Nature clicks #136 - Ring billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull 1  

I went "on patrol" today to many of my favorite shooting spots along the Mississippi River. Green Island IA, Sabula IA, Savannah IL, and finally to lock and dam #14 near LeClaire, Iowa. It was way to warm for this time of the year (11ºC = 52ºF) and my suspicion got completely confirmed. There were very few Bald Eagles present at the places that are usually a 100% bet. Two dozen photographers were lined up at lock #14 with their million dollar gear but not a single eagle was sitting in the trees. It was after 3PM when I arrived at the scene and the low sun delivered "killer light" (I borrow this term by famous photographer Moose Peterson. I have not found a better English word that describes a warm and crispy light, that gives photographs almost a 3rd dimension, better than this ;-)  ). I talked briefly to another photographer from Ohio and I bet it was disappointing for him and his friends to make an eight hour drive to Iowa and not getting the shots they were hoping for.

 

Ring-billed Gull 2

 

I didn't want to stand around with the camera and do nothing and part of today's goals was to test my Sigma 50-500 a little more after it came back from repair. I saw only one eagle within shooting range today at lock #14 but there were plenty of Ring-billed Gulls flying around. All pictures were made handhold. I had many keepers and was very pleased how the lens delivered today. It is supposed to get very, very cold here in the next few days. The Mississippi will freeze over again and hopefully the Bald Eagles will be back again.

 

 

Nature clicks #79 - In flight, with texture

Ring-billed Gull
Nikon D300s, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM

On my way back home from Illinois today I stopped again at Mississippi dam #14 and joined the group of photographers there for an hour. Everybody was eagerly awaiting some Bald Eagles to show up. Burt and his friends had thrown some fish into the water in order to attract the eagles. I made quiet a few clicks but didn't really like my results today. Instead I show you another image from last Sunday. The Ring-billed Gulls were competing with the eagles about the fish and gulls are a great subject to practice long lens shooting technique. I like this photo for several reasons. First, I do not have too many pictures of a gull in full flight. This one will be a good addition to my Iowa-Wildlife-Gallery. I also like the background of this shot. Usually I prefer a subtle background that lets the animal stand out, but here I really like the texture of the bold reflections on the water. I believe it adds dynamic to the image without totally distracting from the bird.

 

 

 

Nature clicks #70 - Ring-billed Gulls

Ring-billed Gull 1
Nikon D300s, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM

As promised I will tell you a little more about my photo shoot last Monday. A little further south from the Green Island Wetlands, on an island in the Mississippi River, lies the town of Sabula, Iowa. There is always a good chance to see some eagles, gulls, geese, or ducks in this area. The water that is not directly effected by the current of the big river was frozen over, despite the still unusual mild weather we have. The ice in the Sabula marina was thin but gave some Ring-billed Gulls a chance to rest and enjoy the warmth of the late afternoon sun. The first photo is my favorite of the three in this post. I was  happy to get this shot of the gull during take off. The gulls allowed me to practice my panning technique and they are a great subject because there is always one that is on the move.

Ring-billed Gull 2

Dark clouds moved in and were reflected by the ice, as you can see in the two other images. The low sun, coming already from underneath the clouds, made for absolute killer light. These are the moments I'm looking for, even if I have to wait a whole day. Time well spent in the Great Outdoors….!

Ring-billed Gulls 3
Nikon D300s, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM