Apr 12, 2021
There was no colorful sunrise. No brilliant transition of night turning to day. Instead, there was just a gradual increase of light among the solemn hues of an overcast morning. I was sitting at the edge of a small wetland located within a mature stand of oaks. The shallow oasis is a one my favorite wood duck hotspots. Arriving...
Apr 7, 2021
One robin may not make a spring, but when the turkey vultures return to Max Clausen’s barn, you can rest assured the season has changed. Clausen’s barn is located on The Nature Conservancy’s Clausen’s Cove Area which adjoins Clear Lake’s south shore. For the past five years, vultures have returned to make their nests in the barn’s now...
Mar 29, 2021
This year’s Spring Turkey Seasons begin April 9th with a special youth only hunt, followed by the first of four regular hunting seasons beginning April 12. The final segment of the five-part, spring season concludes May16. The seasons allows both shotgun and bow hunting, and Iowa hunters may purchase a total of two spring turkey tags. In spite...
Mar 24, 2021
The spring waterfowl migration is one of my favorite events on the annual outdoor calendar. Anxious to get to northern nesting grounds, the first flocks of ducks began dotting the Iowa skies as soon as area wetlands began to thaw. Once open water appears, migrant numbers steadily escalate as temperatures warm. A mixed flock of northbound...
Mar 17, 2021
It’s an old familiar phrase that can apply to a lot of things. This week, it applied to backyard birding. Following a complete snow melt and solid string of spring-like temperatures, backyard bird activity had declined. Feeders that had enjoyed popularity through the cold weather winter months had become predictably quiet. Only a half...
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.