Wildflower Update

Blooming time appears to be progressing quickly as the woodlands are decorated with wildflower blossoms….

For those wondering, asparagus contains asparagusic acid. On its own, asparagusic acid does not smell. As our bodies digest asparagus, the asparagusic acid…

Thank Goodness For Ear Muffs

This afternoon two of my grandkids and I were sitting in the grass in our yard plinking on steel targets. To protect our hearing each of us was…

Freda Haffner Kettlehole State Preserve

For some this depression in the earth is insignificant. Others may consider this unique grassland a waste of farm ground. For me and other conservation-minded folks, the Freda Haffner Kettlehole is a unique destination where visitors can quietly explore an unusual aspect of Iowa’s terrain. If you are lucky you may also see flora and fauna.

When I visited a couple of days ago I found just one pasqueflower (bloom was gone) and a violet woodsorrel. Still, I enjoyed exploring and my hike around the depression. The tick… I would have been fine without that hitchhiker.

Terry Reekers Float and Fly

Terry Reekers was a friend to many - to public safety officials, to citizens, to motorcycle riders, to his church family, and especially to those of us in the Emergency Management field. Sadly, he was taken from us too soon.

For years before his death I made trips to check his double-crested cormorant rookery. The black, perching birds in the lake were not something Terry worried about. In fact, until I asked him about them I am pretty sure he had no clue they existed very near his home town. For me the rookery was a location of interest - not only for the cormorants but also for their…

In Search Of… Back to My Roots

Way back when, a long time ago, I began to take outdoor photography serious by focusing on wildflowers. My initial efforts centered on ordinary wildflowers. Over time I expanded my searches with my lenses beyond flowers to wildlife and scenic images. Today I concentrated…

Habitat Maintenance

During one of my travels today I noticed smoke rising in the sky on this windy day. Soon I recognized the source as a controlled grassland burn (aka habitat maintenance). Such burns happen to promote the growth of desirable plants while also minimizing woody growth. Hopefully the fire also helps control invasive plants. Done right, an occasional burn is a good thing.

While out I also saw and photographed a number of birds that thrive in a wetland environment.

Happy Sunday!

How about some wildflower pictures (and a shrub) to enjoy on a beautiful Sunday? I might have…

Squirrel Corn Status

After finding squirrel corn last spring, today three of us went on the hunt to find it again. Not only did we find the blossoms that are similar to Dutchman’s breeches, but we found…

Morning Birds

During another morning outing I saw and photographed some birds, including my first of the year white-crowned sparrow.

Hatching Happened

For the past few weeks I have been watching a sandhill crane nest with two eggs being incubated. Since I did not know the exact date of when the second egg arrived, I had to estimate hatch day. Yesterday there were two eggs, today there were only shells in pieces. Hatching of both eggs occurred over a…

A Mix of Bird Species

Since yesterday’s post I have enjoyed many interactions with a variety of bird species - from shorebirds to sparrows to blackbirds and ducks.

There is no need for many explanatory details. These were all found in wetland habitats of which I checked multiple locations.

Enjoy One, Pull The Other

In our area of Northeast Iowa the early wildflower blooming season has pretty much ended as we transition to the next grouping of blooming wildflowers - wild geraniums, phlox, wild columbine to name a few. At the entrance to the south end of Sweet Marsh I found few wild geraniums soaking in the sun this afternoon.

Wild geraniums are a popular wildflower species native to North America. Their showy blossoms attract pollinators - bees, butterflies, and other pollinating species. Wild Geraniums are a good plant to have around.

Thriving even more than the wild geraniums in the same general area are garlic mustard plants. Garlic mustard plants are non-native, invasive wildflowers that threaten desirable plants (like wild geranium).

One treatment for garlic mustard is to pull the plant, assuring all of the roots are extracted. Herbicides also take care of garlic mustard, but are not practical in the woods. For that matter, pulling is not too effective either unless you have many people pulling the plants. I do pull them when I find small patches, but I don’t know that I am doing much good. I can hope.

If you can get out, I encourage you to enjoy the wild geraniums and pull the garlic mustard plants.

A Mediocre Salvage Effort

Some days, no matter the effort, your end results are not up to standards. Outside factors - like no time to shoot, darkness, and strong winds - simply are not conducive to producing the image you had in mind. The best you can do is try to salvage some part of a composition to make a somewhat pleasing image.

Tonight was such a night. In fact, even now I am tempted to go out after dark looking for something photo-worthy. Instead I will share my mediocre photo to show that I do not always have great photo days. I too strike out.

Tomorrow will be a fresh start. I am hopeful for something better.

The wildflower in this image is prairie smoke (AKA: Grandfather’s Whiskers).

Things We Seldom See

Our outdoor world provides many surprises - some good and some not so good. A good surprise for me today was finding a dunlin. Dunlins are shorebirds that feed in marshes and mudflats. Today’s observation was the second dunlin I have seen. The picture is nothing spectacular, but does show the dunlin for those not familiar with what the species looks like.

A not so good surprise was to find a dead river otter on a road. The otter had about 200-yards to go to reach water, but was required to navigate a four-lane highway. A river otter on a roadway is no match for any vehicle. The otter lost the battle. I did move the otter off the road so carrion-eaters (eagles, vultures, etc.) didn’t also perish at the same site.

Part 1 - What Style?

As I enjoyed the sunrise early this morning my space was interrupted by a very vocal house wren - the first I have seen this spring. Since the bird was close, I photographed it at the nest box.

A Fern Is A Weed?

On the upper edge of the ditch near our home i noticed quite a few of these short, tan, plants with odd ends on them. My plant app identified them as “field horsetails.”

Field horsetails have tan fertile parts…

Making Fishing Memories

Wow! What a night of fishing! What a night to make memories.

After taking care of some family details I picked up this young fellow for a chicken strips and fries meal followed by our first evening fishing trip of this season. Weather conditions as we fished were cloudy and windy with incoming storms.

Based on our fishing activities I am guessing the fish were triggered by the storm’s effect on the barometric pressure to bite. One hit after another made the outing fun. Catching a couple of bass made our efforts exciting. It is safe to say we will be doing this again!

Before I made it home the storm was upon us. Lightning danced across the sky - sometimes reaching downward, other times lighting the clouds. Then came the wind and the rain.

Memories were made tonight!

Wishing all a "Happy Earth Day 2026!"

For the beauty of the earth,

for the glory of the skies,

for the love which from our birth

over and around us lies;

For the beauty of each hour

of the day and of the night,

hill and vale, and tree and flower,

sun and moon, and stars of light;

For the joy of ear and eye,

for the heart and mind's delight,

for the mystic harmony,

linking sense to sound and sight;

For the joy of human love,

brother, sister, parent, child,

friends on earth and friends above,

for all gentle thoughts and mild;

Lord of all, to thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise.

Partial lyrics from "For the Beauty of the Earth" by Folliot S. Pierpoint

Are We Like Dandelions?

Today was another “healthcare challenge day” filled with many more questions than possible answers. I drove home with uncertainty, thoughts, ideas, and plenty of confusion and uncertainty.

After returning home I wandered our pollinator habitat to think about something else - something more positive. My tracks were made in our…