NATURE CLICKS #606 - BOBOLINKS, READY FOR THE NESTING SEASON

Male Bobolink, Technology Park, Dubuque, Iowa

Bobolinks have one of the longest migration routes. They spend the winter in Bolivia, Paraguay, western Brazil, and northern Argentina. They breed in grassland habitats and it is important that the grass is not mowed during the breeding time. This happened unfortunately here in the Dubuque, Iowa area in one of the habitats in 2023, due to human ignorance. The Bobolink is one of the few songbirds that undergo two complete molts each year. After breeding the male changes to a more drab and camouflaged plumage.

I found at least 4 male Bobolinks today and saw briefly even a female in the grass of the Dubuque Technology Park. The Dubuque Audubon Society has worked with the city so that mowing in the undeveloped lots takes place only outside of the nesting season. Signs around these areas inform the public about this natural treasure. Other bird species can be present as well and toady I saw American Robins, an Eastern Meadowlark, Barn Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and an Eastern Kingbird.

I made a number of shots while standing or kneeling at the edge of the grassland lots but the distance to the birds was a little bit too far for a pleasing photo. Later I parked the car with the driver side against the curb and shot both photos from my ”mobile blind”.

THE TALLEST

Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

I’m back from my possibly last ever business trip. Two days driving in the rain over in Wisconsin wasn’t as much fun as it normally would be and the camera stayed in the bag the whole time. Well, I promised a little while ago to post a few more pictures from our trip to Oregon in April and that’s what I can offer you today.

On the last day we visited the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland and stopped of course at Oregon’s tallest waterfall, Multnomah Falls. Between all the phone swinging people there I probably looked like a dinosaur with my camera on a tripod. That’s ok, because I can print this image quite large and that’s what mattered to me during my second visit 15 years after the first one…

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head,   @ 35 mm, 1/10s, f/13, ISO 100

THE MOST COMMON, BUT IT’S ABOUT THE LIGHT…

Wild Geranium, Pohlman Prairie Preserve, Little Maquoketa Valley, eastern Iowa

A short hike through the woods up the slope in Pohlman Prairie Preserve resulted in a good number of wildflower encounters, some of them even not so common. Pohlman Prairie is a small piece of ”goat prairie”, a type of dry prairie that is found here in the Driftless area mostly along the valley of the Upper Mississippi River, but this one is only a mile away, here on the bluffs of the Little Maquoketa Valley.

It was the photo of probably one of the more abundant blossoms on the forest floor, the Wild Geranium, that intrigued me the most. Dappled light is not always a photographer’s best friend but here I really liked how it made the blossoms stand out from the green on the ground under the canopy of the trees.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm,    @200 mm

WARBLERS, GREAT SUBJECT FOR TESTING

American Redstart, Bankston County Park

Just back from a business trip I had the desire to go out and look for some wildlife yesterday evening . The steep and wooded river valley in Bankston County Park has been a good spot many times before and in the month of May there is often a good chance to get some warblers in front of the lens. Both species I found will probably breed in this area and there was a lot of calling going on.

It was the first time I didn’t bring the tripod and relied completely on my handholding capabilities and the amazing focus system of a new Nikon Z 6 III. It was very windy, even in the valley, and these little birds never seem to hold still, but I had a good number of sharp shots I could choose from for this blog post. I have used the new Z6 III since two weeks now and all I can say is, I’m very impressed with its focus system after extensive testing with the long lens and the teleconverter attached.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x,   @ 840mm

Yellow Warbler, Bankston County Park area

ON GUARD

Eastern Bluebird, female

Eastern Bluebird, male

This was nine days ago and I knew there were at least five eggs in the bluebird nest box. It was a warm evening and even the female spent time away from the nest, certainly returning for the night later. Both parents were frequently perched in a tree that still had some gorgeous sunlight not far from the nest and they had always an eye on it. The bluebirds obviously avoided to draw attention to the location of the nest. This all made for a good photo opportunity with the long lens and the teleconverter attached, so the parents were not concerned about my presence in the backyard.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z TC-1.4x, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2025 #4 - ON THE RIVER AGAIN

Spotted Sandpiper, Mississippi River, Mud Lake area

Yesterday morning I paddled into the main channel of the big river, following a Spotted Sandpiper that never seemed to stand still for a moment. The wind added some dynamic to the fast flowing water. I didn’t expect that the vegetation and probably some algae along the shore had such an impact on the colors reflected from the surface of the river, giving it a warm touch. Of course, I take that for a photo that is a little different…

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S,    @ 600mm, 1/1250s, f/9, ISO 1000, image slightly cropped

NATURE CLICKS #605 - BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x.   @840 mm, 1/1000 s, f/9, ISO 1250

At least a dozen orioles are frequent visitors in our yard since a few days. We have orange halves out there as a food source and they pull the fruit pulp out of them, although it seems they like the also provided grape jelly even better.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x.   @840 mm, 1/1600 s, f/9, ISO 1250

RISKY PLEASURE

We made another paddle trip by kayak in the Mud Lake area on the Mississippi River yesterday evening. The water level of the big river was a little bit higher than two days earlier and as a result I saw only one sandpiper. But there is always something to find in this ever changing ecosystem of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Before we even saw them we heard the incredible noise from dozens of American Toads that had started their mating  time.

Having probably only one thing in mind some of the frogs didn’t pay the attention to their environment they should have. While I still tried to find the best position with my kayak, two Northern Water Snakes took advantage of the frogs desire for some pleasure and their drive to mate and snatched them off from the driftwood logs in the mud. One snake disappeared immediately in the water and made it to land quickly. The other one slipped over the log quickly and all what I got in my picture is the head of the snake and the legs of the toad sticking out of its mouth.

Well, this didn’t stop all the other males to continue to attract the females with their loud high-pitched trill. They produce their characteristic calls by using a combination of their lungs, vocal cords, and a vocal sac to amplify the sound.

Good time, good times!

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

NATURE CLICKS #604 - A SECRETIVE RAIL, THE SORA

Sora, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

Shooting from a kayak leads to perspectives that are otherwise hard to obtain. I have photographed the very secretive Soras before from land and it seems they always disappear behind some reeds or bushes when you have them in the viewfinder. It can drive you crazy. However, the Sora is the most widespread and abundant rail in North America. While they search for food and move along the shore it is often hard to follow them. Being on the seaside in a boat makes it a lot more visible where they might go next and allows to predict a good opportunity for a shot a little bit ahead of time.

Soras rake often floating vegetation in the water with their feet or use their bill to move plant material and find insects, mollusks, snails, seeds or aquatic invertebrates. Yesterday I found three of these very beautiful rails in the backwaters of Mud Lake. The one in the picture below took actually a bath and frolicked in the shallow water for several minutes. What a show!

NATURE CLICKS #603 - DUNLINS ON THEIR WAY TO THE ARCTIC

Dunlins, Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

I really wanted to go back to the Mississippi River this afternoon and try to shoot from the kayak again. It was a good idea since I saw birds we haven’t spotted yesterday. The highlight were two Dunlins in full breeding plumage, who were definitely on their journey from the cost of the Gulf of Mexico or Florida to the arctic coast in Canada. This is a bird easy to identify with their black belly patch. They didn’t pay too much attention to my presence and didn’t stop to probe and jab in the shallow water or mud along the shore at Mud Lake on the Mississippi River. I have seen them a few times at the Green Island Wetlands further south during recent years, but always very far away. Today I finally had a real photo opportunity here in Iowa for the first time and I had a hard time to decide which photo to post here in the blog.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2025 #3 - OPENING THE SEASON

After taking many pictures of Greater Yellowlegs during this spring season I finally found a Lesser Yellowleg within the reach of the lens.

Today we used the nice weather with mild temperatures and sun and opened the paddle season. The kayaks were launched on the Mississippi River in the backwaters of Mud Lake, only a few minutes away from home. What was supposed to be a short trip became an all afternoon journey with lots of wildlife encounters. I have written here before how much I love to shoot from the kayak because of the ability to have the lens real low above the water, much better than driving by car on top of a dyke. Beside the usual suspects, like egrets, herons, geese, ducks, pelicans, and muskrats, we watched three different sandpiper species, a number of eagles, and even heard the Sandhill Cranes in the reeds.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

Many Painted Turtles had climbed on driftwood logs and used the sun to warm up after a long winter season.

This adult Bald Eagle had just eaten something, probably a fish, and didn’t seem to be bothered by me drifting by with my kayak. Six or seven other eagles were nearby, maybe hoping to pick up some leftovers.

If this Solitary Sandpiper plans still to reach the breeding grounds in the northland regions of Canada, it better gets on its way for the rest of the long distance. They spend the winters from central Mexico to South America.

NATURE CLICKS #602 - WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

White-crowned Sparrow, Ophir Beach, Oregon, Apr 11, 2025

White-crowned Sparrows are not seen very often here in the Little Maquoketa Valley in eastern Iowa. They spend the winter in the states south of here and have their breeding grounds high up in Canada and Alaska. With other words, we are migration territory. The photo below was shot a couple days ago and the bird spent a few minutes on a small tree in our yard. During our recent trip to Oregon we saw White-crowned Sparrows in abundance. At the coast they are present year-round.

At both occasions I tried to make an environmental portrait. Giving the picture a sense of place or season is my preferred way to photograph wildlife. Including the ocean and the surf in the background let us know that the sparrow was perched right behind the beach. The second photo is totally different. The bird was hiding in a dense tree with lots of little branches and that could be anywhere. No chance to have such a clean background as on Ophir Beach. But the buds had just opened and small leaves showed their fresh green, telling the story about spring migration of the White-crowned Sparrow.

Both photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x, @840 mm

White-crowned Sparrow, Little Maquoketa, Valley, eastern Iowa, May 1, 2025

SHORT SPRING BIRD REPORT

Baltimore Oriole, This male arrived yesterday, 4/29/2025. They spend the winter either in Florida, along the southern Atlantic coast, or in southern Mexico.

What’s going on in our woods here? It’s the most exciting time of the year with the arrival of many bird species from the south. All photos were made during the last seven days, except for one, which is from the last week in April 2024. Beside what I can present today, other birds showed up as well, like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, White-throated Sparrow, or the Eastern Whip-poor-will, but not every sighting or sound in the woods leads to a photo. I also like to include in my little bird report some local residents because mating and preparation for nesting puts a spin on their behavior as well. I hope you enjoy today’s images!

Baltimore Oriole, The first female followed today, 4/30/2025

House Wren, Usually they are the first bird that arrives after the winter, 4/18/2025, Several males sing their heart out from early morning until late evening, but the females are still not here yet.

Chipping Sparrow, They arrived from the south a day after the House Wren, 4/19/2025, and a pair is feeding together on the ground since. Their fast-pulsing song is always a sure sign of spring for me. I didn’t get a decent shot so far but present an image that was made last year, 4/28/2024.

American Robin, While many people celebrate their arrival in early spring, we have seen them here in our woods occasionally during the winter. This female had obviously an early start and was collecting already nest material in the front yard

Female American Goldfinch, By a complete molt of their body feathers goldfinches change from winter plumage to breeding plumage in spring. It is the only finch species that have this second molt. This female had obviously still a few feathers of its winter dress left.

Brown-headed Cowbird, This pair showed up 4/24/2025 and visited one of our feeders several times since. Nobody really wants to see them because they are brood parasites and deposit their eggs in nests that belong to other bird species. They typically hatch earlier than their host’s eggs, which gives them an advantage over the other hatchlings.

Male American Goldfinch, He is done molting and looks gorgeous in his breeding plumage. The previously mentioned Brown-headed Cowbird may lay an egg in a goldfinch nest, but the hatchling may die because the seed-based diet provided by the parents cannot support the cowbird.

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Several male birds arrived 4/25/2025 and refuel with sunflower seeds after their long journey from Central or maybe even South America. The first two females followed yesterday.

NATURE CLICKS #601 - CALIFORNIA QUAIL (FIRST SIGHTING)

California Quail, Arizona Beach area, Oregon

The California Quail was a lifer for me. Several males and females moved quickly through the grass while feeding near Arizona Beach at the Oregon Coast. The topknot above the head of this male looks like a single feather, but it is actually a cluster of six overlapping plumes. (source: iBird Pro App)

This is such a pretty bird but unfortunately we watched them only for a few minutes until they disappeared between the thick underbrush again.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S

Female California Quail

WATERFALL FASCINATIONS

Wahkeena Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

A trip to Oregon should always include some waterfalls, at least in my books. We revisited the Columbia Gorge Gorge east of Portland on the last day of our trip. Yes, there are some other tourists but it is not impossible to keep them out of the picture. Late morning turned to be out a good time. The sun was almost above the falls and threw some light into the river gorge, which is sloped to the north.

In anticipation of taking pictures of waterfalls I carried my tripod with me but stayed away from real long exposure times in favor of the sunlit mist that swirled around. I thought that was more interesting than water that looks a little bit just like milk.

Those of you who know these locations may say, where is a photo of the tallest waterfall? Well, this is for another blog post…

Bridal Veil Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Latourell Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Wahkeena Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon