Awkward Art?

Weather conditions or Mother Nature or something else seemed to be limiting wildlife activities early this morning. With few critters to find and photograph I turned my lens toward the river to practice focusing on birds in flight. (The spring migration will soon be here so I need to practice again so I am…

Angles and Another Like Yesterday

Yesterday I shared a bald eagle photo I recorded with my mother on a trip to Minnesota. Again today I was able to photograph another bald eagle under almost the same conditions…

Words My Mother May Have Been Thinking, But Not Speaking

During a drive today with my mother we passed this bald eagle perched majestically in a tree along the road. Of course I quickly turned her car around after driving past, drove past the eagle in the opposite direction, and then turned around one more time so I could compose images out of my driver’s window. As soon as I opened my window I could hear my camera struggling to focus due to the heat from the car causing “waves” that killed my autofocus. Having seen this phenomenon many times, I knew the “fix” for the situation. All I need to do was turn the heater off, open the windows so there were no temperature inversions, and photograph the bird, assuming it remained on the tree branch watching us.

Luck was on our side as the eagle stayed put, turned its head back and forth, but did not take flight. When air temperatures between the outside and car equalized…

So Many Coats

Following a “catch-up” conversation/lunch at Culver’s this afternoon with my other brother Darrell and my buddy Buttercup, I spent the remainder of the afternoon on a brisk winter photo shoot at Dunning’s Spring in Decorah. With a high temperature of 3-degrees (F) and a slight breeze, conditions were such that no chances…

Thank You Family!

This past Christmas I was the recipient of a couple of gifts that I thought were too much and should have been returned. I faced stiff opposition to my idea and have since been putting the Christmas presents to good use. What were these gifts? An electric coat…

Burr…

Blistering cold or not, wildlife must continue their daily routines for survival. This afternoon I photographed trumpeter swans on the move and a rough-legged hawk on the hunt.

Birds of Winter, Birds of Snow and Wind

Like magic, today the horned larks and lapland longspurs showed up as snow was falling and the wind was blowing. These two species, along with snow buntings, are most easily seen (by me) when winter weather makes conditions ugly, if not unsafe. It seems the worse the conditions, the easier it is for me to photograph these species.

For the record, the horned larks seem to be the highest…

Common Species for Winter

For an hour or two this morning I watched and shot pictures at a local bird feeding area. As my hunch proved, there were no unusual bird species at the feeders. But, the normal hungry winter birds were present in good numbers.

Interestingly, the birds seemed to feast in waves and then go still. That cycle repeated several times. I do not have an explanation for…

Farewell Last Week’s Warm Temperatures

A steady flow of the Cedar River passed the old weathered tree toppled into the river long ago. River fog, referred to by some as steam, floated above the river. An irregular breeze lifted the fog higher or carried it away to reveal reflections of trees standing along the river’s edge.

The air had a sharp bite on exposed skin - so different from a few days ago when the sun was warm and inviting. There would be no lingering along the riverbank this morning when each breath of cold air almost hurt. Today was a time to feel and watch last week’s warmth slip away. There would be no stopping this change in weather, just the experience of witnessing the change.

The slightly warmer water was cooling to match the air temperature as current moved it downstream. Ice was forming and floating away with a metallic clinking sound created by the rhythm of the water’s movement.

Upstream Canada geese - twenty, forty, maybe a hundred and forty or more rested with their feathers dusted with ice crystals. The cold air condensed the water vapor on the birds making a cold scene. Few birds moved when a man with a camera stopped to watch. There appeared to be a mutual understanding that it was too cold to play games. No, all understood we were fine with watching - no experiencing - the departure of last week’s warmth.

The scene was cold, but inviting. This was one of nature’s performances we often overlook. Spring will come soon, but for now we enjoy the passing of a welcomed winter warm spell. It was cold, but oh so pretty!

A Five Star Day to Strive to be Like Tanner, Meredith, Dave or Josh

On my phone I have the DNR app so I always have my licenses with me. A bonus feature on the DNR app is the “Feeding Times” section found in the “Toolbox” tab. The “Feeding Times” advises when wildlife - to include fish - are most likely to feed and is rated with stars. Today was a “Five Star” day according to the app, so I was out on the ice early. In my mind I was ready to pull enough bluegills and crappies above the ice to have a fish fry for supper tonight.

I am proud to say that I did not get…

Raptor Photography Discretion

What a morning for bird photography! My plans as the sun was rising was to look for and maybe shoot a photo or two of a raptor - a bird of prey. Such a goal required a bit of luck, a sharp eye, and the natural light to work in my favor.

After ninety minutes or so I was shaking my head wondering how such an active morning of wildlife photography could happen. How could I have been so blessed to have not one, not two, not three, but four wildlife observations and photo sessions happen for me? Yes, I had an idea where to look, but to have multiple raptors present was beyond my capabilities.

Fast-forward to reviewing the image files on my computer. As I studied my efforts I quickly realized I had enough content that discretion was necessary as I decided which images to share on my website or social media pages. Simply stated, I needed to be selective. Only sharply focused images with acceptable compositions would be shared.

Here you go - raptor images after image quality discretion has been applied. I hope you find these interesting too.

Whatever You Wish

More often than not the theme for my picture of the day is obvious. When I photograph wildlife the image idea is generally straight-forward - something about the species or how my path crossed with the critter.

Somedays my image for the day is more reflective. Yes, a viewer could put a box around the image with a clearly defined description. Or, as I am finding with today’s photo, sometimes there are many…

Questioning Instincts and Early Birds

Most living creatures, including humans, survive to some extent by following instincts. Humans often tend to override their instincts, but we do have them. Animals follow their instincts with much more intensity.

With each subsequent generation a species’ instincts are modified based on external conditions and lessons learned. If instincts change based on external conditions - such as global warming or climate change - how long does it take young species to recognize those changes. Specifically I am wondering about trumpeter swans.

This year, more than any other, I am seeing impressive flocks of swans wintering in our area. Open water has been limited by ice. Temperatures have been cold. Yet, the swans have not moved away to more accepting climates.

When I study the flocks, I am seeing swans of all ages. Is it possible that some of the birds we are seeing on the limited open water or feeding in fields have never migrated, even short distances? If that is accurate, do those same birds know how or where if migration…

Making the Best of a Dreaded Chore

Every now and then, and really… not too often, I have plumbing chores to take care of ASAP. In today’s case, we had a leak under the kitchen sink. What should have been easy and not take too much time, ended up involving more effort than I wanted, but the leak is fixed.

As much as I dislike plumbing, I will tackle small projects. In today’s situation that meant a trip to the hardware store for parts. My visit to the hardware store ended up being a highlight for the day when I ran into a former Bremer County policy maker.

I can’t say that I necessarily always agreed with policies, or even understood all decisions that were made when my friend was in office, but at least I was able to trust…

Waxworm Macros

Most of my daylight hours today were dedicated to healthcare time at the great healing place to the north. Since I needed a “Picture of the Day” I decided to document my waxworms’ conditions. In other words I shot close-up photos of tiny waxworms as I checked them for their health.

Waxworms are part of our home right now to…

Questions About Mallards

After teaching a class at Wartburg today I had time to fill. There were not enough minutes to allow for a hike so I parked along the Cedar River to watch Canada geese and mallards.

An initial observation was that the Canada geese - at least many of them - seemed to be paired up already and possessive of areas. Multiple times I watched a pair scold other geese that approached too close.

Perhaps the most thought provoking observation was when I watched a mallard pair go through courtship rituals and then mate. That made me wonder a few things:

• Do mallards mate year round (a few Internet sites suggest mallards only take a month off)

• Since they mated, might the process take or was it just practice for practice?

• Does the hen have delayed implantation? (One site indicated hen mallards can delay implantation for up to two weeks.)

There you have - what I have unofficially learned about mallards that mate in the winter.

The pictures are a pair of views of an ice-covered prairie.

Clean Living Neighbors

Once again, at the risk of sounding like Cliff Clavin from Cheers, I have what I think is interesting information to share.

Today’s photo shows an eastern bluebird nest that was inside a river birch tree that blew down at our cabin. Notice what is missing from the nest. You see no debris - no strings, wrappers, or trash, just all natural items. Notice too there are no fecal sacs…

What I Am Not Finding, What I Am Finding

After a very long morning of government meetings and follow-up activity, I needed a break - a long break. During my break I went looking for saw-whet owls or other wildlife. Guess what… I did not find a single saw-whet owl today. One barred owl was observed, but no saw-whet owls.

Since I was ready to shoot saw-whet owl pics as they roost in cedar trees, I decided to go through the motions. This cedar tree that is missing a saw-whet owl was the result. There should be a saw-whet owl in the picture, but not today. Some days, many days this winter, are like this.

On the other hand, one bird species that was easy to find today was the trumpeter swan. Not only did I find many, I found some quite close and documented their presence as seen here.

Go A Little Longer? Reflections on an Anniversary -

Somehow an anniversary slipped by me a couple of days ago. On February 1 I began my 24th year of shooting a picture a day and sharing at least one photo on my website (often on Facebook too). Twenty-four years is a long time and many pictures.

I first began my self-assignment as an effort to improve my photography skills. That seems to be happening. After this long I still think about how I want my settings - but not how to record an image but more how to enhance the photo with the very first shot. And, I continue to “learn to see.”

What began as an effort to improve my photos has proven to be so much more. Since most of my images are recorded outdoors, in the wild, I have gained a real benefit of outdoor mental health therapy. I consider my daily outings into the woods or on the river to be my prescription to a form of sanity.

When I am out exploring, especially with a camera to my eye, my head clears, my attention shifts, and the stressors of the day or the moment seem to vanish. Sometimes I even experience an added benefit of seeing life’s challenges in a new light after my daily Nature Rx.

I have wondered if we all wouldn’t benefit from near daily outdoor therapy. Yes, I know there are folks who avoid the outdoors, so maybe their outdoor immersion would have to be less aggressive. Big or small, daring or subdued, I would bet most people would become better persons after some quality time in nature on a regular basis.

Even though the anniversary of my self-assignment was a few days ago, the importance of the day is still here. Each year, as the anniversary approaches, I consider ending the daily aspect of my efforts. Think how much time I would gain. Imagine how I would have time to watch TV or movies or sports. Imagine how much more tightly wound I would become without my outdoor time of relaxation and the updating of my webpage and social media.

I guess I have made my decision. Since the 24th year has already begun, I might as well continue a little longer. Nature therapy has been good this far. It is time to refill the prescription!

(And - I have learned there are some people who get their outdoor experience through my pictures and thoughts. We are in this together. I will do my part a bit longer.)

A Groundhog Day Hike at Malanaphy Springs

With warm temperatures predicted for today I chose to leave early this morning for a winter hike (with no snow). The location for the trek was Malanaphy Springs, near Decorah, Iowa. Following are images from my journey - some artistically edited and some minimally worked.