Dec 29, 2017
The lead colored skies were dark and somber. Around two inches of new snow had fallen during the night and the weatherman was promising more on the way. Flurries, in the form of huge dry flakes, were continuing to fall. Wind chills were pushing minus twenty degrees. Up at International Falls, the actual temperature had plummeted to a brutal negative 37,...
Dec 16, 2017
I trapped a prime red fox the other day. I don’t do much trapping anymore, and the fox came as a bit of a surprise. Although the set was located where I’ve seen fox or fox tracks in the past, I figured that I was most likely to catch a raccoon. In reality, catching the fox was probably as much accident as anything. One thing is certain, though....
Searching the forest for unsuspecting prey, owls prowl the darkness on silent wings. Although rarely seen in daylight, owls are a lot more common than most folks realize. No matter where you live in Iowa, there are probably owls nearby. They inhabit our state forests and river corridors, live in our farmstead windbreaks, reside in urban backyards. Since owls...
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.