Tag Archives: River 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…
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
