Male Red-winged Blackbird

I'm on a roll with these redwings!  Here is another:

All dressed up in his fancy duds!

This one was photographed at Pigeon Creek Park in Bettendorf, Iowa.  This park is unknown to many residents and is a hidden gem, tucked away is it is behind some industrial businesses.  But what a lovely place to take a walk along a relatively undisturbed stretch of the river.

Female Red-winged Blackbird

It is always a special thrill to get a good shot of a female red-winged blackbird.  They are very coy and I was so happy this picture turned out!

The females are the nest builders.  They secure their cup-shaped nests to branches and defend them against all comers.  They may be drab in color compared to their male counterparts, but they are just as fabulous on the hunt and in caring for their nestlings.

White Heath Asters

These are white heath asters.

They grow in old pastures and abandoned fields, and bloom in the fall of the year. 

They are also known as frost asters, due to their color, and as white prairie asters, and as the many-flowered aster.

Taking Flight

Was lucky enough to see this Great Egret the other day, and took these pictures of it taking flight.  Watching it was a marvel.  No wonder mankind has always been fascinated with flight!

Hybrid Mallard

Does this mallard look a little different to you?  His mottled breast leads me to believe that it is - a cross between two similar kinds of waterfowl.

Jewel Weed Blossoms

These are spotted jewelweed blossoms.

They have a trumpet shape and rich coloring, making them most intriguing!

These blossoms are little beauties, but I also liked the way the droplets of rain formed beads upon the leaves.

Below is the yellow form of jewelweed, which is a little more rare.






















You are most likely to find jewelweed along creeks and streams.  They like to keep their roots wet.  They are also often found in the same neighborhood as stinging nettle.  Jewelweed is said to be a good antidote for the sting of the nettle, and for poison ivy and insect bites.  But if all else fails, they are still simply beautiful to look at.

Virgin Tiger Moth

This is the Virgin Tiger Moth.  I was struck by its beautiful pattern, which reminded me of stained glass windows.

I wish I had known enough to spread this one's wings to see the beautiful red under-wings that I read about later!  They range from yellow to orange to red with black spots - hence the "tiger" in the name.

This one had been caught in a spider web and so was not in the best of shape when photographed, poor thing!

Snakes Alive!

In all my walks and all my wanderings, since I took up photographing animals and plants, I have never seen a snake on my own.  And then yesterday - I saw two!

The first snake was swimming through the flood waters at Pigeon Creek Park, over, around and under the mass of floating debris.  It was his movement that attracted my attention, with his head just sticking out of the water and his long, narrow body trailing behind.  He pulled up on a log and rested part of his body but kept a wary eye on me:

The second snake was at Eagle's Landing, where there weren't many trees to provide shade.  As a result, you can see more of the pattern this second snake was sporting, unlike the first.

I'm not an expert on snakes, and have only done a little research on these.  There's not much to go on.  My best guess, based on the markings, is that both snakes were the fairly common Northern Water Snake.  They cruise along shorelines and in backwaters eating as they go - fish, crawfish, baby turtles and even worms.  

Northern Water Snakes are vicious, and are known to strike at and bite people repeatedly when disturbed or cornered - so keep your distance!  They are not venomous, so washing the bites is the only treatment needed, but ouch!  Snakes are not my favorite critters, but still - they do play a role in a healthy ecosystem.

Chipmunk!

Finally got my first good clear pictures of a chipmunk at Crow Creek park last month.  They are speedy little critters and always dart out of sight whenever I get a glimpse of them.  This one, however, was brave enough, or curious enough to check me out for a few minutes.  Never would have got these without my zoom lens!

This is an Eastern chipmunk.  The name comes from the Ojibwa word "achitamon", which means "descending head first".  Isn't that cool?!!!

As you probably know, chipmunks store food in their cheeks in order to carry it to a supply depot.  That's why this little lady's cheeks are puffed out so fat!

This post is for my friend, Sarah, who has a particular penchant for some members of the rodentia family.  Hope you liked this cute little critter!

Spring Sunset

We met at the park recently, with our scout troop, and the spring sunset was absolutely gorgeous!

The colors changed so rapidly.  Here are 3 shots:

8:17 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

8:33 p.m.

Camo Pattern

Look at this gorgeous "camo" pattern on this sycamore tree!

Muskrat Again

I saw another muskrat in the same place as last year! 

The Mississippi is flooding and the waters have reached a walkway in one of my favorite parks.  This allows the muskrats to swim very close to the path, and has serendipitously created an opportunity - two years in a row - for me to photograph muskrats!  

Last year I just saw one swimming frantically back and forth.  This year, the muskrat I saw was swimming in a more leisurely fashion.  He even took time to climb onto a log, so I was able to get a full body shot instead of just two little pointy ears with two eyes and a snout poking out of the water.

While diving under the surface he found a plant he liked and came up smiling with it.  He proceeded to eat it up as he sat on the log, and later as he wallowed in the water up to his elbows.

Watcher in the Woods

Every morning I find myself passing through a wooded area.  I've gotten used to the little landmarks there, including a downed tree with a deep hole in the trunk.  It makes a big black spot in the woods, which always draws my attention.

Today, there was something different.  Above the hole in the downed trunk there was a big white blob.  That's what it looked like to me, anyway.  I thought to myself, "Hmmm.  I don't remember that a big white blob being there before."

I asked Jason, who was with me at the time.  He has better eyes than me.  I said, "Hey, is that an animal on that log in the woods there?"  He took a cursory glance but wasn't really interested in my little mystery.  I grabbed my camera so I could use my zoom lens to get a good look.

Sure enough, it was a big cat.  Not a bobcat, just a domestic cat that might or might not be feral.  Still, in was an unexpected capture with my camera and I was pleased to have noticed it.  Here it is:

So the next time you take a walk in the woods and you get that creepy feeling that someone - or something - is watching you, you just might be right!

Owl Hunting

It was a dark and sleeting night, and I was a woman on a mission.  Intent on getting up the slippery road safely, I almost missed the dark shape on my right.  It contrasted against the fading sky and didn't register until I had almost passed it.

Was that a bird sitting on that wire?  I only had time to take one quick glance before I had passed it.  My brain instantly ran the calculations.  It was big.  Too big to be a hawk.  Too rounded to be an eagle.  Owl?

I hesitated for a fraction of a second - should I go back and look?

There was no good place to turn around, I could not see well in the sleet and dark, and more to the point - I did not have my camera with me.  I had an appointment to keep, and so I kept on driving.  I hated leaving it behind without knowing for sure. However, I was excited, because I rarely ever see owls.  I told my family all about it.  (Somehow they just weren't as excited about it as I was!)

Driving the same route Monday morning, there it was again - sitting on the same wire.  My heart jumped and I felt pulled toward it - but alas - no camera!  I don't like leaving my camera in my car due to the extreme heat and cold but oh how I regretted my decision at that moment!  I had an actual pain in my heart and I felt a sense of loss for the photo I could have gotten.  I would probably never have a chance like this again - to potentially photograph an owl.  I've been photographing birds for over two years now, and never had the opportunity.  They are reclusive birds and I had rarely ever even seen one before.

I was three minutes from home.  I could rush home, get my camera, and come back!  Yes!  I would do it!  But then I looked at the clock.  Ugh!  No time!  I had to be at work.  I drove away with a longing in my heart and ruminated melancholically on the owl all day.  I told some of my friends about it, but they mostly just looked at me quizzically.

You can bet where I was on Tuesday morning.  I staked out that wire and the little field that was the owl's smorgasbord of mice, voles, and shrews.  Like a detective, I sat patiently in my car, camera ready, to get a shot of my mark.  But he was a no show.  The most I garnered that day were the strange looks of the neighbors passing by me as they left on their morning commutes.  I should get a window sticker that says "Birder" so people don't think I'm a creeper of some kind!

Tuesday night - nothing.  Wednesday morning, and Wednesday night - nada.  Thursday morning I drove past the point and saw no owl anywhere.  Bummer.

I went up the road and turned around and came back.  And there he was, the same bird on the same wire!

I did check for traffic, I promise you, but I pulled off the road and into the end of someone's drive with great alacrity nevertheless.  My usual reticence at bothering someone or drawing attention to myself went out the door.  I was so excited!

This was my chance!  I didn't want to waste a moment or he might fly away.  I had to force myself to put the car in park and turn off the engine.  I coached myself, saying, "Put the keys in your pocket" because I really just wanted to leave them dangling in the ignition and race to the bird.  That would not have been good!

I did pocket the keys, but I never even shut the door.  I slid quietly out of the car, not wanting to startle the owl away with any sudden movements or noise.  I stood and scanned the wire.

No owl.

I refused to believe he was not there.  This was my owl.  This was my chance!  I looked again, but did not see him.  I scanned the wire with my zoom lens but still did not see him.

I would have been sad but I had too much adrenalin pumping through me at this point to even be able to feel sad.  And I know myself.  I don't see well in the first place.  He might still be there, and I just couldn't see him.  I photographed the wire anyway.  You never know what you will find when you examine a photo up close on a digital screen.

I took a few steps along the road.  The trees behind the wire melted away as I walked up the hill, and my angle to the wire changed.  There he was, against the clear sky!

With great abandon I shot photo after photo.  Cars whizzed past but they were only on the periphery of my consciousness.  It was just me and that owl.  He was big, and he was beautiful!

He was so far away and the light was not yet full, so I knew I was not getting very good shots, but I kept clicking away anyway.  (That's my motto - always take the shot.)  I am an optimist, and I knew that every moment meant more and more sunlight would be helping light up the pictures.

I can't fully explain the moment when I first see a creature come into sharp focus in my viewfinder, but it is powerful and very addicting.  I can tell you that at such moments, I have been known to talk to myself about the beauty of the bird or animal I am photographing as I capture it in digitized form.  There is a joy for me in seeing one of God's beautiful creations up close and in such great detail.  I sometimes laugh out loud with the pleasure of it.  It is a marvel to me, and that is part of what I am always trying to share in this blog.

There was a muddy hill with a culvert between the owl and I, so I could not approach him directly with any ease, and if I had, I would have been much lower and my angle for shooting would have been worse.  Besides, approaching birds directly often scares them away.  Not a good idea.

I stayed a few minutes and the owl eventually dropped off the wire and sailed along the treeline, eventually perching on a tree way across the meadow from me.

I was thrilled to be able to photograph him on his second perch.

Then it was time to go.  I came back to the real world and realized that I needed to move along or I would be late to work.  I bid the owl goodbye and walked back to my car.

Just then, the owner of the driveway where I had parked opened his garage door and brought his trash can out to the curb.  I felt like one of those crazy birders you read about in birding books that create driving hazards and stand in the middle of roadways in order to catch their prey.  "I've become THAT crazy bird lady," I thought to myself.

I smiled at the homeowner and hoped I looked relatively harmless to him.  I explained that I had seen an owl and had pulled over to photograph it.  He said that was fine, and then said, "An owl, huh?"  He waved toward the field behind his house and said, "Go ahead" but I explained I was done and he nodded.

I carefully backed my car out into the road and drove off, with the treasure I had obtained in the memory card of my camera, and in my heart - my first owl.

Deer Hair

Went on an adventure last fall, exploring a new woodland.  I'd actually been there  before, but this time I went off the beaten path.  At least - the paths beaten by the feet of people.

I ended up following a deer trail over a creek, up a hill, and along a ridge line.  It was steep, and thorny, and a little aimless.  And yes, I didn't come out of the woods at all where I expected to.  But look at the find I found!

Real, genuine deer hair.  Deer tracks are a dime a dozen, but this - this was deer hair.  Not so common - at least not for this nature sleuth.

It was stuck to a branch angled across the deer path at just the right height to rub against the back of a deer passing that way.  Score!

Here's a close up:

This hair is grey, turning white toward the end, with black tips.  If you look online, you can find charts by avid hunters detailing exactly what kind of hair deer have on the various parts of their bodies.  Based on such charts, I conclude that this hair probably came from the back of a deer.

The Kindly Pelican

I had the good luck to see a pelican landing on the water yesterday, coming straight at me.  I took this photo, which made me laugh later when I saw it at home on my computer.

The first thing I thought of was how the smaller waterfowl in front of the pelican do not seem at all concerned that this huge bird is landing so near them.  They have not turned away from him in fright.  They know they are in no danger.

The second thing I thought of was that - with his wings up like that - he looked like a clergyman giving a blessing to his little flock: "Bless you, my children...".

Note the little fellow on the left who seems to be mimicking the pelican.  Too funny.

Dried Fruit

One way to dry your fruit is to leave it hanging in the tree all winter and to simply pluck it from the branch in the moment of hunger.  That is the practice adopted by this black squirrel.

Madame Squirrel, in her lovely fur coat, came to this crab apple tree for a mid-winter snack.  It was, no doubt, quite tart but filled with plenty of Vitamin C.

I love how you can see the shriveled apple in the tiny paws of this avid forager.

Fishing Platform

There are eagles all up and down the Mississippi right now, in my area, but one place to see them by the score is at Lock & Dam 14.  They tend to congregate in two trees at the tip of a point of land.  This is their fishing platform:

There were over two dozen perched there when I visited the lock Saturday.  Some eating, some digesting, and some looking sharp-eyed into the water, waiting for the next good fish.

Eagle Above Me

I went to the river Saturday, looking for eagles.  They were everywhere, but so were lots of people.  I took a few shots, but the wind blowing off the river made my fingers ache with cold.  I took shelter in my car and decided to try another spot.  Bingo!  I found a little place that I had all to myself.

When I got out of the car, the wind was blowing the snow at a forty-five degree angle, and it was cold!  I hiked along the shore and took shelter behind a big tree.  I could see eagles in the distance and could hear the snow hitting all the trees around me, making little ticking sounds.  I got as close to the frozen shoreline as I could, and as far out from under the trees as I dared.  I sat on a downed tree and waited.

Suddenly, a kettle of eagles was circling above me - mostly juveniles.  I knew their eyes must be searching for fish in the open water and I marveled at their toughness to live in such conditions.  Then, one eagle flew right above me.

This was taken with my camera pointed straight up!

When I got home, I was excited to zoom in on this eagle and see the finer details of his eyes and beak, the nicks in his wing feathers, his whitening feathers, and his talons.

It was a short few minutes before the freezing temperatures again drove me to the warmth of my car, but it was long enough to lift my soul.

Autumn Still Life

It's been so bleak lately that I looked back for some fall flowers and found this still life from autumn:

Those warm days will come again.  This winter cannot last!