BIRDS AT MAKOSHIKA

Orange-crowned Warbler, Makoshika State Park, Montana, September 2020

Wherever we go on vacation we always keep track what kind of birds or critters we see, even if not every encounter leads necessarily to a photo opportunity. A place like Makoshika State Park in Montana, with Pondarosa pines, red cedars, grasses, and shrubs provides food for many birds and other animals. We had a remote campsite on a ridge above a canyon and many tree tops were on eye level. This gave us a good position and view for birds who may have been otherwise high above our heads. This sounds easy but the biggest challenge was to manage the harsh light. Other than that, you can sit in your camping chair, read a book, and just wait until warblers, kinglets, or nuthatches show up. Most of the time you hear them way before you see them…

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch, All photos: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

NATURE CLICKS #325 - GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET

I could tell several stories with the photos I made today but I like to start with the the most exciting one. I was heading north today to dam #9 in the Mississippi River, located between Harpers Ferry and Lansing, IA. The area north of the dam is a bird refuge for most of the year and it came to no surprise to see hundreds of coots and ducks there. 

A walk on the levee towards the dam led to another first sighting for me. While focussing on another bird (may talk about it another day) I suddenly heard a high-pitched “tsee-tsee-tsee” call and discovered two tiny birds that I knew so far only from my bird books. The Golden-crowned Kinglet is easy to identify, but with the speed they move along the tree branches while looking for small insects, getting a sharp image was quite a challenge.

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens, tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head