A Noisy Picture or No Picture… Making a Choice

We have reached that time of year when short-eared owls may or may not be seen. If we are lucky enough to see them, the owls are most likely going to be observed just before dark. And when the day is like today, with very little sunlight, the difference between day and dusk is hardly perceptible.

Before the owls even took flight tonight I was fumbling with my camera to adjust my ISO (sensitivity) higher. High ISO settings result in increased noise in the images. But without a higher ISO setting, you would be very lucky to record any photos that are slightly sharp enough to share. So, high ISO it was for me today.

None of the pictures shared today are exceptional. The noise levels are so high that I nearly deleted the images. But, each picture does show a short-eared owl and for some folks a noisy picture of a short-eared owl is close as they might get to seeing one.

I will continue to watch for the owls, but under better light conditions. To be continued… (I hope)

Hiding From That Which Cannot Be Seen

Even though today’s temperatures are above freezing, this relentless wind is making being outside miserable. Imagine you are a bird or deer… any wild animal. How would you escape the wind that seldom slows when a front is going through? Remember too that you need to eat. Sitting out until the wind settles down is not necessarily an option. I just cannot imagine having to weather this wind day after day.

Two species I found feeding this morning before the gusts kicked up were trumpeter swans and a whitetail deer. My best guess is the swans left the exposed hillside when the breeze began. The deer was already in a protected area so likely did not move too far.

A Matter of Perspective

Today’s images are a result of various perspectives - from “should I go out” to “where should I go” to “what am I looking for” questions.

When the weather is dark and dreary, cold and blustery, and you aren’t sure what to look for, motivation might be lacking. But, if - or in this case - when I changed my perspective - I really had a productive day.

Eventually I decided to hike the trails at Ingawanis Woodland. Initially I was not to concerned about photography due to low light levels and snow/rain and wind. Instead I was going to go for miles. However, I soon recognized that even though conditions were not ideal for warm weather activities, there continues to be plenty of fungal action happening in our outdoor world.

So, I shot pictures of fungi with the goal of creating not so much “specimen” shots, but interesting images of something many people overlook (if they notice them at all). Not all images have that “artistic” element to them, but hopefully each is creative enough to warrant a good look at the fungi.

Following is my collection of images from this morning that illustrate what a change in perspective can allow. Creativity happened with light that proved to be ideal for my subject matter.

A Pretty Composition

Not too far from our home is a stand of quaking aspen trees that are probably identical at the DNA level. In fact, I would bet my buddy Jason’s next paycheck that if we were to look underground at the root structure, most - if not all - of these trees are connected via suckers. Quaking aspens are known for that characteristic - plant one and you could get more, especially in the wild.

Not everyone appreciates the ability of aspens to multiply without assistance. In a few years ground can have many aspens shooting skyward from only a few “parent” trees.

I am fond of aspen trees - the more the merrier! When I see a nice stand of aspen trees my response is to stop to grab my camera. I want to document the scene.

Document the scene is what I did today when I approached this assemblage of aspen trees. I knew the trees would be present for a photo. What I was not expecting was the pin oak tree - complete with leaves - that stood out from the aspen trees. The combination of aspen white and burgundy oak made what I thought was a pleasing image. The dry grasses in foreground added to the pretty composition.

Trying To Understand, Trying to Reason

Before I retired (early) from Emergency Management, I was considered one of the “senior” coordinators. There were a handful of us “old-timers” who had been around a while, but there were also many younger coordinators full of energy and new ideas. Some of the youngsters were fresh out of college or the military and ready to tackle what the world would throw at them. Their young blood was good for the mission.

One of those coordinators was a young woman who, at one of our meetings announced her 21st birthday. If I am remembering the details correctly, that would make her 24 or 25 now.

Since meeting this young lady she has found the man of her dreams. In fact, there was a meeting when she was explaining having set a wedding date while her future husband had not even popped the question. Several of us tossed pressure his way to “ask her to marry you!” (He had to ask her - she had a wedding date set!)

The young couple married and were living a happy life. Recently a little baby boy was born to make the couple a family.

Just days after the baby boy’s birth the couple received devastating news - he had cancer - and it was an aggressive form of cancer.

Today his cancer journey ended. His struggles are over. His pain is no more. For her, she is a newlywed, a mother to an infant, and a young widow. How can this be? Why??

My heart is so heavy today as thoughts of what has happened go through my head. I have no certain answers to the endless questions I and so many have. Maybe this will never make sense. Maybe time will help with understanding. Perhaps a day will come when the reason is clear. For now that is not happening. Why… why him. Why at such a young age with a new bride and a new baby? Why?

If today has done anything positive for me, these events have reminded me again to make the best of everyday. Live each day to the fullest. Make sure those close to you know how you feel. Tomorrow is not promised. Somehow, be thankful - even on days like today.

The picture is from my walk in the woods today, in the rain. Time in nature usually clears my head… not so today. The raindrops on the pine needles were the bright spots for the hike/day. I just don’t understand why.

Another Unusual Day

My photo work for today, like yesterday, features an unusual wildlife observation or two.

Unusual Observation #1 - I noticed something walking with an unusual gait down in our waterway. With the drone I found out the critter was an injured coyote. Its left front leg was missing and left rear leg was injured. I can only speculate on the cause of the injuries.

Unusual Observation #2 - This happens multiple times per day with few humans seeing it, but today I watched a pied-billed grebe swim away with a small frog in its beak.

Grebes have to eat and when the water is cold, the frogs are likely moving much slower resulting in easy pickings.

Observation #3 was not so unusual. I found the reflections and geometric shapes of these cattails interesting.

For the Plate…Maybe, For the Wall…Another Maybe - Is Something Going On?

Around mid-morning today I had an odd chance encounter with this nice looking whitetail buck. For the initial sighting he just stood on the road and looked at me. Of course when I put my camera out the window of the Jeep he ran to the south at a good speed. I continued east and to my surprise he appeared again. This time he was determined to cross the road in front of me to head to a timber nearly one-half mile away to the north. There was no slow motion for him this time, but that is when things got interesting.

After running across the road in front of me I watched him through my camera. Several times he did violent head shakes back and forth. During at least one of the head shakes he stumbled and nearly went to the ground. Even after nearly falling he continued to run and shake his head. He reminded me of a bucking bull at a rodeo…

Focus on the Color!

Today was another trek to the healing place to the north for a family member and me. As we dove home from our last visit we were filled with somber emotions, great concern, and an uncertain future. That trip was not easy.

Two days after that visit to the north we returned for more tests that were to help decide any future action that may or may not be considered. In the meantime I also did some research that, if correct, might offer a suggestion for the dire news we heard.

Let’s return to this morning. We left early due to construction in Rochester. With extra time on our side we took a pause to look at our favorite tree on the route northward. Heavy fog and what seemed to be a very slowly appearing sunrise hampered our view of the tree. Still, I was able to see the tree and photograph it in its almost mysterious appearance.

As I reviewed my images on my laptop, I looked at them first with color and then without. The files without color stood out as gloomy, dreary, and with little to no hope. The picture with color more accurately reflected our mood - hopeful, anxious (in a positive way), and trusting. My faith and prayers made this period of uncertainty easier.

Normally I prefer black and white images when the scene is unclear or mysterious - as in fog images. Today though, my mood had no room for negativity. I was hopeful. So, my preferred image for today has color.

In case you are wondering - we are again headed in the right direction. Tests and corrective actions appear to have quickly turned our future back to bright and colorful. For that we are so very thankful! Our emotions today had plenty of color!!

Thank You Waverly Fire Department!

Early this morning I was notified of an injured Canada goose on the pond at Eisenach Village in Waverly. Apparently quite a number of residents were concerned about the goose's well-being, especially since the goose had been down for weeks and now winter is coming.

I checked it with my drone and confirmed the goose was injured and could not fly. The challenge was then... how do we get the goose captured to be looked at by the rehab team?

Who should come to the rescue but the Waverly Fire Department. This group of men are always looking for a training opportunity so within short notice we were meeting at the pond with the Zodiac and four firefighters. Two were in the boat "herding" the goose toward the other three of us on shore waiting for a chance to capture.

As the video states, I did catch it and the goose got away. I then recaptured the goose and handed it off to Asst. Chief Miller. (I thought I did pretty good for only one good arm!)

This goose is now with Terese at Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project. She and her team of veterinarians will evaluate the goose and do what is practical/required for wildlife rehabbers.

So far this is a story on the "happy" spectrum. I want to caution that, depending on the injury, the goose may be euthanized per laws/morals. Remember that the goose has been down for two-three weeks and the injury could be infected or beyond repair. If euthanasia is the chosen next step, know that all that could be done was done for this goose. But, we will see if maybe the goose can be rehabbed.

Thank you to the caring folks at Eisenach Village, the Waverly Fire Department, and Terese and her team at Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project.

I have upload a short video too on my Facebook page.

Please Be Watching - Please Fly Pelican

If you happen to be one of the people traveling on Cedar Lane in Waverly, Iowa, please be watching for a lone American White Pelican on the river that may or may not be healthy enough to move on. (Of course your first/top priority should be safe driving!)

This morning I photographed the bird near Pelikan Park. It did not seem too motivated to move beyond that backwater area of the Cedar River. Maybe that is normal behavior for this bird - maybe not.

I will be watching the bird and ask if you see it fly, please share that info through this website or via Facebook. Hopefully there is nothing wrong with the pelican and it is simply enjoying what Waverly has to offer. But, if there is something wrong with it and we need to capture it for rehabbers, I would prefer that happens before conditions get too much colder.

Extremes of Focal Lengths

Today was an unusual day photographically. The morning began with me finding a Wolf’s Milk Slime Mold on one of our logs. I then photographed the orange mold in its entirety, much closer, and then very close to reveal its texture. For the ultra close view I shot the picture with my camera lens reversed - something I do not often do.

First Time Fungi Finds!

There are days when I am so very blessed by my observations in the wild. Some days are based on wildlife activities while other times the excitement comes from first time sightings. Today was a day of multiple first-time observations of the fungi form. Allow me to explain.

Not Much Today

Pardon my minimal photography efforts for today. We had good, quality family time that did not involve photography. The closest I was to wildlife excitement was this opossum I relocated for a lady friend. It was very much alive, but wanted me to believe otherwise.

Yesterday’s Perfection, Today’s Challenges

Yesterday’s weather was nearly perfect for early November. Since I did not share these images last night I thought I would post them today. It was just so nice!

Today’s clouds and rain were a different story. Instead of open scenery and reflections, I concentrated my efforts on macro studies. Take a look at these close-ups of fungi and lichen.

Late this afternoon I had two whitetail does being chased by a buck run in front of me. I stopped my truck to see if I could find any of the three deer in the woods watching me. Eventually I was able to see each of the deer that could have messed up my truck. See if you can find them.

Seven Words - “Embrace the Suck…”

Over the past weeks a health situation I have been working through since January 15 has begun having a negative impact on my attitude. Described simply, I am beginning to accept that a close to full recovery is not likely. If a complete return to “normal” does not happen, the activities I so enjoy - paddling, backpacking, even throwing a ball, are not likely in my future - at least not like I was used to. This has been difficult to accept and has been discouraging. So much so that my attitude has not always been as positive as it should be.

Today, before I went for a woodland hike, I noticed a gentleman in a camo-painted wheelchair with tracks. The guy was fishing from the special chair along the bank of a small lake. He seemed to be doing well - fishing and attitude. Meanwhile I was heading off on my hike - uncomfortable and disappointed.

My hike did not take me to any special wildlife or outdoor scenes. I did find a lone locust tree covered in thorns that I photographed (seen here). How fitting - to find a thorny tree for a thorny attitude.

As I was returning to my truck I felt it important to meet the fellow in the chair before I left the area. First I politely/respectfully asked if I could talk to him - and he agreed. Then I asked his story.

He lost the use of his legs while serving our country. His shoulder also causes him issues. As a result he moves in the tracked-wheel chair and participates in as many outdoor activities as he can. We discussed in detail his fly-fishing, the type of line he was using, and how his chair navigated obstacles - among other things.

As I was preparing to leave I thanked the fellow for putting my attitude in perspective. I explained my discomfort, my limitations, my overall disappointment and how my situation paled compared to his. He looked at me and gave me seven words of advise he learned as an infantryman. “Embrace the Suck… Acknowledge, Adapt, and Overcome” were the wisdom he shared. With that I thanked him and bid farewell.

The angler in the tracked-chair was right. It was time for me to accept and adapt. Yes, I am disappointed, but I have it so much better than many others. I will get beyond this and an improved attitude will help. Limitations may exist, but so will opportunities.

Thank you for your service Sir. Thank you for your inspiration!

Ironically, as I approached my truck I noticed this painted rock delivering an appropriate message… “Be Happy”

Multiple Views of a Common Theme

Once again my photographic efforts today were impacted by a strong desire to create images with an artistic style. To follow through on my idea required that I record suitable base images and then edit the files to alter reality. Or, I could manipulate what my sensor was seeing as the shutter was open - as was done…

Found Looking For Fungi

During a morning hike in a wet woodland, while looking for fungi thriving on the moist/humid conditions after inches of rain, I found a geocache. In past years Kristy and I used to hunt for geocaches all around the Midwest. For reasons unknown to me our geocache hunts have waned to near zero.

While slowly wandering in a timber searching for fungi I found a geocache hidden in a great spot. I did sign the book, but took nothing and left nothing.

My search for fungi was worthwhile as seen in the following pictures.

Meaningful For Me, Maybe Not Too Many Others

For many people red cedar trees are not a highly sought tree species. In fact, red cedars often grow as volunteer trees in ditches, waterways, prairies… just about anywhere a berry might be dropped. Often the cedars create work as people strive to remove them.

For me cedar trees are meaningful for at least a few reasons.

Reason 1 - We wanted to establish a windbreak on the edge of our yard. Knowing red cedars are easy to establish and hardy in our environment, I planted and maintained a couple rows of them. That I was able to find and photograph berries in two of the trees tells me the trees are doing well and our efforts to water them during the drought paid off.

Reason 2 - When I look for owls in the winter I often carefully study cedar trees - many times with success. I am hopeful that sometime in my lifetime we will have an owl or two in one of our cedar trees.

Reason 3 - Cedar bark on mature trees is thought-provoking. In time I hope to be able to study cedar bark in our yard like I now study the bark elsewhere.

Since we seem to be receiving a month’s worth of rain in a series of days, I had the option of staying inside or venturing out in the weather. During drizzle I did go out with my camera and found a few photogenic views I will share here.

How Do They Get Established

2024 has been a banner year for me for finding interesting fungi to photograph. The more I find, the more I wonder - how do they get established? Are there that many fungi spores floating around in the air? Why do some trees have fungi while others do not?

I guess I have my winter self-assignment decided - learn about fungi.

Unexpected Sightings

Rain and wind or not, there were still plenty of outdoor activities to observe today. The first surprise was seeing nearly fifty sandhill cranes prancing and jumping in a picked field not far from the road. The flock did increase the distance between me and them when I stopped my truck, but not by much. Notice how gray each bird is. That coloration is their natural color. When they are a rusty orange color, the birds are sporting stains from the water and much they inhabit.

A second surprise were the fungi I found. Even though temperatures have been below freezing, the fungi still reacted with growth to our 40 and 50-degree temps and rain.

A third surprise was to see water flowing out of a vertical tile line. After experiencing months of drought conditions, I did not expect so much water moving through the soil already. This was nice to see as we go into winter.