Aug 31, 2014
“ . . It soon became apparent that I had become witness to a predatory blood bath of dynamic proportions. Gnats and mosquitoes were dying by the thousands!” Back when I was a school kid, organized summer youth activities were virtually nonexistent. Consequently, we invented our own entertainment. For boys, the Dog Days of August were mostly...
Aug 29, 2014
For most budding waterfowl hunters, an early season blue-winged teal is the very first duck brought to bag. I was no exception to that rule, and shot my very first blue-wing during my very first duck hunt. It was just Dad and I, and the hunt took place in Northern Iowa along a quiet backwater pond of the Winnebago River. Less than 50 yards in width, the...
Aug 19, 2014
Hummingbirds and Jewelweed The ruby-throated hummingbird is aptly named. When illuminated by even the slightest hint of sunlight, the male’s ruby red bib sparkles with all the intensity of the finest jewel. The hummingbird’s glossy emerald back is equally iridescent, making the species one of our most attractive backyard birds. But it is the...
Aug 9, 2014
For the past 12 summers, I’ve been observing the daily activities at a red-tailed hawk nest located near the south shore of Clear Lake. This year, the hawks successfully raised two young. Out of the nest and on the wing, the fledglings are currently learning to hunt for themselves. Their first inexperienced and clumsy attempts at catching meadow...
Aug 7, 2014
There’s a big change for this year’s duck season. For the first time since the 1960s, Iowa waterfowlers will have an opportunity to participate in a Special Teal Only Hunting Season. The statewide 16-day season begins Saturday, September 6 and runs through September 21. Authorized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the hunt is being...
Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind.
Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others.
After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010.
In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.