I'm working on a project to categorize my wildlife images.  The project has begun with bird and snake images.  My intent is to categorize all of my wildlife photos.  Please be patient; I have many images to work through.  Thank you!   

 Click here to view the first few classifications: Iowa Wildlife Images.

I want to share with readers information about the 2009 Iowa DNR Non-Game Certificate.  Each year the Iowa DNR sells the numbered certificates for $5.00.  The 2009 Non-Game Certificate features one of my images - Three Bonaparte's Gulls.  Revenue generated from the sales of the certificates benefits non-game species.  If you appreciate those species that aren't hunted, please consider purchasing a certificate.  Details are at this link:

2009 Iowa DNR Non-game Certificate Details

2009 Mendocino Service Trip Journal Entry

2009 Tick Count: 1

Farewell to Abby (4/30/09)

This is one of the most difficult entries I've made in a long, long time.  Early this morning, around 8:40, our dear dog Abby left this world.  Abby was 15+ years old and was one of the smartest dogs I've ever been around.  She was certainly the smartest dog ever we've ever had in our family and we miss her already.  

Technically, Abby was Kristy's dog.  On the day we got her, I carried her home from the kennel and we think she bonded with me during those 45-minutes.  That's not to say Abby wasn't a family dog...she was.  She was that  - perfect with Zach and Hannah as they were growing up, and a great neighborhood dog, and a cabin dog, and a camping dog.  Abby was just a super all-around dog.  

From a personal point of view, Abby was my paddling partner.  I can't count the number of times she joined me in my kayak or canoe.  Abby loved the other boats too, but she was a kayak dog.  If she saw me climb into my kayak, I had better plan to take her along because she was going paddling too.  Abby loved to chase my radio-controlled water boats.  There were a number of times she fell off the dock chasing those boats.  Abby was a snake hunting dog.  I don't think she ever missed finding a snake sunning itself on the rocks along the water in front of our cabin.  Just as special was her temperament.  Abby did have her yippy moments, but often those were pure happiness.  We never had to tie her up and used a leash only to assure she didn't get hit by a car when we walked.  Often the walks were too much for her, so we carried her most of the way, but that was OK.  

Life for Abby became difficult during February of 2008.  For some unknown reason Abby took off running when we hadn't seen it.  She was missing for 8-hours and we had almost written her off for dead.  I laid in bed struggling to figure out where she must be.  After all, it was a wet, late winter snowstorm and we didn't want her to die a terrible death.  I got up, waking Kristy in the process.  I explained to Kristy that Abby had to be within a 4-block range due to natural barriers that I didn't think she would cross.  Sure enough, about 4-blocks away we found Abby walking in circles under a street light with the rain/snow drenching her shivering body.  She came to me and knew she was safe again.  She never repeated that incident, but she also was never quite the same.  Don't misunderstand me...she still got excited with us and still had playful moments, but physically and mentally she was a different dog.  

We all cared about Abby just as much before her incident, but she was different.  We adapted to our new Abby, but missed the old Abby too.  After we had adjusted to Abby and finally began to stop wondering what caused her episode, she hurt herself.  Bichon's are prone to back injuries and apparently Abby injured her back recently.  At first she couldn't raise her tail.  Then she walked funny, followed by developing a distinctly humped-back.  Over the past few weeks she had many, many instances of unexplained falls.  Within the last two weeks her mobility had deteriorated to the point that we would have to hold up her back end so she could relieve herself.  If we didn't lift her back end up, she would fall/drop into her mess.  Compounding the situation were her frequent loss of control of her bladder and bowels.  Often Abby would fall over and was unable to right herself.  The panic in her eyes as she thrashed on the floor cut like a knife.  

Kristy and I and the kids recognized the need to do something, as difficult as it would be.  I made an appointment with Andy - Abby's vet yesterday.  The agreement was to have Andy look her over today to determine what, if anything, could be done.  If no practical options existed, we would accept that Abby would join her litter mates in another world.  Andy was very understanding and sensitive as he examined and tested Abby for sensations.  Ironically, she had one of her better mornings today, but still gimped around in his office.  She had virtually no sensation in the lame rear quarter.  When Abby's age, partial blindness, epilepsy/seizure disorder, and mobility problems were weighed against her good days, we acknowledged that her quality of life was not good - poor at best.  Rather than prolong the inevitable and continue to watch her fall in her own droppings, or walk around the house with her head hanging low - as if her dignity was gone, or have her die alone during a seizure, we opted to allow Andy to peacefully end her struggle.  

I held Abby close as the tranquilizer was administered and Kristy comforted her with gentle petting and kissed her goodbye.  When she was sleeping very soundly, in fact snoring like our beagle, the next dose of medications was given to stop her heart.  The process was peaceful, quick, and painless for Abby.  For Kristy and I the pain is intense...........and to think we are this broken up over a little dog.....

Kristy asked me yesterday why God has us suffer through this pain - the pain of making such a difficult decision, the pain of watching Abby struggle, and the pain of not knowing what the next day would be like for Abby.  My response was that I don't think the pain that we were feeling was God's intent.  My belief is that the pain is there to help us realize that each day we have is special - whether those days are spent with a favorite dog, a family member, or with a friend.  Sometimes we need those reminders since we so often take life and our blessings for granted.

So now here we are.  Kristy was the first to notice the unnatural quiet in the house without the clicking of Abby as she pranced across the floor.  I am struggling to share my emotions for a little lap dog that I was so attached to.  Both of us are almost stunned with our loss.  

Life will go on and we will do our best to put our situation into perspective - after all, there are many people suffering through much, much greater losses.  For these few minutes though, Abby deserves top billing as far as Kristy and I are concerned.  Farewell Abby...we miss you already....

A Productive Noon Hour Walk (4/28/09)

After a challenging morning of work, I decided to spend my lunch hour walking the Waverly Rail Trail.  With limited time and much to capture my attention, I never make it too far down the trail.  Short walks are fine when I find as many interesting subjects as I did today.  This cabbage butterfly was the first butterfly of the season I have photographed.  I couldn't approach very close...maybe tomorrow will work better.

I also found a variety of wildflowers in bloom.  There are at least a few bloodroots available yet to enjoy.

False Rue Anemone and Dutchman's Breeches are out in high numbers right now.

Another plentiful wildflower species blooming now are common blue violets.

I found only this lone spring beauty today.

A couple of "weeds" are available for viewing...dandelions

and ground ivy - AKA creeping Charlie:

These two plants have me searching for their official identity.  I believe this one is a form of rock cress.  If you know differently, please contact me:

This yellow wildflower appears to be a kidneyleaf buttercup...again, if this is something else, contact me:

For the sake of variety, I've added a romantic insect photo.  The two larger box elder bugs were mating and the smaller one attempted to cut in on the action, but was not successful:

This image shows a brown snake.  I've only seen brown snakes on the trail a time or two.  Sadly, this little one was dead.

This evening I paddled at Sweet Marsh.  The high winds and water of last weekend moved a few large sections of cattails around Segment B.  Usually this information wouldn't be important enough to warrant posting on this site.  However, located on one of the collections of cattails was the goose nest I was monitoring.  Those cattails, the nest, and the goose are gone.  I don't know if the nest survived and if the nest did survive, I don't know if the goose is still sitting on it in its new location.  I did find some other nests that the were not impacted by the changes.

No Changes Overnight (4/26/09)

Other than what appears to be plenty of rain, there were no changes to my backyard or to the visitors in my backyard.  We still have four species of sparrows under the feeder, with the most numerous of the guest sparrows being the white-throated sparrows.

Grackle numbers have not diminished either.

One unusual daytime visitor under the feeder was this cottontail rabbit.  In the first picture, the rabbit appears to be taunting me.  It doesn't seem to be brave enough to stick that tongue all the way out, just enough to deliver a message to the guy pointing camera lenses out the window all the time.

In this picture the rabbit is behaving a bit more normal.

With the Rain Came the Sparrows (4/25/09)

Even though I prefer a sunny, dry day over a rainy day, the fact that we had a rainy day allowed me to keep an eye on my backyard visitors.  A couple of new species (for the year) were at the feeder today.  I had a handful of white-throated sparrows:

Also making their first appearance of the year were a couple of song sparrows.  This one was very curious and stretching its neck tall to see something in the shrubs.

Along with the new visitors, I had the regulars...this chipping sparrow:

An American robin:

The grackles that tend to spook all other birds out of the area:

And a male and female house finch:

The colorful American goldfinches were present too:

Finally, I noticed the mourning doves were doing a dandy job of cleaning up under the feeders and were quite comfortable in the yard.  They were cooing regularly nearby too.

A Little Bit of Everything (4/24/09)

When one evaluates the images I posted today, you might be inclined to think maybe I have trouble concentrating on a single subject.  There might be some truth to that statement, at least this time of year.  With plenty of bird activity, reptile and amphibian action, insect movement, and wildflower displays, it is difficult to dedicate photography efforts to only one type of subject.  Today I mixed things up and I'll share a few images with you.

I began the morning with a paddling trip around Sweet Marsh.  Most of the ducks have moved on or were in hiding.  Adding to the difficulty of the outing were the strong winds.  Instead of struggling against the breezes, I paddled close to the channel on the east side of Segment B.    All of the geese that have been sitting on nests continue to sit on their nests.

The painted turtles were basking in the warm sun most anywhere you looked.  I watched for Blanding's turtles, but saw them only at Tot's Lake.

Like any spring day, the male red-winged blackbirds were out singing/screeching for a mate.  I think this one was trying to impress me.

After paddling a bit, I then checked out Segment A.  There I found a rather skittish green heron.

The western chorus frogs were calling, but this leopard frog just hung out in the slime-filled backwater puddle.  For those who might be wondering, I saw a sizeable number of dragonflies on the prowl today.  I hadn't seen many until today.

Several aquatic insects were active today.  I do not recognize many insects yet, but did note that this one appeared to have wings, yet used them to swim under water.

As I drove out I noticed a carpet of bloodroot plants.  They will soon be done flowering.  If you wish to see them, check them out soon.

When I stopped by the house, I noticed the first of the year chipping sparrows at my feeder.

Also at the feeder were quite a few grackles,

as well as many American Robins.

This afternoon I took a motorcycle ride around the county.  I found a huge area of wildflowers in full bloom.  The Dutchman's breeches were one of the dominant species:

There were also many white dogtooth violets displaying their blossoms.  Since I find this plant very interesting, I created many images of them.

I also found several daffodils growing in the forest among the wildflowers.  I am sure there is a story behind their existence at this location, but we'll probably never know it.

I found my first of the season wood anemone here too.  There was only one plant in blossom that I could find.

Of course I had to include an image of the spring beauties.

Many leaves of hepaticas were present, but I found no blossoms in the wildflower patch I was in today.

While I was photographing dogtooth violets, another one of the threatening looking insects I observed near the pasqueflowers a few days ago buzzed me.  I snapped two quick photos before it disappeared.  The first image is of the critter in flight.

This one shows the wing patterns of the insect while resting.

As I type this, the first of the season thunderstorm is bearing down on us.  The National Weather Service has issued a Thunderstorm Warning.  In an odd sort of way, I find storms interesting.  Let's hope this one proves to be boring for everyone else.

One Woodland Walk...So Many Wildflowers (4/23/09)

Today Jason and I hiked around one of my favorite locations for wildflowers.  Words can't explain the many colors, textures, and emotions experienced in the presence of so many different wildflowers.  Even within species, a variety was present.  I won't devote time and energy to words that can't explain the experience.  Following are sample images:

Round-lobed Hepatica (one of my favorite wildflowers):

Spring Beauty:

Dutchman's Breeches:

False Rue Anemone:

Wild Ginger:

Crimson Cup Fungus:

Fern (unfurling):

Bloodroot:

Dandelion (yes, a wildflower):

On the drive home we found a Blanding's turtle crossing the road.  Blanding's turtles are a threatened species in Iowa:

On the Blanding's turtle was a leech:

Wildflowers and Woodcocks (4/22/09)

Today's entry has been a real challenge.  I knew for sure how I wanted to title my description of today's efforts.  How I tie together Earth Day 2009, wildflowers, and woodcocks has been a bit of a struggle.  I'll take them one at a time.  First, today was Earth Day.  Hopefully everyone took some time to consider their impact on our earth.  Let's all strive to leave the world a better place than what we received.  Now I'll share my wildflower work.  Once again, for the third time, I hiked in to check on pasqueflowers.  Pasqueflowers are not common in this area of the state.  Until today, I had not found any yet this year.  I was beginning to think I wouldn't see any at all.  In fact, I had already given up and was nearly back to my truck when a gentleman told me he saw two flowers.  He shared the general location and I almost ran back to photograph them before the sun set too far and the flowers closed for the evening.  Here are a few samples (Thanks John!):

Also blooming - finally - are the White Dogtooth Violets.  I tried everything from ordinary compositions to variations in position and lighting.

Dogtooth violets are sometimes referred to as a trout lily.  If you look at the leaf, it is apparent why that name might apply.

This is a false rue anemone.  The stark contrast between the leaves in the shadows and the bright blossom often cause the blossom to burn out.  I'm thankful for the instant review capability of digital equipment.

Although I have posted spring beauty earlier this week, I felt the need to photograph them again.

I'll include this image of an unknown, but serious looking insect.  This isn't the best image of the creature, but all I could do with the short time I had to work with it.  Take a look at the sharp, pointed end.

 By now you might be wondering where the woodcock images are.  Watching tonight's courtship rituals of the woodcocks was like watching the Fourth of July fireworks on July 5th.  There were no courtship displays.  I did see a couple fly around, but nothing photogenic.  Most of the action has probably already taken place.

There's A Hare in My Garage (4/21/09)

During my drive home from work tonight my wife called to tell me we had a rabbit in our garage.  I don't know where it came from or how it gained access to a locked garage, but we had a young rabbit in our garage.  I took a few photos of it and my daughter released it in an area where other rabbits are regularly observed.  Interestingly, the rabbit was blind in its right eye.

Pine Siskins and Other Backyard Birds (4/20/09)

Over the past few weeks there have been several comments on an Iowa Bird list regarding pine siskins still being seen in Iowa.  I don't know if this is a one-time event, a cyclical event, or the new "normal."  Whatever the cause may be, I know that I still have pine siskins at my thistle feeder every day.  I tried to shoot a couple of photos of one tonight, but with clouds and dark skies, I couldn't stop their blur.  I was able to shoot a couple of other common visitors - one of many mourning doves and a male northern cardinal.

Indications of a 2009 Model (4/19/09)

Yesterday I found one half of what appears to be a house sparrow egg shell in the evergreen outside of my garage.  I suppose it is possible the shell is from this nesting season.  House sparrows dominate the two trees where the shell was found, so maybe we have had a hatch already.  I haven't heard little ones chirping yet, but maybe the nest is elsewhere and the shell was carried in and dropped.  Whatever the case may be, this is quite early for sparrows to be hatching.  Since the egg is very clean, I am doubting it is from last year.

Wildflowers are Coming Soon (4/19/09)

This morning, after Bible study and church but before lunch, I went out to assess the variety of wildflowers that are blooming.  Only a few have begun to bloom.  The next week or two, pending suitable weather, should usher in an explosion of wildflowers.  I found this common blue violet flower today:

The following plants have plenty of leaves, but no flower yet.  I believe they may be leeks, but have not confirmed that yet.

Although these are not flowers, I do look for them as much as I look for wildflowers.  The images below are of crimson cup fungus.  Some people refer to these as scarlet cup fungus.  I found several of these in one area, but none elsewhere.

I Don't Want to Go Fishing!! (4/18/09)

I've been waiting for a warm evening with a gentle rain to bring out the green in my grass and the nightcrawlers in the yard.  Most people ignore nightcrawlers, but I've found if you watch them, you'll find they work like they are on a mission.

This is a comparison shot of an adult nightcrawler and a young nightcrawler:

Sometimes an evening's work  requires acrobatics.  In this image, the nightcrawler is actually upside down.  I watched it do this maneuver to check whether or not the grass is really greener on the other side.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to thread a nightcrawler on a fish hook again after seeing this cute face.  Yes, this is the "head" end of the nightcrawler.

A Few From the Wapsie at Frederika (4/18/09)

Since I am not the type of person to simply sit around on an intermittently rainy day, I chose to make a quick run up the Wapsie River at Frederika this afternoon.  Even though there was a light rain falling, I couldn't resist the opportunity to practice a few shooting techniques on this very cooperative American coot.  (Note: I began following a pair of pied-billed grebes, but lost them.  The coot swam into the same area where the grebes were hiding.)

Even with a slow and quiet approach, this great blue heron did not stay put for long.

When I arrived back home I noticed this American robin perched in a maple tree.

Crane Count 2009 (4/18/09)

Today was Crane Count 2009 across the Upper Midwest.  Locally, a sizeable group of us monitored sandhill crane activity at several points across the county.  I was on the water, in my blind, by 5:30am and the cranes began calling shortly after I was in place.  During the post-count tallying, we learned there may be as many as 36-38 sandhill cranes in Bremer County.  Considering only a few years ago we were lucky to hear a single bird, 36-38 is a remarkable number of birds.  My count was 9 birds at Sweet Marsh consisting of 4 pairs and a lone bird.  

While sitting in the kayak, I had very few other species pass near me.  The resident Canada geese were present, including this bird that watched me while his mate was on the nest:

The American coots remain at Sweet Marsh:

This image shows a size comparison between a Canada goose and an American coot:

A northern shoveler and his mate were relatively close:

And as I left I checked on this goose who continues to sit on her nest while boat traffic passes by.

The Beauty of Spring or Spring Beauty (4/17/09)

This morning a buddy (Matt) and I went on a wildflower hike looking for pasqueflowers and any other blooming flowers of spring.  When we first started our hike we didn't see any blossoms that were open...we began too early.  However, near the end of our hike we enjoyed the beauty of spring when we found countless spring beauty wildflowers welcoming the morning.  

Spring beauty blossoms can be white to lavender to almost purple.  These are some of the first delicate little flowers decorating the woodland floor.

Most of the blossoms had to push their way through leaf litter to reach the open air.  The plants have repeated this cycle year after year.  Take time to enjoy them if you can.

Hopefully Matt's pictures turned out nice.  Thanks for joining me!  Note: The water drops were created with a mister.

Also, near the end of the outing we observed our first butterfly of the season.  Sorry, but I wasn't able to catch up to it for an ID.  I did however find what I believe to be a black firefly among the spring beauty blossoms.  Feel free to correct my identification if you recognize this insect as something else.

This afternoon I checked out the hundreds of bloodroots proudly proclaiming the arrival of spring.

Three bloodroots in a row.

For those who don't have an opportunity to wander among bloodroot flowers, this is what they look like before they open up to the sun.

This American robin is busy doing springtime tasks.  Its nest in progress was only a short distance away.  It may have been safer to make multiple short trips carrying less material than to fly with obstructed vision as this one was doing.

Things I Learned Today (4/16/09)

Each day offers the potential to learn something new.  Whether or not that occurs is up to each of us.  Today I learned two new details.  

Detail 1 - Great Blue Herons, when they are not fleeing from a perceived risk, have no sense of time.  I was checking out an area I suspected was an active heron rookery and sure enough, there were three nests with birds on them.  My initial approach spooked the birds out of the area.  It  took some time, but they eventually returned.  The birds moved about so slowly that I thought they would never reach their nests.  This is one of the birds sitting near a nest.  As much as I wished the branches weren't framing the bird, there was nothing I could do about them other than remove them electronically.

Detail 2 - When I am lying flat on my back in preparation to photograph great blue herons at the nest, and when the temperature is in the low to mid 70's, and when there is nothing terribly pressing on my mind, and when the herons move about very slowly,  I tend to fall asleep.  In fact, I think I slept away a good amount of time this afternoon.  My effort began around 2:00, my wife woke me by cell phone at 3:30, and then I woke again around 5:30.  Then it was time to go home for supper.  It's a good thing no turkey hunters were prowling the woods.  They would have thought they found a dead body!  This is the nest I was watching intermittently between naps.

Dutchboy Breeches - I normally photograph Dutchman's breeches this time of year.  These blossoms were so small that I've determined they are Dutchboy's breeches.  Once they grow up they will be renamed.

Croaking Critters - But Not R.I.P. (4/15/09)

Today was that special day I enjoy each spring, a day when I sit along the edge of a small wet spot (puddle) at Sweet Marsh and I listen and watch as western chorus frogs court me.  Little do they know that I am not interested in their affection, other than to observe courtship rituals.  

The following image might appear to have been easy to create, but it wasn't. Western chorus frogs are slightly larger than your thumbnail and not easy to find.  Just about as soon as you find one, it spooks and swims away.  Over the years I've developed a technique that allows me to approach somewhat close - of course after I find one.  There were a dozen or more frogs calling, but I located only this one.  The frogs call when the water temperature hits a specific range.  Soon the chorus frogs will go silent and a different frog or toad species will begin calling.

One bit of chorus frog trivia - usually I end up with a tick or two or three when I work on frogs.  So far I've not found any crawling around on my skin.

Today I had not only chorus frogs at my feet, but also leopard frogs.  The leopard frogs weren't calling, but the chorus frogs certainly were.

After enjoying the chorus frogs, I then took a few minutes to enjoy some bloodroots that are now blooming.

Earlier in the day I went out on the water to look for a possible sandhill crane nest.  I'm 98% convinced I know where one nest is and slightly less sure that I know where a second nest is.  I'll give them a little more time to lay eggs and become bonded before I check any further.  This is one of the cranes that was sitting on the nest.

As is common this time of year, the pelicans flew over many times today.  This first image is a typical view of the graceful pelicans gliding  on air currents against a bright blue sky.

This next image is a different look at American white pelicans.  It flew directly overhead between me and the sun. 

I'm sharing one more photo of American white pelicans.  I don't think the digital image accurately illustrates the beautiful formations the pelicans sometimes make as they fly through the sky.  The birds sometimes appear ribbon-like as they move through the air.

Finally, I end today's entry with a photo of possibly some of the last buffleheads in the area.  I thought they left a week or more ago.  Apparently some left, but not all of them.

Packed Like Sardines, No Packed Like Pelicans (4/14/09)

Today's observations were many, with few being extremely close.  That's ok once in a while.  Sometimes a large variety of observations beats a single close view.  I had many interactions with American white pelicans.  When I floated up toward this group of birds, I was amazed how many pelicans could fit into a small space.

I watched this female red-winged blackbird struggle to fend off the attention of male blackbirds.  From what I can tell, she is one of a few females in the area and the boy blackbirds know it.  I watched her land, take off, land, and take off - all with male red-winged blackbirds in hot pursuit.

This is one of the male red-winged blackbirds doing its best to attract a female.

The mute swan is still at Sweet Marsh.  Today it would not allow a close approach, so I had to be satisfied with a distant image.

At least four great egrets in breeding plumage were observed.  Their long feathers are beautiful.

Following is how I normally see the great egrets:

I'm not able to confirm sandhill crane nesting, but it must be getting close.  I've narrowed down to a small area where a nest might be.  I'm going to check a second likely nest site tomorrow.  This crane flew over while I was paddling 50-60 yards from the possible nest.

Two double-crested cormorants flew over while I was looking for sandhill cranes.  This bird was quite a distance away.

My morning ended with a cooperative painted turtle that was sunning itself.

This evening my wife and I assisted with the Marsh Migration paddle tour of Sweet Marsh. Marsh Migration is an outing sponsored by Crawdaddy Outdoors in Waverly.   Fifteen kayaks and a solo canoe moved around Segment B enjoying the calm weather and plentiful birds.

The pelicans allowed us another close view.  For many in the group, tonight was the closest they had ever been to pelicans.

Our night ended with a splendid sunset.

Easter Morning Outing (4/12/09)

For those of you who live in the Northeast Iowa area, you certainly noticed the near-perfect conditions of this Easter morning.  After going to the sunrise Easter service, then on an EMS call, followed by the Easter breakfast at church, I spent about 90-minutes on the water before attending another Easter lunch.  My goals were two-fold: capture more images of the snipe and/or photograph any new shore birds that may have arrived overnight.  I didn't find any new arrivals, but was able to photograph a few more common snipes.

This is how I often find the birds - hiding/blending into their surroundings:

Common snipe multi-tasking - eating and stretching at the same time:

Feeding in an open area:

The yellowlegs (greater and lesser) continued to work the mud flats in the same area as the common snipe.

I'll end with another image documenting crash avoidance.  How do these ducks not hit each other as they fly, including changing directions, at a high rate of speed?

I Didn't Go Out Today Until This Evening (4/11/09)

Due to a list of things that needed to be done, good weather, and a holiday, I wasn't able to visit Sweet Marsh until this evening.  When I finally did go out, I took my neighbor boy along and we went fishing.  My emphasis was for Noah to enjoy the outing.  Yes, I took my camera along, but it wasn't used much.  I did shoot a few photos of this muskrat:

As the evening was drawing to a close, I noticed an interesting reflection in the water.  The photo below is actually a reflection rotated vertically.  The trunk and branches of the tree are not wavy.  Notice the floating cattails in the top and bottom of the frame.  Why did I post it...I liked the photo.

Spring must be here...I picked off my first tick of the year tonight.

Patience and Persistence Pay Off (4/10/09)

Last night I gave thought to what my exploration efforts for today might be.  Should I paddle around with the ducks some more, or should I walk and look for different birds - perhaps some of the sparrow or warbler species, or maybe shore birds?  I opted for a walk and was rewarded for my decision.

My walk began before 7:00 and within 50-feet I found a lone yellowlegs (a shorebird).  I hid myself and waited for the bird to work its way toward me, all the time watching the changing light due to the rising sun.  As expected, the bird moved my way and I recorded many image files of the yellowlegs.  Along with the yellowlegs I had several duck species dropping in around me.  They too were recorded on file.  I was pleased with the images, but wanted more - maybe something with a little different light, so I walked some more.  Wow, within a couple hundred yards I found an area filled with shorebirds.  Unfortunately, each of them was out of reach of my lens.  I was left with no option but to go home and get my kayak, which is exactly what I did.  I paddled to the shore bird hot spot and waited.  It didn't take long before I had plenty of avian company.  Following are a few images from a very large collection of files created today.  (Disclaimer - I struggle with my shore bird identities.  If I have incorrectly identified a species, please contact me.)

Yellowlegs (yellowlegs sometimes have orange legs):

Yellowlegs:

Yellowlegs:

Yellowlegs:

Killdeer:

Possible Pectoral Sandpiper:

Common Snipe:

Common Snipe (yawning):

Common Snipe (stretching):

Common Snipe (resting):

Since the ducks were flying all around me, I had to record a few images of them too.

Blue-winged Teal:

Northern Shovelers:

I had to wonder...how did the birds in this group not crash?

Finally, I'll end with something ordinary, yet interesting.  I noticed this Canada goose sitting on a towering nest made on a muskrat mound.  This is a tight shot:

This is how high she is...notice how she sits higher than the tops of the cattails:

Which is More Exciting (4/9/09)

Due to work today and Maundy Thursday church services tonight, I had little time for serious exploration at Sweet Marsh this afternoon.  I decided to see if the mute swan was still in the area.  Indeed it was:

After a while, the swan decided to fly to a more isolated area.  Like coots, the swans have to run across the water before becoming airborne.

They do eventually gain altitude:

My understanding is that mute swans are not "good" birds to have around.  I'm am going to do some research to see if that is still the case.

After dedicating effort on the swan, I paddled near the pelicans.  Notice how relaxed, to the point of remaining seated, the birds were.

They too felt a need to move on, although I'm not certain I was the cause.  They allowed me to sit near them for 10-15 minutes and only moved after a motor boat sped past behind them (not the boat in the photo).

Finally, an exciting arrival was noticed today...the first female red-winged blackbird.  Now all the males that have been calling will at least have a female to serenade.  I expect to find many more females tomorrow.

Nature's Tricks (4/7/09)

Since I am fortunate to enjoy many outings at Sweet Marsh, I occasionally take wildlife sightings for granted.  Such was the case this morning when I saw several small white piles at the base of floating cattails.  Had most of the snow not melted, I might have assumed I was seeing snow.  I recognized that I was looking at resting pelicans, but I didn't realize one of the white birds was a swan.  At first I thought I was seeing a trumpeter swan.  On closer study, I realized the bird was a mute swan.

The pelicans and swan were in the same area, but after a while the swan swam off to a more isolated corner of Segment B.

Meanwhile, the pelicans allowed many close interactions.

Notice how graceful pelicans fly:

This pelican flew nearly overhead.  (Note: This picture is not cropped.  It was this close.)

Many other species of birds moved past my blind this morning.  Following are a few sample images:

Scaup:

Ring-necked Duck:

Gadwall:

Northern Shovelers:

Greater White-fronted Geese (speckle bellies):

This great blue heron flew overhead carrying nest material.  It was headed directly to the rookery I checked last week.  I'll have to go back and watch for nest activity in a week or two.

These three pied-billed grebes checked out my blind before swimming off to safer territory.

I am surprised anything approached close.  When you have Canada geese announcing your presence, everything wild knows you are around.

A marsh wouldn't be a marsh without red-winged blackbirds.

Dedication (4/5/09)

Dedications...need I say more?  As I watched the large snow flakes blowing horizontally during today's late winter snow storm, my thoughts wondered how the geese sitting on eggs were weathering the storm.  This image shows the dedication of "Momma" goose this afternoon.  I wasn't able to count any new eggs in the following nest (different bird), but that doesn't mean there aren't more eggs under the surface eggs.  Notice how the eggs vary in brightness and notice how there is no snow on the nest.  That is a very good indication the nest is active.  Due to its location, I wouldn't be surprised if this nest gets abandoned as boat traffic increases with warmer weather.

I've mentioned several times that I expected the American white pelicans to arrive on April 4.  During yesterday's explorations I did not find any, but sometime between late afternoon on April 4 and today the pelicans arrived.  Due to strong wind and waves, I didn't take a chance and paddle near the pelicans, settling instead for a distant aerial image.

I also saw a lone sandhill crane flying.  Either the bird didn't recognize I was present or it didn't feel threatened.  This sandhill crane was quiet instead of calling to other cranes.

Earlier in the day in my backyard I had several species struggling to find a millet, thistle, or black oil sunflower seed to eat.  Among the variety were several American goldfinches in the midst of molting.

Nearly a dozen pine siskens are still regular visitors to my thistle feeder.

The mourning doves are frequent feeder visitors and have been cooing for days now.  Unfortunately, the brown-headed cowbirds and grackles are back too.

If I could have provided a few worms for the robins, I would have fed them today too.

Let's hope the new snow disappears as quickly as it appeared!  For what it is worth, my mother-in-law told me years ago that winter doesn't end until snow sticks to the north side of trees three times.  Today was the third time, so let the summer fun begin!!

A Monochromatic Morning (4/4/09)

Even though the weather forecast for this morning was cloudy, I took a chance that the sun would shine for at least a few minutes today.  I was wrong, at least during the morning hours.  I did have a few birds nearby, including one that I believe is a song sparrow.  If you have a differing opinion on the identity of this bird, please share it with me.

Song Sparrow:

Ring-necked Duck:

American Coot:

A Change in Technique and Success is Realized (4/3/09)

After a couple of weeks in the backwater areas with ducks, I've been wondering why I was having trouble approaching the birds.  I think some of the problem was associated with all water being open - the birds aren't forced into smaller areas of open water.  I've also come to the conclusion that my "foot print" in the outdoors was too big.  Last night I modified my camo approach and I tested the concept this morning.  Wow, what a day!  I had many species swimming around me and many approached relatively close.  My camera was clicking non-stop until I needed to swap batteries and memory cards.  Following are a few samples:

American Widgeon:

Blue-winged Teal:

Green-winged Teal (very, very cooperative):

Northern Shoveler:

Great Blue Heron:

American Coot:

American Widgeon and Northern Shovelers:

Wood Ducks:

Late this afternoon I did some exploring on Segment B of Sweet Marsh.  This Canada goose is sitting on eggs.  Look carefully; she is trying to hide and doing a pretty good job of it.  Her head is under the "p" in my name.   I found another goose nest with five eggs in it.  Many others are sitting on nests too.

God Speaks with a Subtle Voice, Yet Very Clearly (4/2/09)

I was having one of those days today.  The morning began with an intense headache that I just couldn't get rid of.  An interview with local media went well, but still added stress.  Following that was a meeting with reps from many counties.  I ended the afternoon with yet another meeting about redundant communication systems.  Needless to say, when I got home I wasn't in the mood to do much, except get rid of the day-long headache.  I thought maybe exercise would help so I began moving the countless rocks lining the decorative backyard stream/ponds in our backyard.  The plan is to replace the liner between the ponds, so I have my work cut out for me.  I had a couple of tons of rock moved (by hand) when I walked by my wildflower patch.  There they were, several beautiful purple crocus plants in full bloom.  I never planted the flowers and had no idea they were there.  I recognized the unexpected beauty as a message from God..."Kip, slow down, take a break, enjoy this gift..." which is just what I did.  I stopped, pulled out my camera, and laid down in the flower patch to study the plants.  

I didn't get my pond/stream project finished.  There is no rush, unless I create one for some useless reason.  

I can't help but wonder how the plants appeared in my backyard.  Did a bird or two somehow drop the bulbs and the plants established themselves?  Or, did a squirrel share them with me as it stored food for the winter?  Is there another reason the plants showed up?  I'll never know, but I'm sure glad I saw them.

For those interested in the technical aspects of the images, the first image was shot at ISO 1600, the second at ISO 400, and the third at ISO 640.  No noise reduction was applied.

The Race is On! (4/1/09)

A fair number of people know that I spend a considerable amount of time at Sweet Marsh, along Plum Creek, or exploring the Wapsie River.  For those who don't share a similar fascination with the outdoor world, it is often difficult for them to understand what motivates me.  Perhaps the surprise of today will answer their questions...  We had coot races underway!

As drab and clumsy as American coots are, I still enjoy watching them as they go about their daily activities.  The birds are constantly vocal and live with a pack-mentality.  If one is calm, they all are calm.  Spook one coot and you have the entire flock struggling to make a hasty retreat, even though most don't even know what they are fleeing from.  As this picture shows, this coot didn't feel threatened by my presence.

I had several bird species stop by my hide-away today, including northern shovelers, American Widgeons, great blue herons, and this hen mallard:

Also in the area were a number of blue-winged teal:

This muskrat crawled out of a hole in the bank just below my feet.  I don't think it ever realized I was sitting there.

I almost mistook this pied-billed grebe for a stump.  A little bit of movement gave it away.

For those who might be wondering, this is what my camo-covered kayak looks like.  The crumpled material that doesn't quite match the surroundings is my ghillie suit.

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Ladage Photography.