Jul 20, 2016
Not All Wildlife Encounters End in Warm Fuzzies Nothing compares to a day spent in the great out-of-doors. Depending on individual interests, outdoor fun may include hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, biking or birding. The list is virtually endless. But hidden among all that outdoor fun are potential dangers; many of which may...
Jul 7, 2016
The Fourth of July parades and picnics may be past; but for this North Iowa gobbler the celebration continues. In spite of the calendar date and return of mid-summer heat, I spotted this gobbler proudly strutting his stuff in a Cerro Gordo County hay field. Assuming he began displaying [like most gobblers did] sometime in February, this bird has been...
Jul 3, 2016
GOOSE RODEO AIDS IN WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT VENTURA — The trap was set. The noose was tightening. With canoes, kayak, and DNR patrol boat drawing ever closer; the retreating goose flock had little chance for escape. With adult geese rendered temporarily flightless by the summer molt and this year’s crop of youngsters not yet capable of taking to...
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.