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Kip's Tick Count for 2008 is currently at: 6 Ticks

Kip's Mosquito, Fly, and Gnat Count for 2008 is currently at:

9,336,889 and Box Elder Bugs are at 983,665.

Fungus Among Us (11/28/08)

Since the weather was great for being outside today, and since I hadn't prepped my snowblower for the winter yet, I used today's nice weather to finish up on that and other winter projects.  I did venture out for less than an hour and found interesting fungus on a tree.  Otherwise, I didn't see anything special.

Thanksgiving Afternoon Walk (11/27/08)

Much to my surprise, the skies cleared for most of the afternoon, allowing for another "walk in the wild."

I checked on the muskrat family.  All seven were out feeding again this afternoon.  My concern remains...won't the 'rats be frozen out this winter?

While hiking to "Forgotten Pond" to check on the muskrats, I watched this calling red-tailed hawk.  This image is certainly nothing remarkable, but I ask that you take a look at the bird's wings.  One wing appears to be embossed with a pattern in one direction and the other wing seems to have the same pattern embossed in a reverse direction.  Does anyone have any idea what the purpose of this might be?  Perhaps the feathers appear patterned due to the bird turning sharply while soaring.

As I wandered around, I noticed several good-looking autumn scenes.  Each included either a thistle or milkweed pod as the main subject.

Finally, I came across a small group of American tree sparrows still in the area.

Thanksgiving Morning Walk (11/27/08)

Hopefully you were up early enough this morning to enjoy the sunny and warm skies.  Like so many late fall/early winter days, clouds soon filled the sky, the temps dropped, and the wind started up.

I began the morning with a quiet walk looking for owls in Black Hawk County.  I didn't have any luck with the owls, but did run into a couple of guys out doing the same thing.  They didn't find any owls either.  I did find some interesting fungus on a fallen log.

I hope your Thanksgiving Day is pleasant!

What Does This Squirrel Know?? (11/25/08)

If a fox squirrel spends part of a sunny afternoon sprawled out on tree branch rather than building a winter nest or burying walnuts, does that mean winter will be mild?  I hope so!

More Animals Happy They Haven't Met Kenny! (11/23/08)

This afternoon I found seven muskrats that are happy they haven't met my friend Kenny.  Kenny is a trapper and sees the wildlife I photograph from a different perspective.  When I found these muskrats feeding in a shallow pond, I thought I could translate their squeaks to say "Please don't tell Kenny where we live!"  Seriously, I'm concerned whether this group of 'rats will survive the winter.  The pond is very shallow and I expect it will freeze solid during the dead of winter.  I'll be surprised if this family makes it to spring.  This is the largest group of muskrats I remember seeing grouped together.

While out walking I found this milkweed pod blowing in the breeze:

Away Again, But I Offer "Play" Images (11/21/08)

Once again the demands of my job required that I was away from home for a few days.  Last night I played around with night exposures.  This first image was as the camera metered the composition:

I thought the lights on the trees appeared burned out, with a "blooming" affect on the overall image.  This image was exposed at -2.3 stops:

Since my view was dissected by a light pole, I decided to try a few different techniques.  Of the many different compositions, I liked this one.  The image was done by shooting with the camera on a tripod at  -2.3.  While the shutter was open, I zoomed out.  At the same time a vehicle traveled through the composition and created interesting trails into the darkness.

Few Photos, But Some News (11/13/08)

I've not been able to do much shooting lately for a couple of reasons...

Reason #1 - The sky has been dark and dreary nearly non-stop.  That makes for poor photography conditions and influences my desire to get out in a negative direction.

Reason #2 - One of my lenses developed a problem on the objective end.  I was not able to notice any impact on the images produced, but was concerned the problem would grow.  So, I took a chance and mailed the lens to Nikon.  My concern was being without the lens for weeks on end while waiting for a repair.  Much to my surprise, the lens was in the shop maybe three days total and promptly returned to me.  I've run a few simple tests and will check it more in the next few days.  All looks well!

Although I was down one lens, I did go out looking around yesterday.  I found these orange berries with a raindrop:

I also found an interesting fungal growth at the base of a tree on a hillside:

From My Rear View Mirror - What a Sight (11/6/08)

Wednesday afternoon I was driving to a conference when I ran into heavy rain and pockets of sunshine.  I happened to look in my rear-view mirror and couldn't believe my eyes.  In fact, I was so impressed that I pulled off the Interstate and shot a few pictures.  I don't remember ever seeing a rainbow as bright as this one.  Two softer rainbows were visible on either side of the bright one.  The view was breathtaking.

I've Been Away and  Have Little to Show for It (10/29/08)

The past week and a half has consisted mostly of travel for work or family activities and resulted in very few nature photos.  The only images I was able to capture were a few distant views of sandhill cranes gathered in a field west of OshKosh, Wisconsin.

In this area, both on our way up and on our way back, we saw a large number of cranes feeding.

Not Sasquatch or a Mountain Lion, But an Albino Mink (10/18/08)

My dearly beloved and I spent the day winterizing our cabin today, which is a task I really don't enjoy.  For one thing, draining the pipes is a lot of work.  For another thing, a winterized cabin means no more "overnights" until next spring.  Finally, the next step after winterizing is blowing snow off the ice for an ice rink.  I'm just not ready for that yet.

After we had finished the winterizing project, I treated her to a ride up the river in my under-powered Lund fishing boat.  We puttered along at a slow pace enjoying every tree along the river bank.  There is just nothing but the best for my wife!  As we were returning to our dock I noticed something unusual swimming along the shore.  I motored over to check it out and realized we were watching an albino mink.  This animal fed along the river's edge, paused for a drink, and then climbed up on shore and ran under the neighbor's pontoon boat (on a trailer).  I know most people would think I was blowing smoke, so I took a few pictures.

Check out the teeth on this thing.  It was munching on some hard-shelled dead critter.

I was hoping we had found something rare, but wanted to check an idea.  I contacted the only mink rancher that I know and he said does not raise white mink.  According to him, the closest mink ranch with white animals is near Fredericksburg or outside of New Hampton.  It is certainly possible this was an escaped animal that has managed to adapt to life in the wild.

When we back home I shot a few insect photos.  I began with this tiger moth larva.  This thing actually got loose in the house for nearly a day before I found it again.  I don't like to capture critters, but since it was raining yesterday, I couldn't take its picture and had to wait until today.

I also found a green fly on the front steps.

This cricket may have chirped its last song.  The low temps should render it quiet really soon.

Today I Found a Rough and Tough One (10/16/08)

After many years of shooting wild critter photos, I've learned that although I may be pretty good at naming birds and mammals, I am very weak in my butterfly, moth, spider, and insect identification skills.  For example, today I found this very rough looking butterfly sunning on a bench along the Waverly Rail Trail.

For a good amount of time tonight I thought I had found some species of swallowtail.  However, absolutely no reference material or Internet web site would confirm my suspicion.  No matter where I looked, I  wasn't able to identify this butterfly.  Finally, I pulled out my "Golden Guide - Butterflies and Moths"  book that was printed in 1977 and quickly found my butterfly.  It was a tired looking Mourning Cloak.

While I was out, I also shot a few more images of the beautiful colors along my often walked section of trail.

A Study in the Qualities of Light (10/13/08)

I know that serious photographers consider the various qualities of light.  I'm also willing to bet that most non-photographers also take notice of the changes in the qualities of light.  Even though they may not be creating images, soft and warm light is recognized as different than cool and harsh light.  Another quality of light that is noticed is the direction of light.  Similar scenes will look remarkably different, depending on the quality or direction of the light.  An afternoon walk on the Waverly Rail Trail yesterday gave me an opportunity to capture several different compositions and qualities of light.  Is one better than the other...not necessarily.  I have a couple of favorites and I'm sure you do too.

I'll include a couple of Autumn Cedar River images.  I had to shoot with the drab skies...

I then turned my lens to smaller subjects that were also colorful:

Virginia Creeper:

Poison Ivy (Note: My wife informed me she enjoys looking at a colorful plant that will cause skin lesions much more than she enjoys harmless insect images!)

Asiatic Dayflower (Only a few still blooming):

An unknown frilly, white flower:

An unknown fungus:

Finally, interesting colors from the Altoona Water Tower at night.  The stripes in the foreground were made by recording a passing vehicle:

I Believe there are Fungus Among Us (10/13/08)

I continue to have fungus popping up in my yard.  Fungus identification is definitely a weak point for me.  Does anyone recognize this one?  If so, please feel free to email the name.  Does anyone know of a good fungus identification website?

Just a Little Walk Around the Yard (10/12/08)

Today was one of those days when commitments outnumbered available time.  So, I limited my outdoor explorations to about an eight-foot area around my front door.  Out of consideration to visitors to this site, I did not include any images of the thousands of box elder bugs basking on the warm side of the house.  I did, however, find a very small and very jumpy spider that looks frightening when magnified.  I've included two views of the same spider.  Sorry, I have not determined an ID on this one yet. If it measured 3/8" long I'd be surprised.

Front view of this interesting creature:

I also found some yellow wood sorrel still flowering.

One Big Project Leads to One Great Trip Down The River (10/11/08)

Members of Restore Our Wapsie (ROW) and the Bremer County Soil and Water Conservation District have undertaken a project called RASCAL.  I mentioned this earlier in the week when a group of us assessed the Wapsie  from the Bremer/Chickasaw County line to the dam in Frederika.  RASCAL stands for Rapid Assessment of Stream Conditions Along its Length and is really a series of snapshots, correlated to GPS waypoints, along a water route.  Our goal is to RASCAL assess the entire Wapsie through Bremer County.  Today I paddled the stretch from the portage trail in Alcock Park in Frederika to the Highway 93 bridge north of Tripoli.  According to my GPS I traveled 7 miles on the river.  Since the RASCAL project requires stops every 750 feet or so, it took me five hours to float back to my truck.  Although the river is very low right now, the scenery was simply spectacular!  Autumn colors are nearing their brilliance and each turn in the river brought another great view.  I expected to have to portage many times, but was stopped only once by a huge log jam.  Otherwise, I was able to slip under, around, or over the many obstacles in the river.   Photos won't do justice, but I'd like to share a few with you.

With many miles from an access on either end, the great blue herons recognized the seclusion and built this small rookery.  I'll try to check it next spring for activity.

Also while I was a long distance from anywhere, I found this raccoon hunting along the shoreline.  Note: This was the second raccoon observed today along the river.  Apparently this 'coon had not seen humans before, or perhaps it hadn't seen a human before on the water, but the animal was not afraid of me.  In fact, we moved between 1/4 and 1/2 mile down the river together.  I wasn't in camo, my kayak wasn't in camo, and I made plenty of movement and noise, yet this animal stayed with me.  

Several times I thought it was going to try to climb onto my kayak to check me out.  We parted ways when the raccoon swam out to a log in the river, looked around, and then went back to swimming to the other side of the river.  

If I learned anything, I learned that raccoons are not very efficient swimmers when they swim against the current.  This one struggled to reach its destination, but it did make it and then watched me paddle away.  

If you have a chance to paddle the Wapsie River one more time before the icy season, I would encourage you to do so soon.  You will not be disappointed by the views!

This One is For My Wife (10/9/08)

My wife has been commenting that she is not a fan of my  "bug pictures."  She doesn't like them close-up and she doesn't like them far away.  Apparently she prefers flowers and birds.  Well, in my never ending quest to please, I tried very hard to add additional image themes to my photo efforts.  I didn't find any interesting bird compositions, but I did find a generic landscape image of the Waverly Rail Trail:

I was actually talking to her on my cell phone when my attention was suddenly interrupted as I spied this lovely red-sided garter snake hiding in the leaf clutter.  Dear, this one's for you!

I couldn't resist the opportunity to shoot a few insect photos too, so here goes.  I cannot assure my identifications are 100% correct.  I am continuing to research the names.

Large Fly:

Soldier Fly:

Pollen-covered Fly:

Sawfly (now isn't that a fascinating insect!):

Some form of Leafhopper:

Green Fly:

A Couple of Suppositions (10/8/08)

Suppose you were out for a walk, looking around for interesting subjects or vivid fall colors, and you come upon an assortment of insects numbering in the hundreds.  The species count was three or four, but total number of insects was in the hundreds.  Suppose too that all of these insects were concentrated in about a 10-foot long area of a bike trail bridge.  Would you stop and study them or become frustrated and move away quickly?  I chose to study and photograph the little critters and was quite surprised by what I observed.

Most surprising was the behavior of this paper wasp.  The wasp had claimed a specific area of the wood fencing as its own and readily defended it from other insect intruders.  As I watched it, I noticed how it remained within about a 6 square inch area.  So, I pre-focused my lens on that area and waited for the wasp to defend it.  Just as I expected, the wasp would peak over the edge of the wood fence, as if it was sneaking up on me.  From the twisting and turning of its head, I don't think it was able to determine whether I was a threat or prey.  It didn't take long before the wasp began to ignore my presence and started to preen.  The actions of the wasp were very similar to a dog or cat licking itself.

As I watched the wasp, it seemed to become defensive of its territory, but not towards me.  No, it appeared to be threatened by its reflection in my lens.  Remember, my lens was only a few inches away, so the reflection may have been very obvious.  Numerous times the wasp stood tall and jumped toward the lens.  The first few times I pulled the lens back quickly in a natural reflex.  Once I was able to force myself to hold my ground, the wasp would just walk up to the lens.  This image is a portion of a larger image.  Due to the close proximity to the wasp, I was able to capture much detail and fortunately did not get stung.

Also in the area were many, many box elder bugs.  They seemed to be attracted to the warmth of the bridge rail and metal fence posts.  Although they were constantly moving around, a few did allow for photos.

Same box elder bug, but cropped close to study detail.  Did you notice the two tiny  red buttons behind the eyes?  Had you ever noticed them before?  I hadn't.

Finally, this house fly was very tolerant of my presence, so I photographed it too.

RASCAL Assessment on Wapsie (10/6/08)

This afternoon, on possibly one of the last few great autumn days, members of the Hawkeye Community College Environmental Science classes, the Bremer County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Restore Our Wapsie performed a RASCAL Assessment on the Wapsie.  Our assessment began at the Bremer/Chickasaw County Line and ended at the canoe portage trail in Frederika.  RASCAL stands for Rapid Assessment of Stream Conditions Along its Length and is really a series of snapshots, correlated to GPS waypoints, along a water route.  The "big picture" plan is to complete a RASCAL Assessment along the entire length of the Wapsie River in Bremer County.  Weather permitting, we may be able to do that yet this fall.  Data gathered is then used by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to determine the status of Iowa rivers.

The RASCAL group paddling down the river:

Measuring a segment of bank erosion:

Two Mediocre Attempts - Same Results (10/5/08)

With winter fast approaching, my time available for outdoor photography has been severely cramped by responsibilities that must be taken care of before cold weather eliminates the opportunity.  Today was one of those days...when I would have preferred to be out shooting, but accomplished much for winter preparations.  However, I did take a little bit of time for shooting.

This morning, after church, I was contacted about four sandhill cranes in a pasture.  The thought was that if I walked down a cornfield, I might be able to approach close enough for a pleasing image.  Every inch of me was in camo, including my camera.  I walked several rows into the corn, and yet the cranes somehow knew I was in there.  I could hear their alarm call, even though I was not able to see them.  The best I was able to go away with was an image of sandhill cranes from quite a distance away.  By the way, I found only two cranes.  I have no clue where the other two may have been.  These birds left shortly after I snapped a few photos.

Later in the afternoon we took my boat up the Wapsie to enjoy the fall colors.  We saw three different great blue herons, and none would relax long enough for a nice, close image.  I had to be satisfied with this one:

Guess the Species (10/4/08)

While driving home from a photography presentation in Buchanan County, I came upon a couple of interesting birds sitting along the edge of the road.  Can you tell from this image what I was seeing?

If you guessed turkey vulture, you are correct.  Have you ever seen one yawning?