Be Listening… Somebody Knows Something

Yesterday I was made aware of dead Canada geese in a ditch in the southwest part of the county. It is possible the person who notified me was concerned the geese died of avian influenza. My first response was to notify the DNR. Today I went to look at the birds and found them as described - dead in the ditch.

After seeing probably hundreds of dead waterfowl as a result of avian influenza last winter, I was pretty certain these birds had not succumbed to any disease. When I examined them I found visible injuries consistent with being shot.

I have been a Hunter Education instructor for decades and know Hunter Ed students devote time to game recognition and respect. For that reason, I will not attribute what appears to be a wanton waste of game birds to a hunter or hunters. These birds likely died and were wasted at the hands of shooters - not hunters. Hunters do better than this.

And, I wonder if the same person or persons that shot these geese also shot and ultimately fatally injured the young trumpeter swan from a couple of weeks ago in Waverly.

Iowa DNR Hunting Regulations specifically address wanton waste of wildlife. There are penalties for this type of behavior. If you know who may be responsible for this (or the shooting of the swan), please call the “Turn-in-Poachers” Tip Line at 800-532-2020. Your information may make you eligible for a reward.

Somebody has information about these birds. If that somebody starts talking, I hope any who hear it report it. This has to stop.

I Was This Old Before I Learned

Imagine my surprise when I watched a hen mallard lift its head above the water with a frog firmly in its grip. Then the mallard beat the poor frog senseless before…

Personal Challenge Met - Not Pretty, But Met

Some time ago I challenged myself to find and photograph three winter bird species: horned larks, Lapland longspurs, and snow buntings. The horned larks were relatively easy to find. Lapland longspurs presented more of a challenge. Snow buntings were not happening… nope, I just could not find any.

Today that changed when I found a flock of snow buntings on a remote gravel road in Northern Iowa. The picture of the bunting is not that good, but I did photograph the snow bunting. Now I need to improve my images of all three species!

Giveth and Taketh

Mother Nature gave us calm, warm (for winter) temperatures, and now she is taking them away. Our pleasant conditions have been replaced with falling temperatures and wind… oh the danged wind.

While conditions were still nice I went out looking around for any wildlife I might find. I saw several bald eagles, but only this one was in a position to be photographed.

The App was Correct… Sort of…

Under “Tool Box” tab in the "Iowa DNR” app is “Feeding Times.” This tool provides star ratings for fishing with one star being a slow fishing day and five supposedly being a good day for fishing. Along with the star ratings are suggested feeding times for when activity should be the best for the day. Long ago a friend of mine who is no longer with us (Arley) told me about the feeding time and moon phases.

When I talked to Arley about the feeding times I correlated his fishing activity to my wildlife observations/photography success (or lack of). When the charts suggested low activity on the water, my photo work seemed to…

If You Must, Be Careful

This morning I was notified of a downed Canada goose in Waverly. Concerned citizens were hoping for the best for the goose and I was asked if I could check on it. From the initial request I was apprehensive. After last year’s avian influenza outbreak, I wondered what might be ailing this goose.

By the time I reached the goose this afternoon it was dead…

Mostly Birds Except for One Mammal - And Bird Feeding

During my outdoor explorations today I found a variety of photo-worthy birds and one lone opossum out in the snow.

Not Real Close, But I’ll Accept It

After who knows how many trips to see and hopefully photograph short-eared owls, tonight I had not one, but two, on perch. Neither bird was close or willing to sit for long, but I did get to see them and shoot some photos.

An Unexpected Observation

While I was out looking for horned larks, Lapland longspurs, and snow buntings I was surprised to find an eastern meadowlark in…

I Did Not Sense A Trusting Relationship, and Frost

It is time to update readers on the trumpeter swan a group of four of us rescued last night.

Mr. or Ms. Swan spent the night at our house before I could take it to a rehabber today. When I checked on the bird this morning, it still was not able to stand, but it certainly had developed an attitude. Just my approaching the bird brought about an open mouth complete with hissing. I really didn’t think that much spunk toward the fellow wanting to take care of the bird was appropriate, but the swan did not seem to care what I thought.

I am still concerned about the future of the bird. If it suffered a spinal cord injury that rendered its legs useless, it may need to be euthanized. It could be that the bird is in pain too, which may account for the attitude.

Kudos to Karissa

About the time my pork tenderloin was being going in the cooker tonight my buddy Robert called asking for guidance. His neighbor - Karissa - found a downed young of the year trumpeter swan in the middle of the road near their homes. Soon the four of us - add Caden to the team - were in place to give this young swan its best chance for survival.

After catching the bird I…

Bully Under the Feeder

This morning I watched as wild turkeys gobbled up bird seed under several feeders. From what I could tell, there was more than enough in the snow to satisfy all of the gobblers.

For some reason this bird began getting aggressive with some of the other turkeys. I even watched it hassle a….

Frosty Winter Sunrise

For a while this morning our landscape looked nice, at least for a wintery view. OK - now I ready for an early, long-lasting thaw. Enough of this already!

Oma and the Secret Snake - Interviewing the Star

Today I had the honor of interviewing the star of the book “Oma and the Secret Snake.” We had such a good time with a short video being created as a result. Check out the video at this link:

Oma and the Secret Snake - Interviewing the Star

Hard Water Limits Social Distancing

Winter of 2025 is unlike recent winters when open water was prevalent until the end of December or early January. Our cold temperatures have quickly produced ice in most locations, including in areas of moving water. As a result, waterfowl have much less real estate to claim and are forced to gather in tight quarters.

After last year’s avian influenza outbreak I notice bird spacing and think about how quickly a virus could spread. Knowing avian influenza has been documented in the state concerns me. I wonder if it will hit locally again. If it does appear here, we have far less open water than last year and the impacts may be dramatic. Note: I am not aware of any influenza in our area at this time.

As I studied the Canada geese in close quarters I noticed two duck species were present - mallards and a lone wood duck. Of course the drake wood duck garnered most of my attention. See the pics here!

Some From Today, Some From Earlier

Since today was the first day of the first shotgun deer season, I opted to stay out of “deer likely” areas while I was exploring with my gear. Much of the time was spent doing gravel travel where ring-necked pheasants were seen most often.

Outdoor Snapshots in Winter

This morning’s brisk weather conditions and changing light created challenges for this outdoor photographer. Do I look for wildlife? Should I concentrate on…

Pictures in the Cold

Recently I shared images of a horned larks found on gravel roads. Seeing them on the road is certainly typical, but in my opinion a view of them looks better with…

How Can This Happen? (And positive stuff)

Early today I was notified of a possible swan that was down for unknown reasons. (I cannot disclose the location or further details at this time.)

My first concern was avian influenza had reared its ugly head again in our area, but no, that does not appear to be the case. After seeing a picture it appeared the swan was not afflicted with an illness, but was suffering from several injuries. Once on scene more injuries were visible but not included here. This young-of-the year swan appears to have been…

SSo Many Questions, Few Answers - Call Me, Call Someone

Late yesterday afternoon and early evening so many people attended the visitation of a friend to many. That we were all in the same place for the same reason delivered an unspoken message - we cared.

We gathered as friends and as family - all with a common bond. Each of us was there to grieve with family and friends and to say goodbye to a friend.

Questions… there are so many questions with…