Nature clicks #239 - Map Turtle

 

I haven’t made a single click last week and I couldn’t wait to go out again on the Mississippi today in the kayak and with the camera in my lap. This photo is as fresh as it gets. It is the first time that I had a chance to make a photo of a Map Turtle. They are usually the first ones to dive into the water as soon an intruder appears. It took three carefully executed approaches before I was able to come close enough without that the turtle jumped off the log.

Last weekend in the Green Island Wetlands I came across this female Painted Turtle. It was obviously moving between two ponds but took a rest in the middle of the gravel road. After making a couple clicks I took the turtle and carried it off the road. The Painted Turtle can be found all over in Iowa while the Map Turtle is only supported in the larger rivers of Eastern Iowa.

Making up for a week without a single click

 

Ok, no post last week. I have been on a business trip and despite driving more than a thousand miles I was not able to make a single click. I guess I made up for this yesterday and spent almost seven hours in the Green Island Wetlands near the Mississippi. It was a great day to be outside in the warm sun. Lots of wildlife seemed to enjoy the spring weather as well.

As the title of my blog suggests, my blog is not just about photography, it is also about sharing wildlife encounters and locations with you and if you live in or near Eastern Iowa I like to encourage you to go out and see the wetlands yourself. Right now, during bird migration is the best time to be there.

Not all animals come within a range where a click can be made but here is a list of what I saw yesterday:

Painted Turtle

Red-tailed Hawk (two at the same time but I screwed up and didn't get them in focus :-(   )

Lesser Yellowleg (more to come)

American White Pelican (A large scoop has arrived but was too far away for my lens today)

Song Sparrow

Northern Shoveler

Blue-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal

Mallard

Bufflehead

Wood Duck

Wilson's Snipe (A first sighting for me! More to  come)

Canada Goose (of course!)

American Coot

Muskrat (more to come)

Northern Leopard Frog

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture (Finally got some good shots of this bird)

Great Egret (To my surprise I saw a single egret. Have never seen one so early.)

Red-winged Blackbird (they took possession of their breeding grounds and have spread everywhere)

There is a lake in the backwaters that was covered with thousands of waterbirds. I'm sure there were some more species I have not listed here. There is no way accessing this area of the wetlands without scaring them because you can't use the car as a blind and the area is wide open.

Making an image of the Painted Turtles is always a challenge in bright sunlight. You may ask, why didn't you use a polarizing filter to eliminate glare and reflections? Well, I don't have an 86 mm filter that would fit the Sigma 50-500 and I have no intends to get one. It does not happen very often that I miss the polarizer on the long lens and most of the time there wouldn't be enough light to keep the shutter speed in a manageable range anyway. Laying down in the dirt makes for a more interesting perspective and also helps a little with the glare on the turtle shell.

I haven't been able to sort through all images from yesterday's shooting trip but there will be more to come. So please stay tuned! ;-)

Nature clicks #105 - Common Snapping Turtle

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

Yesterday I promised you another wildlife encounter. I left our little tent early Sunday morning to look for some shooting opportunities at one of the lakes in Governor Dodge State Park, Wisconsin. I was actually looking for some wood ducks I had seen last fall. I saw the female with ten little ducklings but they were too far away for a good picture.

Instead I found this big Common Snapping Turtle on a sandy spot in the grass near Cox Hollow Lake. This was the closest I have ever been to one of these creatures. The dry duck weed on top of its upper shell told me that it must have been on land for some time already. This turtle had left quite a few "digging marks" in the sand and I was wondering if this was a female that just had laid her eggs into the sand.

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

As always, I tried not to disturb the animal and worked from a distance with a focal length between 270 and 500mm. The turtle gave me about 20 minutes before it slowly moved towards the water and disappeared. The Common Snapping Turtle may not be the prettiest animal on this planet but nevertheless it was very interesting to watch this aquatic ambush hunter with its beak-like jaws.

Habitat recovery and kudos for a dog

After a long day behind my desk I went for a walk to a little wetland area north of Dubuque along the Mississippi. I haven't been there this year because of the brutal impact that some construction work had last year in this area. It made me just sad and mad to see how a wildlife habitat can be legally treated so bad. Today I just wanted to find out what the situation is there. The good news is that some of the vegetation had recovered and at least some of the wildlife had returned. I saw quite a few birds, frogs, toads, and two young snapping turtles.

Nikon D200, Nikkor 24-120 mm f/4G ED VR

I had packed light and carried just the camera with the 24-120 mounted. Not ideal for this picture of the tiny Snapping Turtle. I wished I had the Sigma 150/f2.8 and a flashlight with me. The background of this picture really sucks but I will not move an animal in order to get a better image. It is what it is in my wildlife photography. I shot a picture of a young snapping turtle almost at the same place several years ago. That was even worse and that's why the new one will replace the first shot in my Iowa Wildlife Gallery. It's ok for now, I will be back sometime.

Nikon D200, Nikkor 24-120 mm f/4G ED VR

On the way back to the car I saw that the low sun created some wonderful light on these sunflowers. I couldn't resist to make the click.

Nikon D200, Nikkor 24-120 mm f/4G ED VR

No, I will not become a "pet shooter"! But I want to give some kudos to Cooper, our little dog that made himself home on our porch last year, and who lives with us since. He was patiently sitting and waiting while I was taking pictures today. He likes the sun and the wonderful warm light was as good for him as it was for the flowers… Good boy Cooper!

Nature clicks #44 - Snapping Turtle on a log

 

I like to share another picture from last weekend that may not win a photography price but means a lot to me. Just before I shot the images of the new born swan cygnet (see my last post) I stopped at one of the other ponds in the Mill Creek Valley and saw this Common Snapping Turtle on a log in the pond. A Painted Turtle was right next to it. It was quiet a bit away, so I tried to work with the lines of the logs in the water to make it at least an interesting composition. While still fiddling with my settings, the turtle decided that diving in the water is more fun than sun bathing on a log. OK, I had two shots on my memory card and I'm glad about it. It is an interesting animal I really want to find out more about it. I like how the Snapping Turtle is laying on the log. Doesn't it really say, Hey it's Sunday, just relax….? ;-)

Nature clicks #28 - Painted turtles

Nikon D200, SIGMA 50-500 @ 370mm, 1/350s, f/9.5, -1 EV, ISO 280

Birds have dominated my interest in the wetlands last Saturday. But there is more to find. I have made pictures of Painted Turtles before, but have never been satisfied with the outcome. They are hard to approach. The slightest movement concerns them and they will slide or just drop into the water as soon someone comes close. As much I would like to use my tack sharp SIGMA 150, f/2.8 lens to capture their image, it just seems not to be possible and I have to rely on the 50-500 with it's longer range. Other things have to fall in place too. I don't like too much sky reflection on their shell or on the water surface. It always makes the picture looking dull. The low sun in the late afternoon opened this opportunity for me to get a decent image of some sunbathing Painted Turtles on a log.