New Year’s Day Paddle #33 is in the Books

Today a reporter/photographer from the Cedar Rapids Gazette asked me this question… “Why do you paddle on New Year’s Day each year?” My answer was…

Nuthatch Nostril and More

Some time ago I mentioned to a friend that when I photograph birds I do my utmost to assure the eye is sharply focused. If the eye is in focus, chances are the…

Forest, Fungi, and Fog

There is no wind...

Moisture hangs in the air...

Silence prevails...

The forest is calm

Video with more images at this link:

Forest, Fungi, and Fog

Our Outbreak Made the Television News

Information travels, especially from one form of media to another. Last week the Waterloo Courier published an article quoting Iowa DNR Biologist and me, along with my photos, discussing the outbreak killing waterfowl at Sweet Marsh. The article in the Waterloo paper was also carried in the…

Birds for the Count (Maybe)

For my “Christmas Bird Count” friends I may have a species or two for you to add to the totals. For most species seen I have photos for proof. Those paying close attention may notice that each bird has its head up and appears healthy. That is a good thing! (Species seen today: Canvasback, ring-necked duck, great blue heron, northern shoveler, Canada geese, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, barred owl).

As for the outbreak at Sweet Marsh - I saw no newly dead birds and no birds appearing to be in trouble. That too is a good thing!

Note: We must not get comfortable and begin thinking the outbreak…

Worthy of More than a Glance

Once again a family member and I spent worthwhile hours together at the great healing spot to the north. As we moved from one appointment to another we passed a most attractive “Poinsettia Tree” in one of the lobbies. (Not far away was a second, similar tree.)

Many folks gave the trees a glance as they quickly walked by. We couldn’t fault them. Each person is their for their own reason. Maybe looking at a poinsettia tree was not for them at that moment.

For us though, we stopped and studied the tree - first in its entirety. Then by looking at many of the plants creatively stacked to create the illusion of a tree. This was very pretty!

Oh, and our visit was good too!

Same Concept, Different Species

During my exploring today I came upon an ash tree losing its bark in wrap-around sheets. On the inner side of the bark were tracks where emerald ash borers had worked around the tree. Eventually, the ash borers killed this ash tree.

Knowing we lost a very nice ash tree to the emerald ash borer, as did countless others across the country, I could not help but compare the emerald ash borer outbreak with the current avian influenza outbreak affecting so very many birds across the country. Both outbreaks cover wide areas, both have an economic impact, and both are newsworthy. Yet, the outbreak of the emerald ash borer crept across the landscape with very little mention on a large scale. When many Canada geese and trumpeter swans began dying, the visual effect was much more dramatic. The focus was there, at least for those with a passion for the outdoors. This has been interesting - similar, yet so dissimilar. The landscape is ever changing.

On a different not, I did shoot other photos today as seen here.

Higher Priorities

Merry Christmas to All!!!

Rather than spend time outdoors, we enjoyed great family time together. The only “non-family” photos shot were these Canada geese in flight and travel on the highway.

Notice on the one goose how…

Time For Good News

It is close to Christmas and we need some good news.

The northern shoveler and the gadwall continue to move around at Sweet Marsh. Neither can fly very far, but they are upright, moving, and flying short distances. Maybe they will pull through the outbreak? Maybe??

Yellow Border Stories

From early childhood into mid-life I was an avid reader of National Geographic magazine. Their tell-tale yellow border was impossible to miss when looking for that specific magazine. When I did read National Geographic it was not uncommon to skip the headline article, instead searching for the article and photos about wildlife and outdoor photography - often near the back of the magazine.

I thought about National Geographic today - especially the wildlife photography - as I was shooting pictures of a Canada goose no longer able to stand or open wings, and a cygnet trumpeter swan slowly walking with its head tilted, and bald eagles feeding on dead trumpeter swans. Before I pressed the shutter release I did what I could to help my pictures tell a story - just as Nat Geo photos do. As much as possible I watched my composition and lighting.

I will let you decide if my videos and images are telling stories. Yes, the messages are sad. But, they are accurate representations of life (and death) in the wild. Seeing this is not easy.

The video I put together today features the weak goose and swan as well as eagles feeding on swans. I recorded it as I saw it. Viewer discretion is advised.

This is the link to the video: Life and Death at Sweet Marsh

Another Two Part Post - Waterfowl Observations and Outbreak Update

With an outbreak underway at Sweet Marsh I would rather not see too many duck species here during winter. But, today I observed and photographed a gadwall, northern shoveler, and mallards along with Canada geese and trumpeter swans. Hopefully none of these ducks have been exposed, but I would guess they have been.

As waterfowl die at Sweet Marsh, scavenging is underway. Today I watched bald eagles and American coots feed on dead waterfowl. This then puts the scavengers at risk of the same ugly deaths.

For the first time today I found that some birds are being…

Another Two Part Post - Swans and Red-shouldered Hawks

I am disappointed to share that at least two more adult trumpeter swans and one cygnet (young of the year) trumpeter swan have perished in the outbreak at Sweet Marsh. More waterfowl, raptors, or carrion eaters may have succumbed without detection. The situation is sad.

These losses have been reported to the Iowa DNR.

Another Two Part Post - Fun and Not Fun

My “fun” photos for the day included a male northern cardinal, wild turkeys, and an adult bald eagle in flight. I have concerns about the adult bald eagle since before my photo it was one of three eagles feeding on a downed Canada goose, but for the duration of my photo it appeared healthy. Let’s hope good health stays with it.

The “Not Fun” photos feature…

Two-part Post - Fun and Not Fun

For the past days I have been monitoring an outbreak at Sweet Marsh that is resulting in the deaths of waterfowl - ducks, Canada geese, and swans. I checked on them today again, but those details will follow the fun photos for today.

On my drive away from the “Death Zone” I noticed cows feeding not too far from the road. Under normal conditions I would not have slowed. With the snow today and the lighting I stopped for a few pictures. I thought the images were fun…

Painful Reality

What I have been fearing became a painful reality this morning. I have been expecting to see dead trumpeter swans. What I was not expecting was that the first affected swan I would see was going to be a young swan I have seen often in my videos. And it was in the dying process. That was hard…

What If?

Readers with a history of sunrises and sunsets behind them may remember a time when whitetails in Northeast Iowa were a rarity. About the same time seeing bald eagles was a special moment. Neither species was common as both are now.

I don’t remember what happened or how the population of deer was increased to the level they are now - almost too many in some locales. Bald eagle numbers rebounded after the book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson was published. The book was the beginning of the end for DDT - a chemical that was causing soft shells in eagles and other birds following indiscriminate use.

I thought about deer and DDT and geese and swans and wildlife illnesses today as I scanned the “Death Zone” at Sweet Marsh with my drone. This morning I saw at least 42 dead Canada geese, a handful of dying geese, and many more waterfowl (including swans) gathered together in close proximity. I wondered how far this outbreak will go?

What if Canada geese - the birds we tend to ignore or become frustrated become like eagles once were? I know that is a long shot, but what if? Or, what if our whitetail deer herd is severely impacted by chronic wasting disease or hemorrhagic disease? Both are confirmed in the state, both are not far from us. What if our deer herd and our goose flocks - along with other wildlife - are suddenly reduced in numbers? Not only would there be an economic impact, but what if the landscape is void of those sightings?

We have a few months before our weather warms again. Between now and then the most vulnerable wildlife will be taken by disease, predators, or just because many don’t survive from year to year. What if the illnesses affecting our wildlife have a disproportionate affect compounding the losses? When will we know? Who is monitoring the big picture? Might we relive a silent spring? Hopefully these situations are being watched.

This link will take you to my video from this mornings view at the “Death Zone” at Sweet Marsh.

Sweet Marsh Waterfowl Update

Following are pictures from today.

An Uneasiness

Lately my visits to Sweet Marsh have come with trepidation - what might I see, how bad will it be - a person just does not know when an illness outbreak is occurring within wild populations.

Since we are in the second week of the shotgun deer hunting season I am opting to stay off the dikes as much as possible. Without going on the dikes, my only option to check the status of the waterfowl outbreak is to fly my drone out to the “death zone.” Actually, by using the drone…

Waterfowl in the Death Zone and Positivity

As soon as the fog dissipated slightly this morning I put my drone in the air to check the status of the waterfowl die-off at Sweet Marsh. Unlike yesterday when there were very few trumpeter swans gathered with the Canada geese (many dead or dying), today there were sixty or more swans in the small area of open water. The good news is…

Possible Avian Influenza at Sweet Marsh

The Iowa DNR put out a press release about avian influenza within the past couple/few days followed by local reports of avian influenza affecting waterfowl at Sweet Marsh. This information coincides with concerns I have had of sizable numbers of waterfowl being forced into small areas of open water due to the onset of ice.

Today I explored at Sweet Marsh to confirm the reports. What I witnessed was disturbing. Bald eagles were…

A Good Nature Rx Dose

Mid-morning today a friend and I got together to work on a challenging project. At this time the future of the project is unknown, but we are investing energy into it. Since the process was not straight-forward, there were questions and frustrations - such that I needed a dose of Nature Rx to clear my mind.

On my drive home I crossed the Wapsipinicon River where, at 55-mph I noticed this adult bald eagle perfectly perched on a dead tree hanging over the frozen river with nothing…