Photos from Here and There…..

I don’t have a good story for you today.  We’ve been spending the past week or two doing some things around house, and not getting much birding done, save for a couple of short outings here and there.  So here are two images from a quick trip yesterday to South Llano River State Park.  We didn’t stay too long, it was very hot and humid in the blinds, and even the birds decided to take a day off.

Inca Dove

Black-throated Sparrow – juvenile

Yellow-breasted Chat

I was reluctant to include the above photo of the Chat.  I had a senior moment, I guess, and mistakenly used a shutter speed of 1/250 instead ot the intended 1/1250 per sec.  It blurred the photo somewhat and I had to do some correction in post processing.  I included it because I don’t see these very often, and it appeared for a few minutes at the water feature at the park.

The following are some photos that were in my archives that I thought you would like.  By the way, click on any of the photos in this post to see enlargements.

First up, a Black-capped Chickadee that I photographed at my niece’s home in Interlochen, Michigan, back in 2008.

Black-capped Chickadee

A Savannah Sparrow that I photographed recently at the mud hole near Twin Buttes Reservoir in San Angelo, Texas.

Savannah Sparrow

A Yellow-billed Cuckoo, San Angelo back in 2011.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Black-throated Sparrow that I captured at South Llano State Park several years ago.

Black-throated Sparrow

A Northern Flicker photographed near Spring Creek Park in San Angelo, Texas.

Northern Flicker – (Yellow-shafted)

Two images of Cedar Waxwings near San Angelo, Texas.  I don’t know which image I like best.

Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwings

Black-headed Grosbeak.  Photographed at the Davis Moutains State Park during a visit in May of 2014.

Black-headed Grosbeak

I hope you enjoyed the photos included here.  I’ll try to have more in the near future.

Mississippi Kites

Mississippi Kites are beginning to be seen in our area.  I haven’t seen one yet, but I am on the look-out.  I have memories of a nice experience back in May of 2011, about four years ago.  We had been birding at a neat birding place near Abilene, called Cedar Gap Farm.

We had just left the place and were about a half-mile down the road when I glanced to the left and saw a juvenile Mississippi Kite atop a utility.  I stopped the car, got out with my camera, and took a closer look.

The bird was crying out, and as I looked skyward, an adult, probably it’s mother, was circling with some little nugget of food.  As I watched it swept down and fed it in the mouth of the little one and flew off.  I was intent on getting a photo of the young one so I set up my big 500mm lens on a tripod about thirty yards away.

As I was beginning to get some serious photos, the bird was still crying out.  I was very fortunate that the adult flew down and again gave a large beetle type of insect to the baby.  I was able to get these photos.

juvenile Mississippi Kite

Mississippi Kites – dinner time

I hope you enjoyed this short post.  Click the images to see enlargements.

Birding the Big Bend – Part I, Fort Davis

Over social media such as FaceBook I have seen comments from many people who have never visited the Big Bend area, wanting more information about birding, lodging, the national park, and other areas of interest.  So I have decided to do a couple of posts telling about our experiences and favorite stops.

Santa Elena Canyon – Big Bend National Park

Ann and I have two main areas of interest when we visit the Big Bend area of west Texas.  One is the biggest area near the bend of the Rio Grande.  That includes Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.  Our other favorite area, that I will write about in this post, is Fort Davis. In the area there are the Davis Mountains, Davis Mountains State Park, McDonald Observatory and Balmorhea.  I should also include the actual Fort Davis, one of the best preserved frontier forts in the country.

An ideal trip for Ann and I would be to leave from San Angelo, head south to Sonora, and take I-10 west until finding Hwy 17 that leads to Fort Davis.  Traveling on I-10 is typical as Interstate travel can be.  The fun starts when you make the turn off onto Hwy 17.  You will travel through Balmorhea, then head through the beautiful Davis Mountains into the city of Fort Davis.

There are several places to stay in Fort Davis.  At the Davis Mountains State Park there is the Indian Lodge.  Nearby is the Prude Ranch and Fort Davis Motor Inn.  Ann and I prefer to stay at the Davis Mountains Inn, a nice little bed and breakfast.

Davis Mountains Inn

We like to eat at the historic Fort Davis Drugstore.  Great food, and upstairs is the Drugstore Art Gallery, where yours truly, (that’s me) has numerous prints for sale.

Acorn Woodpecker – Davis Mountains State Park

Birding is great at the Davis Mountains State Park, about seven miles northwest of town on Hwy 118..  There are two recently renovated bird blinds and plenty of birds.  On occasion, if you are lucky, you might spot some Montezuma Quail.  That place is one of our favoite birding areas.  The blinds are very good at attracting birds.  You can elect to sit inside and observe through the windows, or sit in the convenient stools outside.

Southwest of town on Hwy 118 is the Chihuahuan Nature Center and Botanical Gardens.  When we last visited it was literally humming with various species of Humming Birds.  There is also some very nice hiking trails.

Black-chinned Hummingbird – female

One of our favorite things while in the area, is to take the Wildlife Viewing Loop.  It is a 75 mile drive heading northwest on Hwy 118, going by the McDonald Observatory high in the mountains.  A few miles later you will see a park on the left at Madera Canyon.  Pause there for awhile as it is a very good birding area. A Stellar’s Jay, was just seen there just a few days ago.  After that continue the loop, bearing left to Hwy 166, always looking out for the hawks and other birds and wildlife that inhabit the area.  You will end up back in Fort Davis, ready for a good meal at the Drugstore or a pizza from Murphy’s Pizza.

Red-tailed Hawk in flight

After a good night’s sleep, a trip to Balmorhea sounds like a nice side journey.  The drive is north on Hwy 17 for about 40 miles.  We love that trip, because the drive itself is a great birding drive.  Hawks in abundance; Aoudads and Pronghorned Antelope line the mountain ridges.  And who can not stop to photograph Wild Rose Pass.

Wild Ross Pass

As you approach Balmorhea, you will see Balmorhea State Park.  It is small and it’s main feature is the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool.  But it also has a wetlands area where you can see some great birds.  East of town, is Lake Balmorhea, where during the colder months many species of water birds, ducks, egrets, herons, grebes, etc. can be found.  A Bald Eagle is usually seen hanging around, too.

Lesser Scaup

Be sure to schedule your Balmorhea trip to include lunch at the Bear Den. It bills itself as “the cutest restaurant in town”.  Great Tex-Mex food and cold beer.

In the evening, you might be interested in driving south to Marfa, where you can see the famous “Marfa Lights”, that mysteriously glow after sundown in the direction of the Chinati Mountains.  We have see them every time that we have visited there.  Very strange, indeed.  They are just east of town on Hwy 90 where the Texas Highway Department has erected a special viewing area.

After a couple or three days here, we are ready to go south to the area of the Big Bend National Park.  That area will be the subject of Part II.

Northern Bobwhite and more……..

Since my last post on June 1, my time in the field has been limited.  I have been trying to catch up on personal issues pertaining to keeping up our yard, a little house cleaning, and this morning a plumber is coming to install new fixtures in our bathroom.  So, I was only able to get out for two hours on June 2, and a couple of hours yesterday, June 7.

But the good news is, I did manage to get a few nice images to share with you.

For anybody that has been concerned about the scarceness of the Northern Bobwhite, I can assure you they are certainly alive and well in San Angelo State Park.  While driving through the entire area we were never out of earshot of at least one of them calling.  We also saw visually about ten of them, perhaps more.

Northern Bobwhite

Northern Bobwhite

Northern Bobwhite

Male and female Northern Bobwhite

Although we enjoyed seeing so many of the bobwhites, we didn’t ignore  the other birds.  As a matter of fact, we observed thirty different species.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get useable photos of all thirty, but that is to be expected when I am in the birding mode, versus just out for the photography.  Some we just saw as they flew nearby, or were in thick brush, or I simply just didn’t like my photo.

We spotted this night heron in the draw behind the Walmart super-center.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Well, that is about it for this time.  Hopefully, I can have more for you the next time.  Click on any photo to see enlargements.

Bison, a bird and more…….

We have been going out to the San Angelo State Park more recently, mainly because we are so excited to see the lake actually having water in it.  While we are there we also like to do a little birding and watch for other photo ops.

As we were driving out towards the boat ramp on a a recent afternoon, we passed a few of the park’s bison herd up near the fence.  I couldn’t resist trying to get a nice photograph.  Here is what I decided to come up with.  I hope you enjoy.  Prints are available, of course, as all of my photographs are.  Just contact me.

Portrait of a Bison

Also, we got a chance to see this female Blue Grosbeak.

Blue Grosbeak – female

I have been digging into my archives again.  I usually get in trouble when I start messing with my old stuff, but I came across some of my old water lily photos that I took at the International Water Lily Collection here in San Angelo.  I probably have posted them a few years ago, but most of you haven’t seen them.

Water Lilies

Lady in Red

“Prima Donna Magnifico” (Magnificent Ballerina”

So you see, I am also able to produce some fine photos other than birds when I have a mind to.  That last photo has won several art competions and contests.  It was one of my last photos in which I used film.  An art professor at San Angelo State University saw the photo at one of my shows and suggested that name.

Click on the photos to see some beautiful enlargements.