inviting you to trace each curve running through the wintery woods, by foot or by tire.
February 28, 2013
Black Ribbon
The Duck Creek bike path is a black ribbon,
inviting you to trace each curve running through the wintery woods, by foot or by tire.
inviting you to trace each curve running through the wintery woods, by foot or by tire.
February 27, 2013
February 26, 2013
February 25, 2013
Guess That Tree
Ok, folks, here we go. Can you guess this familiar, native tree based on the photographic clues below?
Here is a picture of the fruit/seed, which last on the tree until late winter.
Here is a picture of the classic, mottled bark of this tree.
And here is a leaf.
You know this! Think about it, and post your guesses in the comment section below, and thanks for playing!
Here is a picture of the fruit/seed, which last on the tree until late winter.
Here is a picture of the classic, mottled bark of this tree.
And here is a leaf.
You know this! Think about it, and post your guesses in the comment section below, and thanks for playing!
February 23, 2013
Sparrow Before the Storm
It was dusk as I walked along the Ben Butterworth Parkway in Moline, and about five degrees out. A little bird chirping in the bushes was the only sign of life on the trail.
He fluttered over the hedge and down an embankment. Reaching a gap in the bushes, I saw him out on the ice. He kept sticking his beak down into the ice, almost burying his head. I couldn't quite make out what he was doing. I thought maybe he'd found a little hole in the ice and was trying to get a drink before bed. "Poor little bird," I thought.
Imagine my surprise when I got home and saw this up close.
That "poor little bird" was taking care of himself just fine. He wasn't trying to get a drink. He was ripping chunks of flesh off a dead fish!
I I.D. the bird. It's a song sparrow. They normally eat seeds and insects. But in the waning moments of the day, on the eve of a storm, you do what you gotta do. It's a dog eat dog world out there.
He fluttered over the hedge and down an embankment. Reaching a gap in the bushes, I saw him out on the ice. He kept sticking his beak down into the ice, almost burying his head. I couldn't quite make out what he was doing. I thought maybe he'd found a little hole in the ice and was trying to get a drink before bed. "Poor little bird," I thought.
Imagine my surprise when I got home and saw this up close.
That "poor little bird" was taking care of himself just fine. He wasn't trying to get a drink. He was ripping chunks of flesh off a dead fish!
I I.D. the bird. It's a song sparrow. They normally eat seeds and insects. But in the waning moments of the day, on the eve of a storm, you do what you gotta do. It's a dog eat dog world out there.
February 20, 2013
Canvasbacks
There were hundreds of canvasbacks on the river near LeClaire, Iowa last weekend. I stopped to get a few pictures, and was excited to see them in such numbers.
They are so distinctive, with their whitish backs and bodies, and red heads.
Here's a picture of one with a Canada goose, for size comparison.
They are so distinctive, with their whitish backs and bodies, and red heads.
Here's a picture of one with a Canada goose, for size comparison.
February 18, 2013
Trumpeter Swans
What a find - seven trumpeter swans at the Princeton Wildlife Management Area!!!
Trumpeter swans look similar to tundra swans, but are bigger. Unless you see the two side by side, it is difficult to tell for sure which kind you are looking at. Tundra swans usually have yellow lores (the point where their black beaks meet their eyes) and trumpeters usually do not.
These birds were hunted for game and for their feathers - nearly to extinction. Conservation efforts have brought them back from the brink. They are the largest native waterfowl in North America. They can weigh from thirty to thirty-five pounds and can have an eight-foot wingspan.
Their scientific name, Cygnus buccinator, comes from the Latin and Greek "cygus" for swan, and from buccinator, a face muscle that is used when whistling. They are commonly called trumpeter swans because their call can sound like a brass instrument at times.
These birds were hunted for game and for their feathers - nearly to extinction. Conservation efforts have brought them back from the brink. They are the largest native waterfowl in North America. They can weigh from thirty to thirty-five pounds and can have an eight-foot wingspan.
Their scientific name, Cygnus buccinator, comes from the Latin and Greek "cygus" for swan, and from buccinator, a face muscle that is used when whistling. They are commonly called trumpeter swans because their call can sound like a brass instrument at times.
Just last week I began forming a wish list of birds I would like to see and photograph. Big swans were on that list and voila - here they were. Sweet!
February 12, 2013
Shooting Eagles
Last week I spent a couple of pleasant hours in the company of other photographers on a board walk along the Mississippi, photographing bald eagles. There were friendly, quiet greetings as each person showed up and set up their tripod or staked their claim to a bit of fence railing as we all looked out over the river. Latecomers were gently ribbed for sleeping in.
"What'sa matter, Bob? Your alarm clock not go off?" (Chuckle, chuckle.)
It was a satisfying experience to be out there with other like-minded folks who prize the beauty of nature and the wonder of God's creations.
Quiet conversations were interrupted by the soft click and whir of cameras as an eagle swept into view from time to time. One high point was a burst of activity with seven eagles descending on the river all at once. There were so many swirling around, I didn't know which one to focus on!
After that, there was some friendly bragging and one-upping as members from the same photography club kidded one another.
"Did you get the shot?" asked one fellow.
"Oh, I got it. Filled the whole frame!" replied the other.
"Yeah, but was it in focus?" teased the first.
"Sharp as a pin, you better believe it," defended the second.
Pictures were brought up on camera screens and shared around. Amazing stuff. National Geographic quality. And then, from the fishing platform, two eagles swooped down to a log in the river and settled there briefly. They are a mating pair, and have drawn the attention of the other photographers all week.
There was a gentle hurry down to that end of the board walk in an effort to get in close enough for a good shot without startling the regal pair.
There was a gentle hurry down to that end of the board walk in an effort to get in close enough for a good shot without startling the regal pair.
It was a satisfying experience to be out there with other like-minded folks who prize the beauty of nature and the wonder of God's creations.
February 11, 2013
Ice Slabs
Ice slabs on Duck Creek trail.
Once they covered the creek bed upstream in a thick, solid layer.
Then a powerful pressure busted them into straight-edged slabs.
The were swept downstream in a churning cauldron of flood water, and piled up high on the creek bank.
Now they are the leftover relics of the brute force of nature, silent, still and landlocked.
Once they covered the creek bed upstream in a thick, solid layer.
Then a powerful pressure busted them into straight-edged slabs.
The were swept downstream in a churning cauldron of flood water, and piled up high on the creek bank.
Now they are the leftover relics of the brute force of nature, silent, still and landlocked.
February 9, 2013
Another Merganser
After researching the hooded merganser I posted about yesterday, I got interested in this little enclave of waterfowl all over again. I remembered photographing another merganser last year, and so looked up those photos. Here is a female from last spring
The only problem was that I wasn't sure if this was a common or a red-breasted merganser. The hens are difficult to tell apart, and my pictures were distant and murky.
In my quest to find out, I ended up at allaboutbirds.com, at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I end up there a lot. They give succinct, reliable information and have nice color photos. Here's a link to their excellent website:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Merganser/id
I learned that the common merganser hen has a white chin patch, while the red-breasted hen does not. Instead, she has a dark or pale chin. Also, the common merganser has a short crest, but the red-breasted has a longer, double crest. That's it. Those are the two big differences.
Based on that information, I looked over my photos again. The crest on my bird is hard to see, but the lack of a white chin spot leads me to believe that what we have here is a female red-breasted merganser.
The only problem was that I wasn't sure if this was a common or a red-breasted merganser. The hens are difficult to tell apart, and my pictures were distant and murky.
In my quest to find out, I ended up at allaboutbirds.com, at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I end up there a lot. They give succinct, reliable information and have nice color photos. Here's a link to their excellent website:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Merganser/id
I learned that the common merganser hen has a white chin patch, while the red-breasted hen does not. Instead, she has a dark or pale chin. Also, the common merganser has a short crest, but the red-breasted has a longer, double crest. That's it. Those are the two big differences.
Based on that information, I looked over my photos again. The crest on my bird is hard to see, but the lack of a white chin spot leads me to believe that what we have here is a female red-breasted merganser.
February 8, 2013
Hooded Merganser
My first hooded merganser!
I was on the river photographing bald eagles when this fellow flew in and landed on the water. He was there for a few seconds, and then, taking in the number of voracious photographers lining the boardwalk, he took off again for calmer waters. But what a looker! I was almost more excited about him than the eagles.
I'm not an expert on ducks, so at first I thought it was a bufflehead. They have big white wedges on their heads, and that's what popped into my mind. Then I heard the other photographers talking about it, and they said it was a merganser. I came home and checked out my field guides, and of course they were right.
There are three basic types of mergansers: the common merganser, the red-breasted merganser, and the hooded merganser. The hooded is the smallest of the three, and the males have the white, fan-shaped patch on their head. They begin pairing up in early winter, so he may have been on the lookout for some lady mergansers.
The name merganser, from Latin, indicates a duck-like, diving water bird.
I was on the river photographing bald eagles when this fellow flew in and landed on the water. He was there for a few seconds, and then, taking in the number of voracious photographers lining the boardwalk, he took off again for calmer waters. But what a looker! I was almost more excited about him than the eagles.
I'm not an expert on ducks, so at first I thought it was a bufflehead. They have big white wedges on their heads, and that's what popped into my mind. Then I heard the other photographers talking about it, and they said it was a merganser. I came home and checked out my field guides, and of course they were right.
There are three basic types of mergansers: the common merganser, the red-breasted merganser, and the hooded merganser. The hooded is the smallest of the three, and the males have the white, fan-shaped patch on their head. They begin pairing up in early winter, so he may have been on the lookout for some lady mergansers.
The name merganser, from Latin, indicates a duck-like, diving water bird.
February 7, 2013
Winter Sustenance
What's that in the snow?
It's pale yellow, and a bit pulpy. Any guesses?
Looks like pale broccoli - but it's not.
It's an Osage Orange that has been chewed to bits, probably by a squirrel, for a little winter sustenance. Mmm, mmm, mmm!
It's pale yellow, and a bit pulpy. Any guesses?
Looks like pale broccoli - but it's not.
It's an Osage Orange that has been chewed to bits, probably by a squirrel, for a little winter sustenance. Mmm, mmm, mmm!
February 6, 2013
Photo Flash Mob Protocol
Pulling into my favorite nature walk area, I found a double row of cars parked in the usually empty lot. "Ahh, yes" I though, "It's eagle time." Dozens of visitors from points around the globe lined the boardwalk along the river.
Remember those standardized test questions asking, "Which item does not belong?" Yep. That was me, in my red stocking hat, with my little EOS Canon Rebel. Stepping gingerly onto the boardwalk, I began making my way through the crowd, thinking I would cross the lock and head out onto the nature trail as usual. Little did I know - that was not going to happen.
My lack of photo flash mob protocol was palpable. Within steps I began to modify my plans, and pulled off my hat. Here's what I learned about what you need to do if you go to shoot eagles:
3. Dress Down
Wear camo from head to toe. Do not wear red, hunter orange, or any other bright color. Frostbite is preferable to the shame of frightening the eagles away due to shocking fashion buffoonery.
2. Carry a Big Camera
Use a camera longer than your arm, mounted on a tripod taller than a middle school child, costing more money than it would take to feed a small nation for several weeks. If not, the other photographers will treat you kindly, and may pat you on the head, but understand that you are simply out of your league.
.
1. Never Approach the Fishing Platform
Eagles were fishing from three trees at the tip of a peninsula. One poor soul made the mistake of walking under those trees, and was castigated by shouts from several photographers. Loud, disgusted shouts. If you commit such a faux pas, you might want to leave the world of photography behind and go live under a rock, because you may never live it down.
Good thing I'm a quick learner. I skipped the walk and bellied up to the rail, snapping away. I learned to wait for the good light, that eagles like to fish into the wind, and that there is no point wasting memory card space on tail shots.
Remember those standardized test questions asking, "Which item does not belong?" Yep. That was me, in my red stocking hat, with my little EOS Canon Rebel. Stepping gingerly onto the boardwalk, I began making my way through the crowd, thinking I would cross the lock and head out onto the nature trail as usual. Little did I know - that was not going to happen.
My lack of photo flash mob protocol was palpable. Within steps I began to modify my plans, and pulled off my hat. Here's what I learned about what you need to do if you go to shoot eagles:
3. Dress Down
Wear camo from head to toe. Do not wear red, hunter orange, or any other bright color. Frostbite is preferable to the shame of frightening the eagles away due to shocking fashion buffoonery.
 |
| Camo is in this season! |
2. Carry a Big Camera
Use a camera longer than your arm, mounted on a tripod taller than a middle school child, costing more money than it would take to feed a small nation for several weeks. If not, the other photographers will treat you kindly, and may pat you on the head, but understand that you are simply out of your league.
.
 |
| Massive cameras |
1. Never Approach the Fishing Platform
Eagles were fishing from three trees at the tip of a peninsula. One poor soul made the mistake of walking under those trees, and was castigated by shouts from several photographers. Loud, disgusted shouts. If you commit such a faux pas, you might want to leave the world of photography behind and go live under a rock, because you may never live it down.
 |
| Fishing platform. The dark shapes in the trees are bald eagles. |
 |
| A fellow walking under the trees |
Good thing I'm a quick learner. I skipped the walk and bellied up to the rail, snapping away. I learned to wait for the good light, that eagles like to fish into the wind, and that there is no point wasting memory card space on tail shots.
February 1, 2013
Fishing & Fighting
"The eagles are coming!" That's what I think every time I go to battle with hobbits every winter. In January you are sure to see bald eagles congregating below the dams - the more ice the better! Getting decent pictures of them is the hard part.
In this first photo, a juvenile (notice his white tail feathers have not come in yet) had just snatched up a fish. Before he could make off with it, an adult swooped in to steal it, in an aerial version of Steal the Bacon.
After a couple of feints at the juvie's prize, the younger bird was rattled enough, or tired enough, to drop his dinner.
The older eagle swooped in to catch it as it fell - but missed! High drama on the river! The fish fell back into the river, and no one got to eat it.
In this other shot, a mature baldie fished out this prize, clutched in his talons. It would be enough to see him through the freezing night that was coming on fast.
In this first photo, a juvenile (notice his white tail feathers have not come in yet) had just snatched up a fish. Before he could make off with it, an adult swooped in to steal it, in an aerial version of Steal the Bacon.
After a couple of feints at the juvie's prize, the younger bird was rattled enough, or tired enough, to drop his dinner.
The older eagle swooped in to catch it as it fell - but missed! High drama on the river! The fish fell back into the river, and no one got to eat it.
In this other shot, a mature baldie fished out this prize, clutched in his talons. It would be enough to see him through the freezing night that was coming on fast.
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