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.

2009 Mendocino Service Trip Journal Entry

Boundary Waters Paddling Trip Report

Isle Royale Backpacking Trip Report (8/09)

Isle Royale Backpacking - Entire Island Hiked! (9/09)

Farewell to Abby

Red Fox Images from 8-weeks at Their Den (Scroll through entries)

May 2009            June 2009

A Picture a Day

A photo and a caption and nothing more...

2010 Tick Count: 0

Is This a Sign of Spring?? (3-20-10)

Kristy found the first dandelion, in bloom, of 2010 today in our yard.  I wasn't able to photograph it until after dark, but here it is:

Winter isn't Finished Yet (3-19-10)

What a change in the weather in just a few hours...we've dropped 10-degrees and it's been snowing all afternoon.  Such conditions make photography tough, even when there are plenty of photo subjects out moving around.  I considered not posting any of the following images due to image quality, but decided to share them for those not able to be out and about so they might see what is happening in Iowa's wild areas.

I found one tree with seven bald eagles roosting in it.  I have suspicions about this area and will follow them to see if they are correct.

After approaching the tree, only because the path leads directly under it, all seven birds took flight.  This juvenile circled directly overhead several times.  Blowing snow resulted in lower levels of sharpness.  

Also flying overhead were many greater white-fronted geese (also known as speckle bellies).  The snow and dark skies made capturing a good image impossible.  There may be as many speckle-bellies around as there are Canada Geese.

This fisherman was the first I've seen fishing the open water near the boat ramp in 2010.  It won't be long before the shores are lined with anglers pulling in crappies and bluegills, unless the deep snow and low oxygen levels caused a fish kill we haven't yet seen.

To prove the day was wet, I photographed this cattail blossom covered in snowdrops.

101 + 1 Day (3-18-10)

Today I had a very special opportunity to share a nature photography show with possibly the best grandma walking the face of the earth.  My grandmother - actually my step-grandmother, but who cares - lives in an apartment complex where the residents meet monthly for a meal.  I was invited to attend and present a nature photography program as the entertainment for today's gathering.  I had been trying for some time to do a presentation for Ollie and her friends, but things just hadn't  worked out.  Today all the necessary details fell into place and I was able to share some samples of my work with Ollie and her neighbors.  We had a great time and many, many laughs.  What made the event extra special was that Ollie turned 101-years old yesterday.  Ollie still lives by herself, is active and out and about quite often.   Ollie remains sharp and is a super character for many reasons.  Following is a picture of Ollie at 101 years and 1 day old in her favorite chair by the window:

Hello to all of Ollie's friends too!  I had a great time.  Thanks for sharing your afternoon!

Birds in Flight (3-17-10)

I succumbed to the great weather this afternoon and took a very brief walk on the dikes at Sweet Marsh.  During my short time there I enjoyed the company of many ring-billed gulls and a pair of bald eagles.

Ring-billed Gulls:

Bald Eagle:

Ghost Deer on Thin Ice (3-16-10)

This evening I spent time at Sweet Marsh listening and watching for the courtship ritual of woodcocks.  I had a pretty good idea where to be at sundown based on conversations from last year.  As expected, after the light levels dropped below workable, several woodcocks began their peent-type calls.  Around the same time I also heard from a pair of sandhill cranes.  This pair are the first of the year for me in Bremer County.

Before the woodcocks began calling I heard a crash on the ice.  I looked out to see a whitetail deer that had jumped off the stable shoreline, on to the ice, and then fallen through.  The deer was still standing on the ice, trying to determine its next action.  Suddenly the animal attempted and successfully completed a standing broad jump from the ice back to the solid ground.  Because low light required a slow shutter speed, the deer recorded as a ghost image.  You can see the hole in the ice on the left side of the deer.

The Migration is On!! (3-12-10)

This afternoon I noticed several first of the year birds in the backyard - American Robins (many), red-winged blackbirds, and grackles.  Flying overhead was a lone great blue heron.  Does their presence mean winter is done, even though we haven't had three snowfalls where the snow stuck to the north side of the trees?

The Wapsie appears to have reached its crest, but not before rising to a level that threatens some of the lower elevation cabins.

FINALLY!! (3-5-10)

Of the many birds calling Iowa home, I've been fortunate to photograph many.  One particular bird - the rooster pheasant - has eluded me for years.  Not so today...there were probably a half-dozen roosters in an area.  I was able to shoot a couple of photos before this one realized I was there and ran off.

Drama in the Backyard - CAUTION VERY, VERY GRAPHIC (2-21-10)

Sometimes our perceptions of life in the wild and what really occurs - the realities of wildlife - are completely different.  Often we ignore or avoid the difficult and painful, yet necessary components of the wildlife life cycle because of human emotions...if we avoid it, then it must not be happening.  We all know that approach is incorrect, but more often than not avoidance is the option we take and sometimes we begin to believe what we are or are not seeing, regardless of whether or not we are actively avoiding certain critical details.  

Today we had one of those moments in our backyard - the always occurring predator/prey relationship was carried out to its fullest extent.  The participants were an adult, male house sparrow and the neighborhood sharp-shinned hawk.  I didn't observe the actual capture of the house sparrow, but I did see the struggle between life and death and the subsequent assurance that the sharp-shinned hawk will live another day because it was able to eat.

Following are a series of images recorded of the sharp-shinned killing and eating the sparrow.  Warning: The images are very, very graphic!!

A successful capture and kill:

The sharp-shinned hawk lives another day because of a meal.

Two details of this event amaze me.  First - That the entire process was completed in less than 15-minutes.  One minute the sparrow was feeding at my feeder and now the bird and its role in our backyard ecosystem are history.  Second - I am amazed and thrilled the sharp-shinned hawk allowed me to approach within a few feet as it dined in the thick, protective branches of our pine tree.  Over the years I've photographed hawks in the backyard, but never at such a close range involved in such an activity.

Hiding Birds and a Not Friendly Kitty (sort of) (2-20-10)

This afternoon I took a drive around the area looking for birds and other interesting subjects.  Although the temperatures were pleasantly warm for a February day, I certainly didn't see much wildlife out and about.  Nearly every critter I did see ran or took flight very quickly.  I did come across a couple of hen pheasants feeding in a field.  Instead of flying for safety, they attempted to flatten out against the exposed soil.  One bird did a much better job of becoming elusive than the other.

Later, as I was driving down a different road, I came upon a kitty (sort of) that wasn't very friendly.  Many of you are familiar with my very strong dislike for cats running loose.  Today I thought I'd try to be a better person.  I stopped to pet the pretty thing and instead of it welcoming me, it turned and showed me something I didn't need to see.  I interpreted its rude behavior as a strong hint that it wanted to be left alone, so I did - after taking a few pictures.

Making the Best of an Expensive Day (2-15-10)

Today was a day off for me (President's Day) and I had hoped to make the best of it.  My plans were to catch enough crappies and bluegills to have a meal or two of fresh fish.  Isn't it funny how plans can change?  First, we were blessed with still more snow and blowing snow.  The combination meant I wasn't able to see the path to drive out to my fishing hotspot - meaning I buried my truck in snow at least four times on the way out, before I ever fished.  Then I had everything set up, was fishing over structure, and snagged my jig and lost it.  As I was adjusting my position, my PDA (handheld computer) fell out of my pocket and directly into the hole in the ice.  I caught it, but not before it was exposed to a dunking.  At this time it is not working.  After that I decided maybe I better quit before my truck drops through the ice too.  I only got stuck two more times driving off the ice, but one of those times was in the area of where the ice is not quite so thick.  Guess who shoveled fast and rocked carefully!  On my drive home I came across a car stalled in the highway and helped her out.  Then I found a bald eagle feeding on a deer carcass.  The bird wouldn't stay low and close, but did roost in a tree nearby. 

 I don't even know how much today cost me yet, but I'm sure I could have bought a lot of fish at the grocery store.  As pleased as I am with the eagle images, I'm not sure I needed to endure everything beforehand.  Couldn't have the bird been posing when I first drove out so I could have avoided the getting stuck and unexpected financial loss??

Valentine's Day Hoarfrost (2-14-10)

If you were fortunate enough to be in the Northeast Iowa area this morning, I hope you enjoyed the beautiful hoarfrost sparkling against the clear blue sky.  As soon as my Sunday morning meeting was over, I wandered around our backyard to do my best to capture the intricate detail of the various patterns.  My completed work didn't do it justice based on how pretty it was, but it was the best I could do.  

A Biology Lesson For Some and Sad News For All (2-12-10)

Some days things just seem to work and today was one of those days.  As I was out driving I noticed what I assumed was a flock of horned larks.  For those who might not know what I am referring to...I am describing the birds that fly up from the edge of the roads during the winter months, usually when your vehicle is within a couple hundred feet.  From a distance they appear to be ordinary sparrows.  Those birds are generally horned larks.  The flock I was watching today was very tolerant of my truck and allowed for many images to be recorded.  Following are a few horned lark photos:

My experience with the roadside birds was double surprising - first that the horned larks didn't fly off and allowed for picture making, but also that flying with the horned larks were a few Lapland longspurs.  For the record, the images recorded today of the longspurs were the first acceptable images I've made of them.

A short while later as I was headed out ice-fishing, I noticed a couple of bald eagles in a tree over the Wapsie.  Although the birds were buried in branches, I still was able to capture a couple of interesting images.

Finally, for some sad news...

Santa will not be making an appearance next year.  I found his remains stuck in a chimney this morning.  You can tell by the snow on his carcass that he has been there a while. 

Update on the Unknown Bird (2/10/10)

A very experienced and well educated bird watcher has suggested that the bird in the foreground in the entry below may be a winter plumage Lapland longspur.

Is That a Female Horned Lark? (2/9/10)

Like most winter days, I scared up bunches of horned larks feeding along the edges of roads.  Today I attempted to photograph them with minimal success.  As I looked through the images, I noticed this unusual bird in the front of the certain horned lark.  I believe it is a female or juvenile horned lark, but won't say that with 100% certainty.  

I didn't find the pintail today, but did have three common goldeneyes jump up when I approached.

I've passed by this old farm machinery hundreds of times.  Today I decided to photograph one of them and try it with a sepia tone.  I'm not sure I like the look.

Now I Know How That Happens! (2/6/10)

On more than one occasion I've noticed odd items hanging in trees deep in the timber.  I've often wondered how the stuff arrived at such an unlikely destination.  After an incident this morning, I now know.  As I was headed out to go ice fishing, I noticed a bald eagle feeding in a snow-covered field.  I stopped to shoot a few pictures and watch  the bird.

The juvenile bird struggled to down a stiff, frozen raccoon tail (fur missing). 

After a minute or two the tail structure was inside the bird.  Then it decided to finish dining on the remainder of the 'coon in a nearby tree.  The carcass appeared to have been the remains of a successful 'coon hunt or trapping outing since there was no fur on the animal, except for well fined fur edges on its feet.

Two Pintails - Sort of...and Other Stuff (2/5/10)

My photographic aspirations for the day were to capture frame-filling images of the northern pintail I've been watching.  It didn't take long to learn that the pintail wasn't going to cooperate any more today than it has in days past.  I still couldn't get close enough for real nice photos.

After giving up on the pintail, I found another bird with a pin-shaped tail feeding in a field.

Nearby were a couple of whitetail deer that survived the hunting seasons.  Either the deer were very elusive this past deer season, or there weren't many hunters, or there weren't many hunters who were good shots.  I've seen many deer already.

I was checking stream levels and found this pretty setting in a rural part of the county:

Finally, the following picture reminds me of lifetimes nearly forgotten.  At some time this old pump provided water for a thirsty family.  Now it is nothing more than an obstacle for a modern farmer to plow around.  I wonder how much longer it will remain exposed in the field before all remnants of the "home place" will be gone.

Feeding - Which is More Attractive (2/3/10)

If you could choose how your back end appeared when it was sticking in the air, would you prefer a spiked tail or a curly tail?

A Harbinger of Spring? (2/2/10)

I don't know if we're being told something about the weather or not, but a northern pintail has been spotted in the county.  Was it here all winter or is it a very early migrant that knows something we don't know?

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Ladage Photography.