Memorial Day Holiday Shooting (5/27/07)

I'm finally catching up on the images created over the Memorial Day holiday.  Of the photos made, only one was of a bird - a spotted sandpiper.  

Most of the other images were either of northern water snakes or bullfrogs. 

All images were created along the Wapsie River, near Frederika.

After a week without shooting, I finally got out (5/26/07)

Graduation is now history (except for a couple more) and I finally got out again.  Instead of paddling, I walked around Segment A of Sweet Marsh.  Many wildflowers are now blooming and the only birds of interest that I was able to photograph were Eastern Kingbirds.

Something much more important than wildlife photography- Congratulations on your Graduation Hannah!! 5/20/07

My daughter Hannah graduates from Tripoli High School in just a couple of hours.  It's ironic how fast time seems to go with a child - especially your own.  It seems like just yesterday that she was a little baby, and now later this afternoon she will graduate.  We're so proud of her!

Another photo-op with Graham's Crayfish Snakes (5/13/07)

A very short amount of time this afternoon provided just enough time to create a few more images of Graham's Crayfish snakes.  The coloration of the snake is very evident in this photo. 

I also photographed water snakes and wildflowers and will add images when time allows.

Great photos, but not warm and fuzzy (5/11/07)

Today's outing provided for a most unusual display of activity for wildlife.  I went looking for soras, but found only one.  I noticed the carp were spawning, but not worthy of photos.  When I first began paddling this morning, I caught this coot flashing me its courtship patches.

After a couple of hours of paddling, I was heading back to the dock and noticed this interesting situation:

That was what I presumed to be a female northern water snake.  I thought she was just sunning herself on the cattail stalks, but was I wrong!  I wedged my kayak in the stalks in hopes of shooting a photo or two and noticed a much smaller water snake attempting to slither up with the larger snake.  The smaller snake was assumed to be a male.  What I didn't realize was that as I was happily shooting photos, 10-12 more water snakes were surrounding my kayak, some wanting to climb it in hopes of finding the female. 

Somehow she had signaled to the males she was ready for mating, because each of the smaller snakes seemed to follow the exact path in and around the cattails.  Finally, the commotion of the two snakes caused them to fall into the water.  The larger snake (female?) swam off with many suitors following in hot pursuit.

While all of this was happening, I noticed a marsh wren busy feeding and snapped a photo of it too.

How long until they hatch??? (5/9/07)

While walking in my backyard, I noticed this robin on her nest.  I'll post images of the little ones when I can.

Computer Problems Kept Me Home, but the Birds Were Worth It (5/7/07)

Today was filled with computer frustrations.  Although I struggled with the computer, I took frequent breaks to shoot photos of the many birds outside the window at my feeders.  Following are a few samples (sometimes I had six or seven color species at the feeders with many more species on the ground!):

Just like clockwork... (5/5/07)

According to my database, yesterday or today was the scheduled arrival of several species of shorebirds and a variety of backyard birds.  And, just like clockwork, the white-crowned and white-throated sparrows arrived.  Also observed as "Firsts of the Season" were an Indigo bunting, an oriole, and many rose-breasted grosbeaks.  Unfortunately, it was much too windy to check on the status of the arrival of shorebirds along the cattails at Sweet Marsh.

I also caught an interesting image of an American Robin suffering from a "bad feather day."  Just look at the following photo made during its bath. 

So what happens now? (5/1/07)

Yesterday I learned of the location of a fox den with young.  Expecting the farmer to begin planting efforts soon, I went looking for the den right away this morning.  Much to my surprise, there was Mother Fox watching the world pass by.  Suddenly, she made some noise I didn't hear and all of her young (seven) popped out of the den and fed on whatever she brought up.  They then nursed until mom had enough and walked away.  

Although I was a considerable distance from the den, I was able to enjoy watching the animals for several hours.  I left to get some work done and returned about 3-hours later.  In that short time, two tractors arrived and had the ground prepped for crops.  There was little sign of the den.  My question now is: What happened to the young in the den?  Will mom dig it open or has the den been lost?  Whatever the answer, I am certain this chain of events has happened every spring for decades.  It is just somewhat uncomfortable to watch first hand without knowing the outcome.  - Follow up information - I've since heard that the mother fox opened the den up again and the young seemed to be just fine.  What a relief!

After watching the fox family, I checked out an area on the Wapsie River, near Frederika.  There I photographed an interesting interaction between a large Graham's Crayfish snake and a smaller Graham's Crayfish snake.  I suspect  I was watching a courtship ritual, but I can't confirm it. 

For the wildflower enthusiasts... the bluebells are blooming!

Oh, the Power of Advertising (4/30/07)

Brandon Pollock, a photographer with the Waterloo Courier, put together a very nice article on Sweet Marsh and the paddling tours that have been conducted each Monday night in April.  The article ran on the front page of last Saturday's paper.  Tonight was the final night of the tours, at least for now, and what a surprise.  Instead of five, six, or seven of us paddling, tonight we had more than 20 kayaks on the water.  From the air, we must have looked like a box of floating crayons.  Every color of kayak imaginable was on the water.  Wildlife observed included geese, a bittern, a great egret, coots, and a handful of turtles (including two Blanding's Turtles).  

Happy Birthday to the Geese! (4/28/07)

After searching unsuccessfully for years, I finally lucked out today and was able to create photos of Canada geese goslings still at their nest.  I worked several nests and observed many interesting things.  One nest had an egg that appeared to have the egg tooth protruding from the end.  The image below had six goslings hatched and one egg in the process of hatching.  To assure I didn't disturb the birds too much, I took my photos and left.  I didn't stay to watch the ongoing progress with the remaining egg.

More Fox Snake photos (4/27/07)

My "wandering" time was limited today, so I concentrated my efforts on creating a few more images of the fox snake before I released it to a safer location.  As you can clearly see in this image, I was able to create a photo with its tongue sticking out.  When I shoot snake photos, I prefer to have some sort of action in the image, if possible.  

For what it is worth, this snake has probably been the most feisty snake I've dealt with in Iowa.  I've photographed more ornery rattlesnakes in Minnesota, but for Iowa snakes, this one was tops.  This snake constantly tried to bluff me by rattling its tail, it hissed and jumped at me, and latched onto the top of my left hand one time.  I finally decided to create a few more photos and move it to a location where farm cats wouldn't bother it anymore.

Note: If you are interested in paddling - any aspect, but including nature photography from a kayak - plan to attend Spring Paddle Fest this weekend at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls.  I'll be showing how I use a kayak and camera for critter photos on Sunday afternoon.  Plan to stop by!

Paddled for birds, found birds and more...(4/21/07)

With a forecast of strong winds for today, I got an early start by paddling around on Plum Creek, near Sweet Marsh.  I was hoping to observe shorebirds in the shallows.  Instead, I photographed a great blue heron near its nest and whitetail deer watching me paddle by.  I also photographed an immature fox snake that was delivered to my house after causing concern at a local residence.

 I've included a cropped image of a great blue heron's head and neck.  For whatever reason, I've always had an attraction to great blue herons (gbh's).

Evening Paddling = Turtles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Waves (4/20/07)

I spent the late afternoon and early evening at Segment B (Marten's Lake) of Sweet Marsh.  My hopes were that the pelicans would be in the deeper water, but only a few had moved from Segment A to Segment B.  With the strong winds, it wouldn't have mattered much because the rough water limited my paddling to the channel and first open water area.  Photographs of interest were a small painted turtle and an acrobatic male red-winged blackbird.

Sudden Change of Plans on Segment A (4/20/07)

My plans this morning were to wear hip boots or chest waders, full camo, and sneak out in the dry vegetation of Segment A of Sweet Marsh looking for sandhill cranes or anything else I might find.  Imagine my thoughts when I drove up and saw a blackened Segment A.  Interestingly, there was still a lone sandhill crane working the stubble.  I also noticed the 100-150 pelicans bunched on the lower end.  I was able to create a few photos of the crane, but nothing real close.

Cattails and Coot Paddling Tour Locates Pelicans! (4/16/07)

There were only seven of us out paddling tonight, but did we ever have a great "natural" show.  One of those joining us is a photographer with a local newspaper.   He's the guy with the BIG lens!

Nearly every nook and cranny of Marten's Lake at Sweet Marsh held pelicans.  Even with six vessels on the water, the birds let us approach quite close and provided a beautiful show against the setting sun.

As we were paddling back to our vehicles, we also observed a lone cormorant with a pair of pelicans.

Large Number of Pelicans at Refuge (4/15/07)

I had only a few minutes of time to spare today, so I made a quick pass through the south end of Sweet Marsh.  An estimated 35-50 pelicans were either in the air or swimming in the refuge area.  I didn't have a camera with me, so I got no photos.  If you are interested in seeing them, stop out soon...they won't stick around too long.  The bloodroot are also in full bloom along the road.

Saturday Afternoon (4/14/07)

Another visit to Sweet Marsh - this time to Segment A - brought additional photographic surprises.  First, the bloodroot survived the cold spell and are in full bloom.  Then I paddled in the low water of this segment.  In addition to the typical waterfowl, there were many great blue herons and a yellowlegs.  If you can identify whether this is a greater or lesser yellowlegs, please drop me an email.  Thanks!

Crane Count Saturday (4/14/07)

Today, from 5:30am to 7:30am was the official crane count across the Midwest.  In Bremer County, we had 11 volunteers who counted 15 cranes at 8 sites.  My personal opinion is that the numbers probably don't reflect the correct number of cranes in the area.  Since the birds were doing their courtship dances nearly a month ago, I suspect many birds are sitting quietly on their nests waiting for their young to hatch.  In other words, I think there are probably more sandhill cranes in the county at this time.  The 2008 Crane Count will be held April 19th.

An interesting species observed during the crane count was the pelican.  I heard of 3 pelicans on Segment A.  I photographed four birds on Marten's Lake during the count.

Geese and Ducks (4/13/07)

I had a little bit of time this afternoon to get out and see what was happening at Sweet Marsh.  Local anglers were popping bluegills right and left.  I didn't see any real big ones, but the activity was certainly there.  As for photography...the critters seemed rather skittish.  Other than geese on nests and canvasbacks from a distance, there wasn't much to shoot other than snow geese a half a mile in the air or coots.

Love is in the Air!!! (4/7/07)

If you've spent anytime in the outdoors recently, you've no doubt noticed that spring romance abounds.  From the robins in my backyard to the waterfowl at Sweet Marsh - love is everywhere.

I observed something interesting this morning.  My goal was to shoot closer photos of the teals and shovelers at Sweet Marsh.  I had hoped that by getting in place early, the ducks would move in and not notice me in my camo-blind.  As I approached, the birds that were already on the water were spooked by an adult bald eagle that flew over and perched in a dead tree near the ducks.  I continued with my plan and was in place before the sun cleared the horizon.  Somehow, the ducks recognized I was there, or at least that something was different.  Needless to say, I didn't have any ducks fly in and had to go back to my alternative shooting arrangement to make these photos.

No grebes, but plenty of other birds (4/6/07)

I went paddling this morning in search of the horned grebes (see 4/5/07 post), but was not able to locate them.  The wind was ferocious and with temps in the low 20's, paddling was really uncomfortable.  So, I opted to check out the protected areas again.  The small collection of blue-winged teals and northern shovelers photographed yesterday now also included a green-winged teal.

The image below is a northern shoveler standing on ice and poking its head through soft ice to feed.

Another windy day, but what a pleasant surprise (4/5/07)

Yes, we had another windy day, but the sun shone brightly.  I took advantage of a day with light to walk around Sweet Marsh.  Instead of hiking my usual path, I wandered the upper reaches of Marten's Lake.  To my surprise, there were two horned grebes trying to stay out of the wind.  I also observed, in addition to waterfowl, a river otter.

Following the windy hike, I drove the perimeter of Sweet Marsh and found a protected area filled with blue-winged teals and northern shovelers.  If you look closely at the teal image, you will notice they are mating.

Sandhill Cranes, Muskrats...a little bit of everything (4/2/07)

Days of rainy, windy weather finally ended and the wildlife observations were fast and plentiful.  From muskrats and three species of geese to sandhill cranes continually flying over, there was plenty to watch and photograph.    Enjoy a few samples...

If you've ever wondered what a sandhill crane looks like close up (photo above cropped close):

And if you've ever wondered if a muskrat swims with its mouth open or closed:

Another low light day, but plenty of wildlife activity (3/27/07)

I'm sure glad I made the switch to digital photography.  On a cloudy, dark day like today, I was able to set the ISO higher and shoot a few photos, even though not of the quality I would expect from a sunny day.  In the backyard the birds were still feasting on sunflower seeds.  The common grackles seem to dominate the area right now.

At Sweet Marsh the Western chorus frogs are calling at nearly deafening levels.  These tiny little amphibians are really quite difficult to observe, but if you are patient, they will sing for you.

Yesterday was fog, today was wind... (3/25/07)

After several days of dreary skies, we finally had plentiful sunshine.  Unfortunately, with the sun came high winds.  I spent some time on Marten's Lake with the camera, but the wind became too much and I called it an early day.  During the short time I was out there, I saw so many Blanding's Turtles that I lost count.  I also saw painted turtles, but they're much more common than the Blanding's, so I didn't concentrate much effort on them.   The interesting thing about the Blanding's Turtles is that I never see small animals - only adults.  That makes me wonder if they are still reproducing at Sweet Marsh.

For those who might be wondering - the crappies and bigger bluegills didn't seem to gather near the Marten's Lake dock this year.  Also, I haven't seen near the number of ducks as I watched last week.  There is much more open water, so maybe they are still around and not concentrated where I am paddling.

Lost in the Fog (at Sweet Marsh!) (3/24/07)

I was out paddling on Sweet Marsh shortly after sunrise this morning.  My paddling path took me along the many routes through the cattails in the center of Marten's Lake.  Normally, I find most of my photo subjects in those areas.  Today however, I had to stop shooting when a very heavy blanket of fog suddenly created a near-blind situation.

I attempted to photograph several subjects, but the low light and fog made photography nearly impossible.  Finally, the fog became so thick that I could only hear the waterfowl nearby.  The following image is of the front of my kayak (covered in camo) as I paddled in the fog.  Notice how the horizon line is not visible.  After close to an hour of paddling blind, I was able to make my way back to my truck.  Although a bit disconcerting, the experience was almost ethereal.

Low light, but plenty of subjects to shoot (3/23/07)

Today's lighting was strongly overcast, meaning I had to shoot with a high ISO setting if I wanted any chance of capturing images.  The highlights for today were getting relatively close to snow geese and a red-breasted merganser.  I also saw my first painted turtle of the 2007 season.  The turtle was moving so slow that at first I thought it was dead.

The 2007 Paddling Season has Begun! (3/22/07)

After what seemed like a long wait (even though it wasn't), the 2007 paddling season has begun.  Late this afternoon I was able to paddle my kayak around most of Marten's Lake.  The north end is still covered in ice - at least as much as I could see.  The remainder had only small chunks of ice along the shore lines.  The birds continue to be plentiful.

For the anglers...crappies and bluegills are beginning to hit near the dock on Marten's Lake.

Another Great Day for Birds (and other critters) 3/17/07

Wow, what a great day - both weather and wildlife.  The day began with a stunning sunrise that then led to near perfect weather and very active wildlife.  From mink, woodchucks, and a muskrat to hooded mergansers, a goldeneye, sandhill cranes, and bluebirds - all kinds of wildlife was observed.  I've included a small sampling of images created today.  For those who might be interested, I've seen five sandhill cranes together in one location at Sweet Marsh.

Aaron Anhalt captured this fine bluebird image (along with many others today) - Thanks Aaron!

Besides wildlife photographers and birdwatchers, there were a considerable number of ice fisherman also enjoying Sweet Marsh.

Hooded Mergansers and Everything Else (3/15/07)

Along with the geese and sandhill cranes, many other species of waterfowl can now be seen at Sweet Marsh.  After hiking the dikes this afternoon, I found these mergansers on the small area of open water between Sweet Marsh and Tot's Lake.

The Migration is Here! (3/14/07)

A hike around Sweet Marsh today confirmed that the migration is in full swing with waterfowl, songbirds, and cranes all around.  Except for the geese, most birds were quite skittish making photography difficult at best.  The overcast skies with low light levels didn't help.  Although conditions were less than perfect, I was able to capture a few images of the sandhill cranes.  I observed two pairs.  One pair was performing their courtship dance, which is always entertaining.  Until the cattails begin to "green up," the birds will continue to blend very well with their surrounding habitat.

Bison and Elk in Iowa (3/11/07)

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of touring the Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Des Moines.  This fascinating area provides over 8,600 acres of grassland habitat for hundreds of bird species along with countless insects and of course reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.  Of particular interest were the bison and elk roaming free in the refuge.  Both species were extremely cooperative (photographically speaking) for the entire time I visited the area.  Plan to spend plenty of time in the Visitors' Center if you travel to this refuge.  The educational center is one of the best I've seen.

Disturbing signs at Sweet Marsh and Crane News (3/10/07)

While hiking through Sweet Marsh this fine winter morning, I came upon multiple ATV tracks through the timber.  Although the tracks were through snow and caused little, if any, erosion type damage, I'm concerned that a dangerous precedent could be set.  As far as I know, ATV use is not allowed through the timber portion of Sweet Marsh.

On a positive note - I heard at least two sandhill cranes calling their guard call early this morning.  I watched them take flight, but was too far away for any photos.

Interesting visitor to the bird feeder (3/5/07) - Updated!

An unusual visitor stopped by my bird feeder today.  Although they are relatively common in the area, I have never observed one at my feeder in town until this afternoon.  There it was in all its beautiful colors - a red-headed woodpecker!  I wasn't able to capture an image, but I did enjoy watching it feed on black oil sunflower seeds.  UPDATE - I had two minutes of available time and shot one photo through a window.  I realize the image isn't great, but it does show the beautiful red-headed woodpecker at my feeder. (3/7/07)

Finally...another chance to shoot following the blizzard! (3/3/07)

The entire week was dedicated to work-related activities associated with the ice storm and blizzard that hit our area.  I was finally able to get out with the new lens again for a while today to do some more test shots.  The species is nothing noteworthy, the technical quality of the lens certainly appears to be satisfactory.

Another Cardinal Image (2/16/07)

Of all of the images I have sold, one particular photo of a cardinal has been the most popular.  Once again I had the pleasure of photographing a male cardinal that posed briefly in my backyard.  I haven't worked on the image much, so time will tell if anything special comes of it.

First Photos From 70-300mm lens (2/16/07)

After much anticipation, I am pleasantly surprised by the results of the new lens.  It is important to understand that the photos were shot with the lens wide open or nearly wide open with an ISO of 400 due to shade and an overcast day.  Chromatic abberation was virtually non-existent.  Sharpness was great, even though I was shooting wide open.  Needless to say, I am looking forward to the soras and rails appearing at Sweet Marsh in a few months.

New Lens Added to Equipment List (2/13/07)

Even though the weather is clearly in the midst of winter, the prospects of the soon-approaching warmer weather and its accompanying spring bird migration had me thinking...will I be able to capture frame-filling images of the many shorebirds that rest/refuel at Sweet Marsh and the Wapsie this spring?  When I was shooting film, I regularly used a tripod-mounted 400mm lens to "reach out" to the subjects I wasn't able to closely approach.  Experience told me the limitations of a 200mm lens would make close, portrait style wildlife images difficult to achieve.  Don't misunderstand me - the 18-200mm lens is a great lens and I have no complaints about the lens.  I simply felt I would need something a bit longer for wildlife imaging.  Enter the Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 IF-ED lens with VR!  When you add the multiplication factor of 1.5, I now have a 450mm lens to use for soras and rails, snipe and butterflies, and anything else I want to photograph.  I haven't tested the lens for color accuracy and sharpness, but soon will.  I'll share my results when they are in.

Cedar Waxwings Make Early Visit (2/8/07)

While photographing birds from my backyard bird blind today, I was pleasantly surprised to see 15 or so cedar waxwings in the pine tree.  Although I wasn't able to get a photograph of them, I did watch them for quite some time before they flew across the yard to another tree.  A February visit seems quite early to me, especially when the temperature was near -16 degrees this morning!

Jeep Travel Bug in Tripoli Cache (2/3/07)

Much to my surprise, I found a Jeep Corporation Travel Bug in one of my geocaches hidden at the Wapsie Access.  For those unfamiliar with geocaching, drop me an email and I'll send you an article I wrote for a Midwest magazine (refer to this text).  Anyway, this is one of a select group of travel bugs placed in circulation by the Jeep Corporation.  The goal is to keep the travel bug moving around the country.  I'll soon move it to another cache, probably in Bremer County.

Saw-whet Owl at George Wyth State Park (2/3/07)

It was a cold one today with temps topping out around zero or so with a 20-30mph wind, making the wind chill at -20 to -30 degrees.  It sounds worse than it was.  Being one to not stay in the house just because of cold and wind, I spent the morning geocaching and the afternoon looking for the saw-whet owl reported at George Wyth State Park.  To my good luck, I nearly bumped the owl off a branch when I came up after ducking for low branches.  The bird was very cooperative as this photo indicates.

George Wyth Bird Blind (1/13/07)

While in Waterloo today, I made a stop at George Wyth State Park on the outskirts of Waterloo and Cedar Falls in hopes of locating (and photographing) a Saw-whet Owl.  Unlike other years, and even though a saw-whet has been confirmed this year, I was not able to locate the bird.  However, I did have an opportunity to view the new bird observation blind.  My first reaction was of utter surprise.  Before I even got close, the number of bright red cardinals flitting around against a backdrop of fresh snow was amazing.  Then, once inside the blind I was even more surprised.  As soon as I was no longer standing outside of the blind, the birds returned in full numbers.  I offer many thanks to the volunteers who regularly fill the feeders near the blind.  Your efforts make for a pleasant visit from out-of-towners.  Thank you!

Paddling in Snow Flurries (1/7/07)

I'm not sure I can put into words the thrill of paddling the Wapsie late in the afternoon on a January day.  A light snow was falling, actually being pushed at an angle, due to a strong wind.  Any water that dripped from my paddle quickly froze to my kayak, followed by a dusting of snow.  I thought if paddled late in the day, I might be able to share the river with a beaver, turkey, or deer working the shoreline.  Today I shared company with three bald eagles - two mature birds and one immature bird.

It was interesting to watch the immature eagle as it flew into the wind.  With outspread wings the bird would appear to hang in place.  Then, suddenly the bird would dip one wing causing a sudden drop toward the treetops.  The speed of the descent appeared to startle the bird as its feet would drop for a split second and then be pulled back up to the body.

One of the more unusual aspects of this bald eagle paddling adventure was the location: the Wapsie north of Frederika.  I've seen a lone eagle on that stretch a time or two, but never what appeared to be three birds associating with each other (family unit?).  If in fact these are resident birds, the possibility exists of a nest somewhere.  I'll continue to search the backwaters of the Wapsie for a nest as long as the warm winter continues.  If the ice finally seals its lock on the river, I'll look for the nest before the leaves appear next spring.

Marten's Lake (Segment B) Open For Paddling on January 5!

Our amazing winter weather continues to surprise nearly every one.  For the first time that I can remember, Marten's Lake (Segment B of Sweet Marsh) is open to the point, in January, that I was able to paddle around the segment this afternoon.  I had one stretch of about 40-yards that had skim ice that easily broke when my kayak hit it.  Near the outlet between Segment B and the refuge the channel was frozen.  However, by paddling the hidden channel used by beavers and otters to get between the north and south sections of Segment B, I was able to reach all sections.

I went paddling at Sweet Marsh in hopes of locating the swans, and sure enough, I found them again.  Along with the swans were hundreds of geese, a lone great blue heron, and dozens of mallards.  The swans were as skittish as the geese, which meant I wasn't able to approach as close as I had hoped.  Again my only option was to take "distant" photos.

For birdwatchers there are also bald eagles feeding on a carcass in the field near the T-intersection on Possum avenue.  As long as you remain in your vehicle, the birds will allow you to watch them interact with each other and other birds.

Trumpeter Swans at Sweet Marsh (1/2/07)

A quick walk around Segment A of Sweet Marsh confirmed that there are in fact three trumpeter swans temporarily residing in the area.  I've attached a low-quality photo of the swans.  I located them across Marten's Lake (Segment B) among hundreds of Canada geese.  After waiting a while, I soon realized the swans weren't going to be approaching any closer than they already were.  Yes, that is open water on January 2!

New Year's Day Paddling (1/1/2007)

Darrin, Janeen, and I continued an almost annual tradition with a kayak paddling trip on New Year's Day.  Often, we struggle to find enough open water for paddling.  This year was quite different due to the extended warm weather we've enjoyed.  Except for backwater areas, the Wapsie was completely free of ice.  Because of the recent rains, the river was higher than normal and flowing much faster than normal.  Wildlife observed on this outing included many bald eagles (of various ages), Canada geese, ducks, and a one-antlered whitetail buck.  We also watched what appeared to be three trumpeter swans flying low over Sweet Marsh.  A search for the birds for a confirmation was not successful.

Switching from Film to Digital (12/31/06)

After many, many years of shooting with manual focus, manual film advance cameras, I've made the switch to a digital format.  Although the film cameras were working fine, the cost of film and processing had risen considerably.  At the same time, the quality of images produced by today's advanced digital SLR camera appears to meet or exceed film quality.  The time was finally here to consider the digital alternative.

It's important that I explain that part of my hesitation was also because I not only had to invest in a camera body, but I also had to purchase new lenses and flash equipment too.  My existing film equipment would not adapt to a digital SLR body, so I knew the cost would be considerable.

After weeks of studying the offerings from all of the major manufacturers, I was down to deciding between Canon and Nikon.  Before I go any further, let me state that I had no affection or dislike for either brand.  I'll further state that both companies produce fine photographic equipment.  Finally, the determining factor ended up being the glass.  I thought that if I was going to make a change, I might as well choose a system that would allow me to carry a minimum amount of equipment while producing exceptional images.

Since I opted to go with nothing less than a minimum camera resolution of 10-megapixels, and since I wasn't comfortable mortgaging the house for a full-frame sensor, I was left to decide between the Canon Rebel XTI or one of the Nikon 10-megapixel models.  Canon has what appears to be a very good medium telephoto lens, but I wasn't able to find a similarly reviewed wide-medium range zoom from Canon.  Nikon has the 18mm-200mm zoom that is receiving rave reviews, but the wait time seems to be measured in months, unless you choose a kit (camera with a lens) option.

After countless hours of studying specs and crunching numbers, I finally took the plunge and ordered a Nikon D200 with the 18-200mm zoom, a San Disk Extreme III 4gig compact flash card, and an SB-600 flash.

So, now that I've had the D200 for a couple of weeks, I suppose I can share a few preliminary thoughts about the camera and lens.  WOW!  What a fine piece of electronics and glass.  I haven't found anything I can't do with this camera and lens.  The metering is excellent, focus is tack sharp 99% of the time, and the overall feel is one of quality and durability.  Note: The D200 is built on a sturdy frame and comes with additional factory weather sealing.

I've used the system for snap shooting around the house with the SB600 flash and had nothing but near perfect results without touching a dial or menu.  Although my outdoor use has been minimal - backyard bird blind and kayaking - the images have been exceptional.  The dreaded chromatic abberation (purple fringe) exhibited by many lenses is virtually absent except in the very corners and only at certain focal lengths.  The ease of changing modes or settings makes using the camera a real pleasure.  And for those settings I wasn't familiar with, the manuals provided with the camera body, lens, and flash clearly explained the answers.  For those who might also be considering the purchase of the D200, be advised that the learning curve for the D200 will be substantial if you don't already have a basic photography background.