Monthly Archives: August 2012
Hummingbirds Are Here!
Well they’re finally starting to show up here in Rockport, TX. Not the “bouquet” of thousands of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds we want yet…but they’re here…
I set my hummingbird feeders out last weekend. Nothing at ALL happened until late yesterday afternoon. I guess I have about a dozen of these guys fighting over my two feeders.
This is my first attempt photographing a Hummingbird. I hope I get better…QUICKLY! This little guy was shot in ambient light and really doesn’t do any justice to these beauties. Their feathers have a iridescent quality that is gorgeous. And then there’s that VERY ruby red throat…
I’m going to get some off-camera flash set up and see if I can do this bird right…
Texas Photo Ranch
I had the opportunity to get back out to the Texas Photo Ranch this week. I’m starting to learn my way around the ranch. At least I can FIND all five of the photography blinds now!
The photography blinds here are very nice. Four of the blinds have small ponds, feeders, and natural cover for the birds and mammals. The raptor blind sits up on one of the ranch’s highest points and has several natural snags and perches close to the blind. I saw both Black and Turkey Vultures along with a Crested Caracara circling overhead the blind. As a matter of fact, we saw raptors all over the ranch.
I spent the first couple of hours Thursday morning back at the resaca. The light was perfect, and the pool at the north end of the resaca was holding LOTS of birds. Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibis, and White-Faced Ibis are just SOME of the species I saw that morning.
There were also feral hogs and deer drinking in the resaca when I pulled up. This is a VERY special place and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to shoot here. Let me know if you have any questions about the Texas Photo Ranch.
River Ranch
I had the opportunity to get back out to the River Ranch on Monday. Wade Grassedonio called and said he was going to be out there working most of the day and invited me out. I jumped at the chance. It takes me about 40 minutes to get to ranch gate from my house in Rockport.
Wade met me at the gate and suggested I take advantage of some pretty sweet morning light and do some shooting. I headed over to an area called the Resaca. A resaca is a dry riverbed that has been cut off from the main water source. It fills with water at times during the year . The Resaca at the River Ranch is a “target rich environment” for birds and wildlife. In just over an hour, I clicked off about 500 shots and had a ball. I watched this Green Heron harvest a relatively large gar, and swallow the entire fish. He/she struggled with the fish, but finally got it down.
I saw a BUNCH of Black-Necked Stilts at the resaca. This image is a juvenile who kept laying down and resting. These guys are interesting to watch. They’re very vocal and seem to very social. They frequent wetlands where they forge for tadpoles and fish.
Wade and I repaired several of the small ponds adjacent to every photo blind. We also filled several of the polyurethane water tanks that supply each pond.
It was a great day for me. I now feel lile I can get around the ranch on my own and do some serious shooting. Let me know if anyone has an interest in having a very special photography/bird watching experience. We can make it happen…
Rockport…
OK…I love it here! Sharon and I had a great weekend in Rockport. Our friends David and Cindy Wilson were in town. Bonnie and Patrick Strain came over from Corpus Christi for the afternoon. We spent the afternoon eating and drinking at several of the local beach bars. My idea of a FUN time…
I’m spending the week here taking care of STUFF. I also want to drag my camera gear out and reengage. I NEED to shoot something…digitally! I don’t think I have block…just too much LIFE going on. I’m not going to bore you with all of the gory details, but things have been just crazy for the last six months. I’m ready for DULL & BORING!
I’ve been thinking about a new camera body. I’m looking at a Canon 5D Mark III…and like what I see. Several shooters I respect have this body and really like it. We’ll see…
Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest
I’ve been working pretty hard trying to develop some skills needed to competitively photograph subjects OTHER than birds. I’m motivated to do this for a very good reason.
The Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest for 2011 had 5 major Divisions (Birds, Mammals, Invertebrates, Reptiles & Amphibians, and Special). There were 57 total Categories within the various Divisions. For example, the Bird Division had 22 Categories. My goal is to try and compete in as many of these Categories as possible. I need to get busy!
These young Great Blue Herons are waiting for their parents to bring some food back to the nest. It’s full-contact eating among young birds as they compete for food. The stronger bird always gets the majority of the meal…
BIG News…
Every odd year the Coastal Bend Wildlife Photography Contest takes place in Texas. Photographers and Landowners are paired as teams for this competition. This is a contest that I really would like to try…and it looks like I get the opportunity in 2013. The CBWPC will start on February 15, 2013, until March 15. After a two week break, the contest resumes on April 1, and runs to June 1, 2013.
I’ve been communicating with a nice gentleman named Wade Grassedonio. His family has owned the 3000 acre River Ranch for over 125 years. I had the chance to meet Wade in person Monday morning and get a tour of this beautiful ranch. It’s just perfect…
Wade is in the process of creating a PERFECT environment for nature and wildlife enthusiasts. He’s built 5 custom blinds that allow birders, naturalists, and photographers the opportunity to get “up close and personal” with the wildlife. One of the blinds is dedicated to raptors. The other four blinds provide cover, food, and water for attracting birds and mammals. All of the blinds are strategically positioned to optimize natural lighting and desirable backgrounds.
Please take a look at the River Ranch website. You can take this link or use the url www.texasphotoranch.com . Please feel free to contact me or Wade directly if you have any questions. He’d be more than happy to book you on a “dream day” at the River Ranch.
I’ll be posting often about both the CBWPC and the River Ranch. I’ll be spending a lot of time getting oriented on the ranch in order to prepare for the contest. Let me know what you think…SEF
Show Schedule…
I received notification late yesterday that I’ve been invited to exhibit at the Galveston Island ARToberFEST October 20 & 21. This will be my first exposure into the Metro Houston art scene. This should be fun…
I also have two other shows coming up in Rockport. On September 13 – 16 we’ll be exhibiting at the Hummer Bird Celebration. I’ll also be presenting two lectures at the Rockport Center for the Arts during the celebration. I’m very flattered that the RCA asked me to do this. I’ll be doing a lecture on some of the gear needed for bird photography. Rockport Seafair happens on October 5 – 7, and we’ll also be exhibiting there.
This is an image of Staniel Cay Beach. It’s in the Exumas, Bahamas, and it’s one of my favorite spots in the world…SEF