NATURE CLICKS #569 - AMERICAN KESTREL

American Kestrel, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

Here is another image from last weekend’s visit to the Green Island Wetlands. I was already pretty happy since I just had photographed the Rough-legged Hawk I showed in my last blog post. A few minutes later, on my way out on the muddy road, this American Kestrel just landed on a branch in front of me. With a slight turn of the car and the window down I was able to make a few clicks of this small falcon. I have written about in the blog before, the American Kestrel perches nine times out of ten on a utility wire between the poles. The bird gave me less than a minute and half of the time it looked away from me. Having the kestrel sitting actually on a tree branch is much harder to get and with the warm light of the setting sun, this is definitely a keeper.

NOT ”SKUNKED” AGAIN

Rough-legged Hawk, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

I have been at Green Island, the wetlands down south in the Mississippi Valley, the third time in a row during the last weekends and after getting ”skunked” twice, I came finally back with some photos on the memory card today. I know that a number of local fellow photographers and birders follow my blog and I like to report about the sightings first today.

While I was even further south in Sabula, Iowa my hopes to get some Bald Eagles in front of the lens did not came true. There was still too much ice on most parts of the Mississippi River and the eagles had no reason to be there due to the lack of open water.

At the Green Island Wetlands I found to my surprise 100+ migrating Greater White-fronted Geese. Among them was one single Snow Goose and a school of seven Trumpeter Swans had joined the party as well. This was all too far away for a decent photo, but I enjoyed watching the birds through the binoculars. The picture below is from 2019.

New photo opportunities came during the hour before sunset. While driving through the mud on the west side of the wetlands this Rough-legged Hawk seemed to take advantage of my presence. It let me come really close with the car, took off and flew to the next tree ahead. This repeated several times. Maybe the bird was hoping my movement would startle other birds or rodents along the muddy road. There was only one stop that would allow a shot without any obstruction. Of course, I took my chance!

Rough-legged Hawks breed in the tundra and taiga of North America and Eurasia. They migrate to the Central US for the winter. An area with marshes and fields, like the Green Island Wetlands and with rodent prey present, is their preferred habitat. More to come…

Migrating Greater White-fronted Geese, photo from 2019

FUN IN THE SETTING SUN

Downy Woodpecker, Little Maquoketa Valley, Iowa

The sun came out finally this afternoon, reason enough to spent the hour before sunset behind the camera with the SIGMA 150-600 S attached. With the much warmer weather the birds seemed to visit the feeders less frequently and some patience was required at times. Most of the snow has melted away but in our front yard was still plenty enough to bounce the light upwards. With the sun sitting low above the ridge, the natural light had a nice quality and I didn’t employ a speed light for better color control this time.

Before the woodpeckers approach a suet feeder they carefully check the surrounding area from a nearby tree or shrub. This is the moment I’m mostly waiting for. Just fun in the setting sun…

IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE MOOD

Mississippi River, Black Hawk Bridge, Lansing, Iowa

One of my favorite drives here in the Driftless Area is going up north the Great River Road along the Mississippi and my favorite view is this look with the city of Lansing, Iowa on the left and the old Black Hawk Bridge across the river in the background. I have photographed from this vantage point at the Driftless Area Visitor Center in Lansing many times before. A good reason to stop there these days is the fact that the beautiful cantilever bridge, built in 1931, will be replaced and construction of a new bridge has started already. The cranes on the Wisconsin side and in the river tell the story.

The ice on the river was not very thick and if the warm weather continues, the river may have open water very soon. It was again quite foggy this morning and my choice was black & white for the photo. Several hours later, on the way back, the bright sun had taken over but the mood of this scene did not speak to me anymore…

A FOGGY DAY

It has been much warmer the last few days and with still plenty of snow on the ground the fog was hanging between the trees this morning. The cedars in the background mark the edge of the rocky bluffs and the Little Maquoketa Valley below was not visible at all.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #2 - WINTER, BUT WARM COLORS MAY HELP

Bluffs at Catfish Creek, Upper Mississippi Valley, Dubuque, Iowa

After all the snow we had here in the Midwest during the last couple weeks and the very cold temperatures that still remained today, I wanted to make one single photo that sums it all up, tells the story about winter here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. I drove around this weekend, mostly to places nearby and along the river that have the potential to deliver this kind of a story. Well, I got a few shots yesterday and recognized last night in front of the computer, nice photos but the story is not told the way it needs to be told.

So I went out again this morning with a recent blog post of acclaimed photographer Moose Peterson in mind, while thinking about my plans for the day. He called it ”Red Loves White!”. This very interesting article is about the iconic landscapes out west, Bryce, Zion, Arches NP, Grand Canyon, etc., and how these red rocks can really reveal their beauty with the addition of snow. (https://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/red-loves-white/)

I wasn’t really out for the rocky bluffs here in the Mississippi Valley and its side valleys. However, I thought how can I emphasize the presence of cold weather, snow loaded branches, or ice covered creeks in my photo? The answer I found in Moose’s blog post while thinking in reverse was, try to add some red, orange, or yellow to the wintry landscape! The closest place that came to mind was the Mines of Spain, the State Recreation Area just south of Dubuque, Iowa. Catfish Creek has hollowed out this side valley of the Mighty Mississippi River and has its confluence with the big river just a couple hundred yards behind the bend in my photo. I love what I found!

CHANGED THE PLAN

Frozen Popple River, Wisconsin

It was the traditional ice fishing weekend with friends up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. While we fished successfully one day we changed plans for the second one. The wind of the ongoing snow storm was too brutal and we decided to drive through the woods and look for wildlife or find some photo opportunities instead. No surprise, the wolves and black bears up there kept hiding but we saw a few White-tailed Deer.

One of the stops we always make is in the middle of nowhere at a bridge that crosses the Popple River. I have posted photos from this location before here in the blog but it is always interesting how different the scene can look. Due to the warm weather even up north during the last couple months, the ice on the river was very thin. Big parts of the woods have bogs and the tint of the ice comes from the peaty water. It makes for a good color contrast between the river and the snow cover. Nothing spectacular, but obviously more fun than attaching bait to the hooks in the icy wind…

MANY FOND MEMORIES

Cooper at the stone crossing of Bass Creek at Finley’s Landing, Iowa, January 7, 2021

As most of you have recognized, I do not write much about our personal lives here in the blog, unless it is really related to my photography or to the circumstances that led to the making of a picture. However, last week we lost our beloved dog Cooper due to probably age related illness.

For those who don’t know his story, Cooper came to us in June 2010. A little stray, probably thrown out into the wild by his previous owners and with signs of abuse in his behavior. He started sleeping in a chair on our front porch for several nights in a row. We tried to find his owner, either in the neighborhood up here on the bluffs or down in the valley. No success. We finally decided to keep this puppy, who was probably between a year and a year and a half old at that time.

Cooper has been a great dog, who shared our outdoor activities of daily nature walks, tent camping, hiking, and paddling our kayaks. He has been in more states, national parks, state parks, and other nature areas in the United States and Canada than many Americans. And one of the reasons I’m writing about him here is the fact that he shared, in probably his own way, many wonderful moments I had in my photography and Joan and I had while being in the Great Outdoors. Often the dog waited patiently next to me while I fiddled with my gear or tried to work with the light. He was often very funny in his behavior and gave us many laughters. We are very thankful and couldn’t have wished for a better dog! Cooper will always remain in our hearts and memories.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #1 - JANUARY, ALREADY UNUSUAL

Mississippi River, Bellevue, Iowa

Of course, I will continue publishing photos right from here, the Upper Mississippi Valley, and will try to tell the story about this beautiful place with my images again in 2024! I will hopefully let you participate how seasonal changes at the big river may appear and how climate change effects the nature I try to photograph. I’m much aware, I may end up with photos that are sometimes totally different than during the last twenty years, taken at the same time of the season.

It is tempting to let the shoreline cut through the image right in the middle of the photo and make it an artsy-fartsy image, mirroring the landscape, but it was more important to me to make it a photo of the day and as I really saw it.

So here we are, January 6, 2024, and the main channel of the Mississippi River is completely free of ice. There is a little snow dust in the woods, but that’s about it for winter so far! Well, we now have a snow storm in the forecast for early next week but, maybe I can now finally put the swimming trunks away…😉

However, it makes me happy if you follow again the MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES in my blog and as always, let me know your thoughts about any photo you see. Your opinions are highly appreciated!

NATURE CLICKS #568 - RED-TAILED HAWK

Red-tailed Hawk, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

It was already the second time this year that I visited the Green Island Wetlands. In comparison to New Year’s Day last Monday, when almost nothing was frozen over, we saw a thin layer of ice on most of the lakes and canals today. As gray as the sky was again it didn’t make sense to point the lens at any birds in flight. However, there is a number of raptors that try to make a living between the fields and wetland areas and getting a shot with a background other than just plain gray sky was at least worth a try.

As always, some local Bald Eagles perched near open water and I saw a winter guest, a Rough-legged Hawk, in one of the dead trees. North America’s smallest falcon, the American Kestrel was present but this fierce little raptor didn’t let me come close enough for a photo. Flocks of American Tree Sparrows were feeding on seeds along the dykes in the wetlands and I wonder if the kestrel was preying on them or if he just looked for little rodents.

This Red-tailed Hawk was perched in one of the big cottonwood trees near the road and had some patience with my presence. The bird holds on to the branch with just one claw while the other one peeks out between the feathers from underneath its belly. I moved in a position with as little sky as possible in the picture but a bit of snow in the tree. Is it a perfect shot? No, but I came back with a photo from my trip and that’s all what mattered under the gray sky today.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Farmland, Bankston, eastern Iowa, 12/31/2023

The last photo from 2023 is the first one for the new year. A hike in the valley of Bankston County Park on the last day of the year was followed by a short drive across the country side nearby. For a brief moment the clouds opened up and the light touched the farm and field at the horizon. One of the moments with the camera in hand I was thankful for in 2023.

I wish all readers, visitors, and followers of my photography website a peaceful year 2024 and many happy moments while pursuing your own photography!

RETROSPECTS 2023 - #6

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Little Maquoketa Valley, Iowa, February 2023

This is the raptor every other bird pays utmost attention to in our woods, the Sharp-shinned Hawk. When all the woodpeckers or nuthatches freeze motionless and the sparrows and finches disappear suddenly, we just know the ”sharpy” is somewhere around here. Sometimes we don’t see him or her but all the birds obviously do and immediately adapt their behavior. They are able to move very fast between the trees without hitting a branch and can strike with surprise. I have seen a Sharp-shinned Hawk taking a Northern Cardinal down mid air. What follows is usually not very pretty but nature’s rule requires that they all have to eat sometime for survival…

In early February this hawk spent more than half an hour in great light near our bird feeders and the only difficulty to overcome was to find a position with the camera that had an unobstructed view between the trees. It was just another great moment in 2023 and worth to mention again.

I WAS WAITING FOR THIS!

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker

You haven’t seen much new here in the blog lately beside my ”RETROSPECT 2023” blog posts, but today I had to take the camera out on the porch for some exciting bird photography. It is still warm, way to warm for this time of the year, but late morning it started snowing. The roads still remained clear but in the trees the white stuff accumulated a little bit. After all the gray weather and rain lately, this was a delight today! It also was another chance to work with the new speed light, the Westscott FJ80 II with a dome diffuser attached. As always, shortly after the camera on tripod was in place outside the door, the birds started to return.

The still young oak tree in front of the house, becomes more and more a hub for the birds before they fly over to a feeder. This female is one of three Red-bellied Woodpeckers that have their home somewhere nearby.

Female Downy Woodpecker

I’m trying to find out how many Downy Woodpeckers we actually have here in our woods. So far I have counted 7, but since they move fast between the front and back side of the building, I’m still wondering if there is even a couple more hanging around.

Female White-breasted Nuthatch

A couple of White-breasted Nuthatches are permanent residents up on the bluffs here. This female showed up alone today but quite often we see both birds and sometimes the male is stealing seeds from the female.

I used the Westscott FJ80 II speed light in manual mode for today’s photos. With its big display it’s easy to change the settings, eben without the use of my glasses. I’m very pleased how this new tool in my bag delivers . With the diffusion dome attached you can’t even tell that a speed light was used, since there is hardly any catch light in the bird’s eyes, but the colors of the feathers are revealed gorgeously. This is most prevalent in the photo of the Red-bellied Woodpecker.

As always, I try to tell a story with the photo and today it was all about the snow. To get the trails of snow flakes it takes about 1/60 s to 1/160 s. At that shutter speed not every shot is tack sharp while using a 600 mm focal length. Nevertheless, at the end the old rule applies, if the eye of the bird is not sharp, the picture ends in the virtual trash can, no matter if the snow trails look good or not…

RETROSPECTS 2023 - #5

American White Pelican, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa, April 2023

I opened the paddle season much earlier than other years and put the kayak in the water at the Green Island Wetlands already in early April. While paddling between the islands I discovered a small flock of American White Pelicans. All seven birds had the keel developed on top of their bills, a feature they only show during their breeding season between February and June. It was a narrow spot and I had no chance to paddle much around them. They let me come very close but eventually took off and flew to a different place in the wetlands.

RETROSPECTS 2023 - #4

Juvenile Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, at Savannah-Sabula bridge, February 2023

It looks like only for the second time in twenty years we will not have any snow on the ground for Christmas. Snow is a great reflector of the light and can be very beneficial for our story telling about wildlife. In January / February the Mississippi had some ice cover but not as much as other years. Open water often attracts large numbers of Bald Eagles. I found a good spot near the Savannah-Sabula bridge down south for watching the eagles catching fish.

I made the click at the third attempt of this young eagle to pick up a small fish it had dropped on the older and snow covered ice earlier. The light was nicely reflected at the bird and I also liked the reflection of trees on the thin new ice in the background.