Nature clicks #31 - More from the wetlands

 

I really had a good time again last Saturday in the Green Island Wetlands. The location became familiar during the last couple months and I believe this is key to better images. Not that I think that my photography is top level, it just isn't, but I know that I made some progress.

I found two pairs of Wood Ducks again. I know where to find them now, but they are extremely cautious and fly away as soon I stop my very slow moving car. Someone may wonder why I use the car. The area is wide open and the birds can see you long before you may see them. The car works as a blind and many birds seem to tolerate it. Not so the Wood Ducks! They were hiding in a corn field across the wide water filled trench beside the gravel road. I have a picture of the female duck too but didn't like the quality. Well, another reason to go back and try it again.

I wrote a few days ago how difficult it was to approach Painted Turtles that were basking in the sun on a log in the water. It is a piece of cake when you meet them on land. I just laid down in the dirt and was even able to use the 150/f2.8  ;-)

There is another animal I have tried to put my glass on for a long time and at different locations. I never liked the results, until last Saturday. This Muskrat didn't seem to mind my presence. It was chewing on fresh sprouts of (probably) reed. Later I saw it with a whole bunch in its mouth swimming towards its lodge. Unfortunately my position was a little higher than the water level and there was old grass between the muskrat and me. But I'm still glad I got a set of usable images.

Nature clicks #30 - Green Island Wetlands again

 

Today I actually planned to drive down south to LeClaire, Iowa and try to find White Pelicans at the Mississippi. Well, I never made it. On my way down I stopped in the Green Island Wetlands. Oh boy, there was so much going on that I discarded my original plan and spent all day long in this area again. The Mississippi had its flood peak today and in the wetlands the water was also quite a bit higher than during my earlier visits this year. Many of the surrounding fields were flooded and I was wondering how that would effect the wildlife and the chances to make some good images. Soon after turning of the main road I ran into a couple egrets, a Blue Heron, and two Sandhill Cranes, all in the same spot. It was the closest distance I have been to any of the cranes so far…  more to come!

Nature clicks #29 - Dutchman's breeches

Nikon D200, SIGMA 150 mm f/2.8, 1/500s, f/5.6, -1 EV, ISO 100

In my blog post "Nature clicks- #26" I talked about another wildflower we can find in the woods behind our house. It is the Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), a perennial herbaceous plant. These pictures were already taken ten days ago but we still can find many of them here on the wooded slopes of the Little Maquoketa Valley.

I use a tripod for most of my images but messing with the sticks on a steep slope takes a lot of time. By the time you have the camera in a stabile place, a good light situation may have passed already. I learned this lesson during the last three years in my backyard and this time I just handheld the camera.

Nikon D200, SIGMA 150 mm f/2.8, 1/160s, f/8, -1EV, ISO 100

Wind is always an issue at this time of the year, and quite often I use "the peak of action" as in wildlife photography, the brief moment when nothing is moving. "Peak of action" is something I learned from famous wildlife photographer Moose Peterson. You can read about it on his blog or in his wonderful book 'Captured'. A book, I can't rave enough about! In the matter of wildflowers I just had to use all my attention to sense when the wind will stop for a second or two.

I wish all my friends and visitors of my blog a wonderful Easter weekend.

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.

Nature clicks #27 - Great Egret

Nikon D200, SIGMA 50-500 @ 420mm, 1/320s, f/8, -1 EV, ISO 100

Another image from my trip to the Green Island Wetlands last weekend. This shot of a Great Egret was taken at 5:36PM. The light was just gorgeous and I was very happy that I stayed all day long and waited until the grey clouds were blown away. More to come...

Nature clicks #26 - Update on wildflowers

Nikon D200, SIGMA 150 mm f/2.8, 1/400s, f/4, -1/2 EV, ISO 100

I like to give you a quick update on the wildflowers in the woods behind our house. Two weeks ago I reported about the first hepatica sticking their heads out (click for my older post here). There are many patches of them now and their colors vary from almost white to deep purple.

Nikon D200, SIGMA 150 mm f/2.8, 1/350s, f/5.6, -1/2 EV, ISO 100

Another early flower we are blessed to have here is the Bloodroot. We never have seen so many before as of this year. It seems to pay back now that Joan and I pull out any Garlic Mustard plant, whenever we can grab one. Garlic Mustard is an invasive species in North America and it spreads everywhere in the the woods here. It seems to be an endless battle because one plant can produce hundreds of seeds and they can germinate up to five years after being produced. This patch of Bloodroot is the largest one I have seen so far and we are very happy about it. And there is another wildflower blooming already, but this for another post. So, please stop by again!

Nature clicks #25 - Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers

Nikon D200, SIGMA 50-500 @ 420mm, 1/125s, f/6.3, -1/2 EV, ISO 100

Yesterday I promised that I would reveal my new discoveries from last Saturday in  the Green Island Wetlands. For the first time I saw a pair of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa). My "National Geographic - Complete Birds of North America" says, "Wood Ducks are usually found in heavily wooded swamps." You can tell by looking at my picture that there is some truth in that sentence ;-)  . It was extremely difficult to get the glass on those birds. To be honest, I was surprised that this shot of the male duck turned out ok. It would of course be nicer to have an unobstructed view, but at the other hand it really shows how good these Wood Ducks were hiding in their natural environment. I will never try to get a better picture if the well being of the animal is at stake. And these ducks were already quite nervous.

Nikon D200, SIGMA 50-500 @ 420mm, 1/400s, f/6.3, -1 EV, ISO 100

The second discovery was a pair of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus). They were also very shy and it took me four carefully executed approaches to get this shot. The sharpness is not perfect and that sets the goal for another time. I had them earlier much closer but they were on the "wrong side" of the dam, means they were backlit.

The time was flying fast and the light became better with every minute. More to come...

Nature clicks #24 - Great Blue Heron

Nikon D200, SIGMA 50-500 @ 500mm, 1/500s, f/6.3, -1/2 EV, ISO 200

Yesterday I  spent almost eight hours in the Green Island Wetlands near the Mississippi River again. The day didn't actually start too good. Uniform grey clouds covered the sky, a "no, no" for taking pictures of birds on the water or in flight. But my worries were without avail. The weather became better with every hour I spent in the wetlands. I met my friend Dave Updegraff briefly, who was on a photo tour with his wife and some friends. They told me about some Sandhill Cranes they had seen earlier  and that I had missed. No wonder, eight eyes see more than two ;-) .

I went back and first I saw only four cranes. They later joined another group of ten birds further in the distance. I made a few clicks but they were out of reach for a good image. However, it was once more exiting to watch the Sandhill Cranes and to hear their calls. Dave actually posted a picture of me looking at the cranes in his blog. Thank you Dave! :-)

Nikon D200, SIGMA 50-500 @ 500mm, 1/160s, f/6.3, -1/2 EV, ISO 100

Despite the sun was still not out from behind the clouds I put the lens on a Great Blue Heron that was looking out for prey. Suddenly it caught a fish. It took the heron quite some time to gobble the big catch. I had the focus set on manual this time again. I really get better results, means more keepers, if I use the Sigma 50-500 at maximum focal length.

Joan had to work this weekend and couldn't join me this time. When I come back from a photo trip she asks me quite often, "Did you see anything new?". Oh yes, I did! So please stay tuned for more to come…

Nature in transition

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Here are a few images from a recent walk down in the valley of the Little Maquoketa River. I tried to capture the essence of the transition between winter and spring. The colors were still very dull. Last year's plants and grasses are in a state of fast decay but they create patterns and structures that I thought would make good B&W Images. I gave them a slight cool color tint, because I like it this way. All pictures were made with the Nikon D200 and the SIGMA 150 mm, f2.8 lens.

Nature clicks #23 - Thunderstorm delight

150 mm, 1/90s, f4, -1EV, ISO 200

I like thunderstorms! I'm aware of their danger but I have to admit that I have been probably a few times way too close to the "wrong place at the wrong time". That was back in the ol' days during mountaineering and trekking tours over in Europe. Oh boy, I guess we all get smarter with age but thunderstorms still fascinate me.

Last Sunday we had one moving in during the hour before sunset. The low sun and the fast moving clouds produced a different image every other second. I can take shots like this from the safe place of our front porch. It is not as spectacular as in the mountains, but I still love it!