Daily Archives: May 29, 2011

Waiting at the Waterhole

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When you live in south Texas, you get used to hot, dry weather.  Well, you don’t get used to it, but you learn to live with it.  This spring has been as hot, dry and windy as most of us can remember…the brush has dropped its leaves to conserve moisture and the animals have all gathered at the waterholes.  So, I wait at the ponds to get in on the action.

Two weeks ago at Steve Bentsen’s “Dos Venadas Ranch”, I had a splendid afternoon of shooting from one of photo blinds.  I totally missed an opportunity to photograph an armadillo bathing (rolling onto his back like a puppy)… I had forgotten to turn on my backup camera with the smaller lens.  By the time I got ready, the ‘dillo was out of the pond and headed for cover.  I did get my act together by the time the birds began arriving.

Last week, I was at Beto Gutierrez’s “Santa Clara Ranch”  with two clients for three days of shooting.  A bit of good luck came our way in the form of a stray thunder shower that deposited about .1″ of rain in that part of the brush country.  It was enough to make the cenizo brush explode into purple blooms.  All I needed to do was place a few blooming branches around the pond for color.

Don’t forget to click on the upper right or left portion of the photos to enlarge them for a sharper, brighter view.

Even rabbits stop to smell the roses...cenizo.
Even rabbits stop to smell the roses...cenizo.
I always try to have a second camera with my 100-400 mm lens attached and ready while I’m sitting in a photography blind.  I am usually photographing birds with the big lens, but when a mammal drops by, the zoom lens is the right choice.
Cottontail Rabbit surrounded by a hint of purple cenizo blooms blurred in the foreground.
Cottontail Rabbit surrounded by a hint of purple cenizo blooms blurred in the foreground.
Cenizo is a common brush species in south Texas.  It has gray, ash-colored leaves and purple flowers.  Hence, it is called “cenizo”, Spanish for ash-colored.
Black-crested Titmouse looking for sunflower seeds placed just below the cenizo blooms.
Black-crested Titmouse looking for sunflower seeds placed just below the cenizo blooms.
Hen Northren Bobwhite scratching for seeds below the cenizo.
Hen Northern Bobwhite scratching for seeds below the cenizo.
A few purple blooms add more color to the scene where a male Painted Bunting comes to drink.
A few purple blooms add more color to the scene where a male Painted Bunting comes to drink.
Western Coachwhip snake at a Santa Clara Ranch water hole.
Western Coachwhip snake at a Santa Clara Ranch water hole.
In my book, snakes are always difficult to photograph, so a sprinkle of purple cenizo blooms around the pond was a big help as this small western coachwhip came to drink.
A Groove-billed Ani in front of the cenizo for a drink.
A Groove-billed Ani in front of the cenizo for a drink.
A young Mourning Dove perched on a fallen tree at Dorothy's Pond on the Santa Clara Ranch.
A young Mourning Dove perched on a fallen tree at Dorothy's Pond on the Santa Clara Ranch.
Painted Bunting male in the shaded woods at Dorothy's Pond.
Painted Bunting male in the shady woods at Dorothy's Pond.
A young Bullock's Oriole male exploding from a pond at the Dos Venadas Ranch.
A young Bullock's Oriole male exploding from a pond at the Dos Venadas Ranch.
Northern Cardinal exploding into flight from a Dos Venadas Ranch pond.
Northern Cardinal exploding into flight from a Dos Venadas Ranch pond.
One of the greatest thrills I get from photographing birds is seeing the flight photos that can be obtained by working close to an active waterhole on a hot day.  I watch the direction most birds are going when they finish drinking and set up the next shot to anticipate the bird heading in that direction.  Then, I just pull back on the telephoto power, read the bird’s body language to anticipate take-off, and try to commence shooting a burst of high-speed shots as the bird leaves the pond.  It certainly worked on the photos you are seeing here.  Several scissor-tailed flycatchers came in to drink on this afternoon.  The strong spring winds made it a little easier than normal to capture the birds on take-off.
A scissor-tailed flycatcher on the wing reveals much more color than is visible when the wings are folded.
A scissor-tailed flycatcher on the wing reveals much more color than is visible when the wings are folded.
I hope to capture painted buntings coming and going over the next few days.  Wish me luck.
Larry