ice and warm colors above the horizon. Good times!

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 24mm, 1/1000 s, f/10, ISO 100

BIRD PRESENTATION THIS WEEK

Migrating Snow Geese, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

Today I would like to invite everybody from the Tri-State area around Dubuque, who like birds or bird photography, to join us for a presentation about our feathered friends. The Dubuque Audubon Society has asked the Dubuque Camera Club to be the presenter for their January program. I’m a member of both and I’m honored to be part of this presentation, among four other nature photographers. We will show some recent work, a few of our favorite images, and will share the story behind them. I think it will be an exciting event for everybody who like birds, like to take pictures of them, or just enjoy looking at bird photography.

Date / Time: Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 6.00PM

Location: E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center, 8991 Bellevue Heights Rd, Dubuque, IA 52003

Ok, so don’t let the “cabin fever” take possession of you while you sit on your sofa 😉. Come out on Thursday, join us for the presentation, and have some fun!

IT’S NATIONAL BIRD DAY!

Trumpeter Swan, Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park

Today we celebrate National Bird Day, a good reason to dig a little bit in my archive and pull out a photo of a very enjoyable moment. The avid reader of this blog knows that I have photographed and documented the return of Trumpeter Swans here in eastern Iowa for many years. But my first sighting of a Trumpeter Swan was actually in Yellowstone National Park in 2005. I was still shooting with film at that time and little did I know about wildlife photography.

This photo is from a visit in 2018. We took off early from our campground outside of the park and drove along the Firehole River, just as the first rays of the sun hit the bottom of the valley. This solitary swan was in absolute “killer light” while feeding in the water.

It is not just moments like this when birds need our attention and protection of their habitats, because future generations should be able to share such enjoyable moments as well.

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

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #2 - DARK ICE

Mississippi River, John Deere Dike, Dubuque, Iowa

Here is another photo from the first day of this year. When we walked towards the end of the almost a kilometer (0.6 mi.) long dike at John Deere Marsh the scene was constantly changing. The main channel of the river lies right in front of you and the Wisconsin side is about 1.4 km (0.87 mi.) away. The fog above the ice was in motion and a few remaining snow drifts made for a crazy pattern on the dark ice.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 31mm, 1/100s, f/8, ISO 320

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #1 - GREETING A NEW YEAR

Mississippi River, looking north from John Deere Dike, Dubuque, Iowa

Welcome in 2023! I think there is no better way to start into a new year than going for a walk with a camera in hand. With the grandkids in tow we made a short, but enjoyable hike to the end of John Deere Dike. This leads you about half a mile into the main channel of the mighty Mississippi River. Despite the warm weather we had after Christmas, the ice is still standing for the most part on the river and it had a dark color during this early evening hour. Large patches of fog had developed in the distance and the setting sun illuminated the clouds above.

This light and marker for the boat traffic has been my anchor point for many images before. I can tell you, the mood in these photos is never twice the same. Today it was quiet, calm, and kinda romantic. Not much effort was required in post process to emphasize what I saw in my mind for the final picture and for another, new Mississippi River story.

LAST HIKE

Horseshoe Bluff, Mines of Spain, Dubuque, Iowa

Spring like temperatures melted most of the snow we had away in just a couple days and we took the grandkids yesterday evening for probably the last hike in 2022. We climbed up the slippery trail to the overlook at Horseshoe Bluff in the Mines of Spain Recreation Area, in Dubuque, Iowa and enjoyed the warm light on the bluffs before sunset. The eye wanders along the rock wall and stops at the still frozen Mississippi River far in the back. I always enjoy the view in both directions, north and south, but looking south and having the setting sun illuminating the rocks of this old, horseshoe shaped quarry is hard to beat.

Thank you to everybody who shared ideas, knowledge, and opinions, or just quietly enjoyed looking at my photos in 2022. I wish all friends and visitors of my website and blog post a wonderful year 2023! Stay safe!

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 31 mm, 1/160s, f/8, ISO 640

NATURE CLICKS #538 - SHARP-SHINNED HAWK

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Little Maquoketa River Valley, Iowa

Life isn’t always easy for the birds that come to our feeders and heated water bowls near the house. Yes, they have food and water but it also attracts predators, like this Sharp-shinned Hawk. When most of the birds suddenly hide in panic in nearby bushes and the woodpeckers freeze motionless on a tree trunk, it is a sure sign that a hawk is somewhere in the trees or is gliding through the woods.

Today the sound of a little bird hitting a window made me aware that something was going on outside. The hawk was perched just above some of the bird feeders. I believe it is a female “Sharpie”. The bird was fifteen minutes in that tree and gave me plenty of time to change the lens on my camera, open the window, and start shooting before she took off. Who knows, this might be my last “Nature clicks” blog post for 2022, but nature is always full of surprises and we have still seven days left this year…

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CARDINALS

My German photography friend Maren gave me the idea to blog a photo of the Northern Cardinal in the snow. It’s a nice subject for a Christmas blog post but lack of time prevented me from going out in the freezing cold and make a photo like this one today. Although we have at least a dozen cardinals here at our feeders, but the strong wind of this blizzard blew already most of the plentiful snow off the branches. With other words, this photo is from last year.

Wishing all friends, readers, and visitors of my website and blog a wonderful Christmas weekend! Stay warm, but go out and try the new toys and tools for photography you may find under the Christmas tree… 😊