Cruising Altitude in Siouxland, Browns Lake, rural Woodbury County

A juvenile bald eagle cruises just above Browns Lake in rural Woodbury County Thursday, December 16, 2021. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

I always like unexpected surprises when out looking for critters in Siouxland. Finding them in places I haven’t encountered them before is such a delight. While out checking one location recently and not finding any birds I had hoped would be there, I stopped by another, Browns Lake. With the recent drought conditions in western Iowa the water level is very low and so I didn’t expect to find anything there except a frozen pond. Maybe some geese, which weren’t there either.

Walking about a bit I did spot a large object moving along a tree line and headed toward the lake. Never a Boy Scout, I guess I wasn’t prepared as I had a long telephoto lens instead of a shorter zoom and so found myself trying to adjust and my framing as a juvenile bald eagle kept flying closer, and closer, and closer still.

Just cruising. Taking in the sights below and probably looking for a noon time meal or snack. I hope it had better luck than I.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

A juvenile bald eagle cruises just above Browns Lake in rural Woodbury County Thursday, December 16, 2021. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A juvenile bald eagle cruises just above Browns Lake in rural Woodbury County Thursday, December 16, 2021. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A juvenile bald eagle cruises just above Browns Lake in rural Woodbury County Thursday, December 16, 2021. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Siouxland after dark, Salix

Brown’s Lake is part of a small park near Salix, Iowa. During the summer it is popular with boaters for fishing, water skiing and camping. It also has a couple shelters and a few picnic areas as well as a beach area along the lake. I checked it out recently during an early evening when I was certain no one would be there to see what the park looks like after dark. Because of the winter season, access to all areas are basically locked down, except for the boat ramp. Which isn’t in use because the ice forming on the lake would stop a boater before he/she got too far.

I wish I had gotten there a little earlier for a little more color in the sky, but then you do what you can and make the most of it. I recently purchased a mirrorless camera and wanted to see how it handled controlled but not ideal shooting conditions. And I am pleasantly surprised and happy with the results. Both for the image quality and the fact that I was shooting handheld at a slow shutter speed and using the lens’s stabilization ability to get me sharp and decent photographs.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa