There’s a new toy in town…..

I got a new toy for my camera bag.  It is a Cam Ranger.  A great tool for remote wildlife photography, being able to use it with new modern devices.

For example, if you would like to set up your camera to get close-ups of a bird nest you can get great results.  With the setup which consists of a small transmitter that attaches to your camera, you can put it on a tripod near the nest, go to another location up to 150 feet away, and control all camera functions including focus, aperture, shutter, movies,etc. by using your iPad, iPhone, or iPod.  There is no chance of spooking the birds this way.

You have to download the FREE Cam Ranger app from Apple’s iTunes App Store.  It provides an ad hoc network between the camera and your device so there is no need for a regular wi-fi connection.  You can use it anywhere.

House Finch – photographed remotely using a Cam Ranger.

I set my tripod, with my Canon EOS 7d and 100-400 lens inside the patio door.  I aimed it at a hanging bird feeder.  I took my iPad to my office at the other end of the house.  After opening the app and establishing the connection, I sat and watched the live view of the feeder.  I set the aperture and shutter speed and focused through the app, and when this House Finch landed, I snapped the photo.

To control the depth of field, I used f11 in aperture priority.  The shutter speed was 1/320 at 3200 ISO.

I am really excited about the possible applications for this tool.  Unfortunately, right now it is only available for Canon and Nikon DSLRs.  I bought mine from B&H Photo.

Click on that photo to see an enlargement.

Blustery day images……

It is nice to have rain here in west Texas, but I would love to have it in larger amounts.  I know that sounds selfish, but these little sprinkles we have today, along with the cool temps and blustery winds, don’t do much to ease our drought.  We need some big gully-washers.

Great Blue Heron chicks on nest.

Nevertheless, I did get out a little today.  First I stopped at the Shannon Clinic to get an innoculation, then while downtown, checked on the young ones on the Great Blue Heron nest.  The chicks are getting larger, but staying near the nest so they are available so their mother, pictured atop a nearby branch, can bring them their daily meals.

adult Great Blue Heron

From there we decided to check in at San Angelo State Park and see if there had been any recent run-off into the lake.  Surprisingly, there was an acre or two of very, very shallow water.  Well, it’s a start.  But most likely it will evaporate before we get another measurable rain on the watershed.

Common Nighthawk

While driving around the park we saw our first roosting Common Nighthawk of the year.  We had seen several in flight a few days ago, when they were feeding on the flying insects in the evening.  We also saw this Curve-billed Thrasher nearby in a tree.  I just love the fierce look that these guys always have.

Curve-billed Thrasher

Since the weather was seemingly getting a little more inclement, we decided to head for the house.  Click on any image to see some enlargements.

From the heart, and other mushy stuff…….

I am 78 years old.  I still consider myself to be in pretty darned good shape.  I still have most everything that I was born with, minus a gall bladder and a tooth or two.  I have some hair that is greying at the temples.  My wife says that I only have hair at my temples.  I guess she is refering to my rather large part in the middle.

I have been married to my dearest friend and wife, Ann for nearly 55 years.  It is funny that people, including me, don’t start appreciating the obvious things around them until it gets nearly too late.  We have had our ups and downs like any married couple.  Minor spats, nothing ever serious.  I have been faithful, but not to say that I haven’t had temptations placed before me.  You can’t be a wild sax player like I was, and not have a few teeny-boppers chase you around.  But nevertheless, she has stood by me and I love her more as each day goes by.

I was talking to my dearest (next to my wife) friend, Shannon, in Houston yesterday.  My conversation with her was the inspiration for this post.  I mentioned that I think everything happens for a reason.  When certain people come into your life there is a reason for it.  She is one of those people, and we met last year near the time I was hospitalized.  While in the hospital, she kept a continual on-line conversation going with me, while trying to take care of her own family of a husband and four children.  Ann and I have become great friends with her and of her family.  We are in contact with them almost daily and it has lightened our lives immensely.  I truly believe that Ann and I have been much closer since that time, as those three hospital stays opened our eyes that the years are passing.

I don’t know why I picked today, Memorial Day, to write this post.  It just happened to be fitting.  As I said everything happens for a reason.  And today, I am thankful for everything and everyone around me.  I knew what I wanted to write about, after my conversation with Shannon yesterday.  I just didn’t know how or when I was going to do it.  But wanting to write while the thoughts were fresh on my mind, I decided to get after it this morning.

So I am sorry there are no pictures today.  By the way, I am happy with being 78.  I like the sound of it, and maybe I’ll just keep it.  So far it has kept me from visiting the local senior center.  That is where all the old people hang out.

Now that I have written all of this mushy stuff, I am going to count to ten, then decide if I want to publish it.

Oh, hell, I only got to seven.  Darn right, I am going to publish it. 🙂

Memorial Weekend Images

I am not going to go into a lot of detail for this post.  I know that many of you are celebrating this holiday weekend.  Maybe these photos will help brighten your days.  If you are traveling, be safe, drive carefully, and don’t text.   Please remember the holiday for what it is, to remember to thank the people that help keep our country free.  Click on any of the images to see some nice enlargements.

“On the Hunt”
Great Blue Heron

Northern Bobwhite

Curve-billed Thrasher

Turkey Vulture

Bronzed Cowbird

Birding Twin Buttes Reservoir

Much has been said in my post about our birding at Spring Creek and Middle Concho Parks.  Most of my recent photos have been taken at one or both of these areas.  Such as the Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, both of which I took yesterday.

Great Egret – Spring Creek Park, San Angelo, Texas

Great Blue Heron – Middle Concho Park, San Angelo, Texas

But another area that we have pretty much neglected to bird, is an area at Twin Buttes Reservoir.  This lake, with one of the longest earthern dams in the country, was built in the early ’60s as a flood control project.  As with most of the local lakes around here, it has almost dried up during our drought.  However, with a thunderstorm a couple of days ago, there are a few puddles of standing water.  Such is what we found when we decided to drive out there after spending time at the above mentioned parks.

It was hot by the time we got there, but this one spot among a dozen mesquite trees felt like a little oasis.  There was a low area about 50 feet long by about 15 feet wide filled with muddy water that hadn’t soaked into the ground yet.  There were numerous small birds flitting between the trees and the water.

Bullock’s Oriole on mesquite branch.

Western Kingbird on mesquite branch.

Blue Grosbeak – female – thinking about taking a bath.

Greater Roadrunner – cooling off

Besides the above birds, we also saw a Painted Bunting take a quick splash in the water, but was gone before I could get the camera to my eye.  We also spotted an Orchard Oriole on a nearby high wire.

This is the kind of birding that I really enjoy.  To find a nice birdy spot like this, sit and watch from our blind, a.k.a. our car.  The fun is not knowing what you are going to see.  We will be going back very soon, before the water dries up.

Click an any image to see an enlargement.

It doesn’t get any better than this……..

This morning Ann and I decided to again take a little drive out to Spring Creek Park, near Lake Nasworthy.  As we were driving through, I was reminded very much of a post that a fellow blogger wrote recently.  Shannon, who lives in the Houston area has an ideal place to go when she is feeling down and unable to cope.  She gets out and strolls through the large trees and by the creek that is on her land.  Check out her poignant post and her photos (click) here.  I can relate very much with her as many times I have felt that I just wanted to get away.

Today was an example.  The weather promised to be another hot day, and Ann and I decided to try and beat the heat and took a short drive to some local parks near Lake Nasworthy.

Western Kingbird

Sometimes we just drive slowly through the trees, and part of the time we leave the car and stroll.  I always have my camera in hand.  We saw a beautiful Vermilion Flycatcher, one of my favorite birds.  An equally pretty bird that arrived recently to spend the summer is the Western Kingbird.  Nearby was a Great Blue Heron strolling, watching for a quick lunch.

Vermilion Flycatcher

For us it doesn’t get any better.  I think my overall health is much better when I can get out as often as I can.  Ann is much happier when she can accompany me, so that is an added bonus.

Great Blue Heron

All three of the photos were taken this morning on our driving slash stroll.  I just doesn’t get any better than this.  In all, I think we saw about twenty-seven different species in a short two hours. Click on any image to see an enlargement.

More Recent Random Images

Sorry to say that nothing exciting has happened the past few days, but we are getting settled in after our Big Bend trip.  I have been busy editing some of those pictures and trying to keep up with other blogs that I follow.

One of my many favorite blogs is Jo Woolf’s Journal.  She lives in Scotland with her husband, Colin, and they have been showing the great landscapes from Skye.  The mountains and cliffs along the ocean remind me of the landscape of the Big Bend here in west Texas.  The only difference is that the cliffs at Skye are along the ocean, whereas as here they are surrounded by desert.  Also, Colin is a fantastic water-color artist.  Click here to see his stunning wildlife art.

Mountains in the Mist – Big Bend National Park

While editing some of my Big Bend trip photos I came across a couple more images hopefully for your enjoyment.  How about another shot of the Scaled Quail.

Scaled Quail – hiding in plain sight.

These Curve-billed Thrashers are always fun to photograph, too.  I love their fierce expressions.

Curve-billed Thrasher on wire fence.

I have been keeping up with the Great Blue Heron nest downtown along our Concho River.  The kids are growing up.  If you remember, a couple of weeks ago I published a photo of the nest, and you could only see the head of one of the chicks above the nest.  Here what they looked like yesterday.

Great Blue Heron with chicks

We took a short drive to Middle Concho Park and came away with this shot of a Bullock’s Oriole.  They are quite plentiful around here now, but very elusive when trying to photograph them.

Bullock’s Oriole on mesquite limb.

I hope you enjoyed my photography again.  Click on any of the images to see an enlargement.

Part II – Birding in the Big Bend

I believe that I was telling you about our Wednesday adventures at the end of Part I of our Big Bend adventure.  Well, Wednesday evening after another fun day, we decided to go to Long Draw Pizza.  A hearty meal and cold beer was a great way to end the day.

Ann at the Sotol Vista overlook high in the Chisos Mountains.

On Thursday morning after breakfast at Big Bend Cafe in Study Butte, we headed to the old Sam Nail Ranch.  There are only a few ruins of some adobe walls there, and a windmill that the National Park Service has kept working to pump a bit of water. It provides moisture to this oasis-like setting among large cottonwood and mesquite trees, and other brush.  Many birds frequent this area.  Here I was able to photograph a Yellow-breasted Chat.  Click on it, and all other photos to see enlargements.

Yellow-breasted Chat

After spending a couple of hours there, we left and headed farther south down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to the Cottonwood Campground, another hot birding spot.  There we saw several Painted Buntings, Yellow-rumped Warblers. and several species of flycatchers.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Western Wood-Pewee

We also saw a Swainson’s Thrush, one more for my life list.

Swainson’s Thrush

Here is another shot of that Scaled Quail that I showed you in the previous post.  In this pose he is calling for his mate.

Scaled Quail

After a really fun four days we finally left for home, but not resisting one final shot of this Swainson’s Hawk, sitting on a fence post as we left the park.

Swainson’s Hawk

For the week, we saw an astounding 66 species of birds.  For animal life, we saw 11 Pronghorn Antelope, 2 jackrabbits, 8 cottontail rabbits, 1 muledeer, 2 javelinas and a partridge in a pear tree.

Here is a complete list of our 66 species seen from the time we left home until we arrived back in San Angelo.

1. Northern Bobwhite
2. Whitewinged Dove
3. Mourning Dove
4. Inca Dove
5. House Sparrow
6. Northern Mockingbird
7. European Starling
8. Great-tailed Grackle
9. Turkey Vulture
10. Barn Swallow
11. Swainson’s Hawk
12. Chichuahuan Raven
13. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
14. Red-tailed Hawk
15. Blue Grosbeak
16. Scott’s Oriole
17. Eurasian Collared Dove
18. Lark Sparrow
19. Brown-crested Flycatcher
20. Western Meadowlark
21. Scaled Quail
22. Western Kingbird
23. Chipping Sparrow
24. Ash-throated Flycatcher
25. Bronzed Cowbird
26. Wilson’s Warbler
27. Vermilion Flycatcher
28. Golden-fronted Woodpecker
29. Spotted Sandpiper
30. American Coot
31. Red-winged Blackbird
32. Cactus Wren
33. Greater Roadrunner
34. Pyrrhuloxia
35. Canyon Towhee
36. Summer Tanager
37. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
38. Mexican Jay
39. Curve-billed Thrasher
40. Black-throated Sparrow
41. Northern Cardinal
42. Savannah Sparrow
43. Black-crowned Night Heron
44. Green Heron
45. Western Wood-Pewee
46. Lesser Goldfinch
47. Pied-billed Grebe
48. White-crowned Sparrow
49. Eastern Phoebe
50. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
51. Common Blackhawk
52. Brown-headed Cowbird
53. Yellow-rumped Warbler
54. Painted Bunting
55. Orange-crowned Warbler
56. House Finch
57. Yellow-breasted Chat
58. Clay-colored Sparrow
59. Red-breasted Nuthatch
60. Mallard
61. Common Nighthawk
62. Brewer’s Blackbird
63. Wild Turkey
64. Common Raven
65. Swainson’s Thrush
66. Common Raven

Birding in the Big Bend

Ann and I are back after spending a delightful four days in the Big Bend area of west Texas.  The weather was great, actually better than normal, as the temps barely reached the 100 degree mark in the afternoon.  Cool nights made the sleeping easy.

On Monday afternoon, after arriving in Marathon, Texas, to stay the night, we decided to go to the nearby Post Park, a very nice birding area.  We saw several species there and also met another friendly birder, Dean Hansen, who was helpful in identifying some of the birds.  It was there that we picked another one for the life list.  A Red-breasted Nuthatch.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo to show you.  By the way, it does not have a red breast, instead it was more yellow.

Yours Truly

Cholla Blossoms

We stayed Monday night at the historic Gage Hotel in Marathon, then Tuesday morning took the 75 mile trek south into the Big Bend National Park.  After stopping at the park headquarters at Panther Junction we made the drive up in to the heart of the Chisos Mountains to where the Basin Lodge is located.  We didn’t intend to stay there, but the trails leading from there make for great scenics and birding.  There was a black bear alert for a mother and four cubs that had been seen nearby, but as luck would have it, we didn’t get to see them.

Cactus Wren – singing a welcome song at the Panther Junction park headquarters.

Later that afternoon, we headed out of the west side of the park into Study Butte, where we had reservations at one of the little ‘casitas’ at Far Flung Outdoor Center.  That was to be our home for the next three nights.  After unloading our luggage and settling in, we headed to the La Kiva restaurant.  Happy hour at 5:00 featuring one dollar margaritas.  We shared a 12 ounce T-bone and were back at the cabin by 7:00 to sit on the porch and enjoy the desert evening.

Scaled Quail, also known as Blue Quail.

Wednesday morning we were ready to head to Rio Grande Village RV Campground on the far east side of Big Bend NP.  It is one of the prime birding areas of the park, and it did not disappoint.  We saw several birds to add to our burgeoning list of birds we’ve seen in the park.  We learned of a rare nesting pair of Common Blackhawks that were nearby.  The area is roped off by the National Park Service in deference to a possibility of some newborns.  One of the below photos is of one of the hawks eating a lunch, while the other adult in the second image is watching over the nest.  We believe that there may already be eggs there, or will be soon.

Common Blackhawk – eating lunch

Common Blackhawk – watching over nest in lower left of photo.

That is all for this post.  In a few days I will tell you about the rest of the trip and another lifer.  Enjoy the photos, and click on any of them to see enlargements.

Going to the Big Bend again

Monday morning we are heading back to our favorite place, the Big Bend area of west Texas.  This time we are hoping to get in on the spring migration if we are not too late.  A couple of weeks ago we attempted the trip but returned after one day because of some health issues.  Now we are feeling up to snuff again.  We will be staying at the Gage Hotel in Marathon on Monday night.  Then Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we will be at the Far-Flung Casitas in Study Butte.

Here are a few photos that I managed to get this week between the cold spells that were coming and going the past few days.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron

young Great Horned Owls

Great Blue Heron with young

Enjoy the photos and click on any of them to see enlargements.  I’ll be back with a new post next weekend.  You can also follow me on Facebook.