Oct 26, 2014
One of the things I enjoy most about fall turkey hunting is just how ridiculously loud the flocks often become at right at daybreak. This morning’s hunt was no exception. The outing actually began last night when my son Matt called to remind me that we both had fall turkey tags and that the weather forecast looked promising. He thought that...
Oct 22, 2014
Enough is enough. No more denial. No more looking over my shoulder. Right here and right now, I’m going to come clean. And although I’ll likely be banned from future DU banquets and other outdoor social events, I’m going to admit — Well, I’m going to admit that I shoot coots. Sometimes I shoot lots of them. Not only that —...
COOTS ARE COOL Commonly referred to as ‘mud hen or mud duck‘, the American coot is neither a duck nor a hen but is actually a giant member of the rail family. During fall, coots congregate in large rafts that contain hundreds, even thousands, of birds. Coots obtain the majority of their food by diving to the bottom of open lakes and marshes...
Oct 15, 2014
Warm in the sunshine, but cool in the shade. That’s just one of a thousand things that I like about October — my favorite month of the year. October is the one month that nobody complains about. For those who enjoy the outdoors, it is a time of infinite variety. Fall fishing is at its peak, deer are becoming increasingly active, tree...
Oct 11, 2014
If you’re one of those folks who utilize backyard hummingbird feeders, then you already know that this year’s fall migration has been a World Class, Record Book event. On the south side of Clear Lake, for example, I’ve been installing sugar water feeders in the same place for 31 years and this year’s...
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.