South Padre Island Rainbows

Yesterday, Allen Dale and I headed out to South Padre Island with telephotos in hand with the hope of finding some migrant birds.  For new birds, the morning was a total bomb, but the trip was not a loss.  I had grabbed my backpack with landscape equipment (almost as an afterthought) when I left home.  What a stroke of good fortune that was.

Just as we arrived at the island, a light rain began falling, then the sun popped through the clouds.  As the mist moved out over the Laguna Madre, a fantastic double-rainbow appeared.  I raced (at tortoise speed) to the car, grabbed my Canon 5D Mark II and 24-105 lens with polarizing filter.  The rainbow lasted almost 30 minutes, which was enough time to capture the Convention Center and then the Laguna Madre marsh in the best light.

If you have ever photographed rainbows with a polarizing filter on the lens, you know it can make the color pop.  The landscapes below were done while hand-holding the camera at ISO 200.

When the morning weather event ended, we wound up on the boardwalk with the bird photo equipment and captured some young least bitterns moving about the cattails.

* For best viewing, click in the upper right portion of a photo.  It will enlarge and sharpen the shot.

Whale Wall at the South Padre Island Convention Center with rainbow.

 

Laguna Madre marsh and rainbow.

 

Back Porch at the Convention Center and rainbow.

 

Curious young Least Bitterns on the hunt.

 

Young Least Bittern balancing on a cattail leaf.

 

I’m hoping to get a few ruby-throated hummingbird photos on our back porch today, but the migration is pretty slow…so far.

Larry