What fun to photograph this bullfrog today...

Fun to watch what this juvenile yellow-headed blackbird did awaiting its next meal from Mom! A little cattail snack...

Trumpeter Swans can reach a length of 6 feet and a wingspan of up to 10 feet! No wonder they require approx 100 meters for take off!

Wow...the bullfrogs were all over...just too far away to see many...this one was close enough to photograph and get a good glimpse of the wake made while calling!

There is something magical about spending time with wildlife...the 90+ minutes spent in the presence of this short-eared owl was truly a special experience...

This looks to be a one-year old juvenile bald eagle...on a brisk Iowa fall morning...

What a treat to see these birds takeoff...lucky they came towards me!

I think I have been spotted.

This is a first ever capture of this type of bird. Took this shot at the end of my morning walk.

I happened to luck upon a family of mink while out for a walk one morning.

A baby Snapping turtle on a log

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We came across these two bucks about a quarter of a mile from the Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, Iowa.

This is another photo of the same egret and bluegill.

Close up of a gull

A gull carries away it's snack size capture.

One of two raccons that were playing by the pond at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center

Minutes after having eaten a snake for breakfast, the same egret got back in the water to land this nice bluegill.

A grebe works hard at holding on to a sun fish it caught. The fish eventually got away.

A grebe tries to grab hold of a large sunfish.

This hungry guy was just hanging out in the pond next to my parents' house looking for a meal. I was able to get surprisingly close to him and not really bother him.

Taken on Nikon D3000 with 55-200mm lens.

An Eagle soaring above, looking for a meal.

An eagle with it's wings spread wide on landing.

An egret finds a snake and the fight is on ! There are a series of 5 shot to this battle.

An eagle reaches for it's perch.

The egret appears to have the upper hand with the snakes head between it's beak.

These were the strangest little critters. They don't look like any squirrel I have ever seen, but my husband, who is from Iowa, tells me they really are squirrels. After a few photos he disappeared down a hole in the ground, hence the name.

An Eagle spots it's target and drops it's talons to ready it's self for the capture.

The Egret is declared the winner as the snake goes limp.

A frog blending into it's environment

A turtle getting a little sun .

A GBH positions it self along a brush pile while fishing a local lake this fall. The fall colors are reflected in the surface of the water.

The snake tries to wiggle free in attempt to escape!

Another one from the archives.

An Eagle soaring over head with it's capture.

This is the same raccoon in a different location.

Found this little guy on a local nature trail, while looking for birds one morning. I guess it pays to look down occasionally.

Great blue heron showing it's tounge.

This hungry guy was just hanging out in the pond next to my parents' house looking for a meal. I was able to get surprisingly close to him and not really bother him.

Taken on Nikon D3000 with 55-200mm lens.

This hungry guy was just hanging out in the pond next to my parents' house looking for a meal. I was able to get surprisingly close to him and not really bother him.

Taken on Nikon D3000 with 55-200mm lens.

This hungry guy was just hanging out in the pond next to my parents' house looking for a meal. I was able to get surprisingly close to him and not really bother him.

Taken on Nikon D3000 with 55-200mm lens.

This hungry guy was just hanging out in the pond next to my parents' house looking for a meal. I was able to get surprisingly close to him and not really bother him.

Taken on Nikon D3000 with 55-200mm lens.

I can never keep up to these guys in flight so when they land close and stay still I have to get the shot .