Winging It in Siouxland and Just Passing Through, Snyder Bend Park, Woodbury County

A great blue heron flies over a pond of water at Snyder Bend Park Thursday, April 6, 2023 in rural Woodbury County near Salix Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

While out and about in Siouxland looking for critters and migrating birds, I never really know who or what may be a local resident and just out and about, or just passing through on its way to another destination.

I don’t know if I will ever become a serious birder, but I find that I now recognize a few more birds that I previously did. And I only a few thousands (hundreds of thousands?) to go. But photographing them, or at least trying, has been a nice past time and a skill set I still need to work on. A newspaper photo editor once told me I only need one photo to tell a story. I didn’t respond about how many photos I might take to tell that story. Of course, he never asked.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

A great blue heron flies over a pond of water at Snyder Bend Park Thursday, April 6, 2023 in rural Woodbury County near Salix Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A July Day in Siouxland, Wildlife Management Area, Woodbury County

A bee makes the most of gathering nectar from flowering plants in a meadow at a Woodbury County Wildlife Management area near Snyder Bend Park Wednesday, July 13, 2022 south of Salix, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Some days in Siouxland are more productive than others for every being. I wonder looking back at this busy bee if he and his family are safely tucked away into their hive, counting the days until spring again arrives. And wild flowers are seen in meadows around the region and the sun is warm and fragrances fresh. Winter is slowly descending into the region which some of the last warm days currently happening. And this and other scenes will be a faded memory.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

A bee makes the most of gathering nectar from flowering plants in a meadow at a Woodbury County Wildlife Management area near Snyder Bend Park Wednesday, July 13, 2022 south of Salix, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A bee makes the most of gathering nectar from flowering plants in a meadow at a Woodbury County Wildlife Management area near Snyder Bend Park Wednesday, July 13, 2022 south of Salix, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)