I’ve got some bird shots to share with you in this newsletter, but first let me give you a couple of tips on excellent cameras and lenses that friends are selling at good prices. Paul Denman at pddenman@att.net has a Canon 1 D Mark IV with extra batteries for sale. Sylvia Garcia at sylvia@sylviagarcia-smith.com has a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 500 mm lens plus a Canon 7D and a teleconverter for sale. She says it’s all listed on her Facebook page (Sylvia Garcia). Let me know if you have any difficulty reaching these folks.
Now, here are some captures from recent days near Edinburg, Texas. Click on an image to enlarge and sharpen it.
Snowy Egret eating fishSnowy Egret plucking minnow from water on the fly.Snowy Egret launching into flight.Snowy Egrets resting on floating log.
A turtle takes over when the sun comes up.
Red-eared Slider sunningWood Stork landing
Wood stork images have been tough for me to come by, so I jumped at the chance to try for these guys as they passed through south Texas on their fall migration.
Wood Stork in flight at sunriseCormorant and sunrise.
All of these photos were made with the Canon 7D Mark II and Canon 500 mm lens on a Feisol tripod with Wimberley head. I had to use ISOs of up to 1600 as the sun was coming up and then reduced it as quickly as possible to 500. All this was to sustain sufficient shutter speed to capture the flight action (1/2000 second or faster).
This is going to be a newsletter short on words and long on photos. Please enjoy some images by the photographers who accompanied me on the recent photo tour in the Christmas Mountains of west Texas. Remember to click on the photos to make them expand and sharpen for better viewing.
Fog and rain hanging on the Chisos Mountains next door to the Christmas Mountains.
These first three shots are by Margaret Tulley.
A beautiful Varied Bunting male in post nuptial molt.
Margaret’s male Lucifer Hummingbird is perched in natural light with a nice profile pose.
Dr. Josie Williams capture the following images. Note that we had a good variety of birds to distract us during the hummingbird photography sessions.
Male Lucifer Hummingbird hovering.
Scaled Quail scurrying through the brush at Christmas Mountains Oasis.
Black-chinned Hummingbirds were abundant at the Oasis.Several nice male Lucifer Hummingbirds came to our multi-flash setup.
Thanks to our photographers for sharing their images of that incredible adventure to west Texas. Josie and Margaret have traveled to many photo with me in the past and each time they come away with awesome shots.
On August 17-18, I guided a group of photographers into a remote part of west Texas known as the Christmas Mountains. The trip was a pre-festival event for the Davis Mountains Hummingbird Festival and we were after Lucifer Hummingbirds. I hope to lead more trips in the coming year in May and August. This one filled up the first day it was advertised, so let me know early if you are interested.
August is also the west Texas monsoon season and many species of hummingbirds begin heading south into Texas from the Rockies further north. So, the festival is scheduled to take advantage of the many hummers moving into the Fort Davis area. After my workshop, I stayed around to check out some of the festival events and presented the keynote talk on the closing evening of the festival.
*** Important news on used cameras. McAllen, Texas photographer Paul Denman (pmdenman@att.net) would like to make you a great deal on his Canon 5D Mark III camera with grip and extra batteries as well as a Canon 1D Mark IV with extra batteries. Go ahead and contact him directly to get more information and discuss prices.
Here are a few images from the west Texas trip:
Don’t forget to click on an image to make it larger and sharper for viewing.
At the base of this butte in the Christmas Mountains west of Big Bend National Park, Lucifer Hummingbirds nest in cholla cactus each spring and summer. It’s doesn’t look like hummingbird nesting habit, but there they are. We photographed them at feeders within a quarter mile of this mountain.
Christmas Mountains, west Texas at sunset.
Sunset light on the Christmas Mountains can produce some excellent scenic views.
Male Lucifer perched in black brush, Christmas Mountains, May.Lucifer Hummingbird in breeding plumage.
Both of the above Lucifer shots were with Canon 7D Mark II and Canon 500 mm lens mounted on Wimberley head and Gitzo 1348 tripod.
Lucifer Hummingbird male at feeder
Lucifer males have elongated, wrap-around gorgets that glow an iridescent purple from almost any angle. Also, note the characteristic curved beak.
Lucifer Hummingbird male in flight.
This male is moulting but still sports a striking plumage. Four flashes were used for this photo to light the bird and background.
Lucifer Hummingbird male banking in flight.
Keep watching for a few more images from the Davis Mountains.
Hello, everybody. It has been so hot for so long, that I just haven’t been outside much. The last few times out, I tried shooting some short videos which was a lot of fun. The editing of said videos isn’t such a big thrill, however.
Below are some photos from Transition Ranch, Laguna Seca Ranch and a stretch of highway between Sabinal and Utopia, Texas. One of my favorite photo ranches, Santa Clara Ranch, has been booked all summer so I’m waiting for October to get back.
Don’t forget to click on a photo to enlarge and sharpen it for viewing.
Cactus Wren with colorful background at Transition Ranch.
I really liked this wren shot, but should have been shooting at f8 or f11 to bring the tail into focus. On the other hand, that would have brought more detail into the background and I didn’t want that. Unfortunately, this type of pose lasts about 2 seconds, so there is no time to think about “where to focus at f11” and still keep the background blurred. The correct focus point for this shot would probably have been about mid-way up the tail.
Crevice Spiny Lizard on lichen covered limestone outcropping.Finding room for a trio on this perch.Northern Bobwhite male shaking and re-organizing his feathers.
Interest can be added to your photos by placing flowers in the background at strategic locations before photography begins.
Northern Cardinal flying from Crepe Myrtle branch..Northern Bobwhite male drinking.
The challenge on this bobwhite quail photo was to capture water running from its beak. Water streaming out of his mouth added interest to the shot.
Curve-billed and Long-billed Thrashers chasing prey.
This is a second look at the location with blooming flowers in the background.
Painted Bunting just out of the bath.
Don’t give up if your bird subject comes in to bathe and is frightened away before you get the shot. It will almost always come back two or three times (as this painted bunting did) to finish the job.
Wine Cups and Indian Blankets on the Utopia highway.Wildflowers north of Sabinal, Texas.
I hope to keep digging up photos from recent trips that haven’t been shared. That way, we can pass the summer days with a reminder of more pleasant weather. I think it’s time to head east for beach shots.
Last Wednesday, I headed for South Padre Island hoping to photograph some of the last of 2016’s spring migrant warblers. It was just about the end of the migration but a handful of warblers, hummingbirds and catbirds were still resting and foraging in the Convention Center thicket.
These shots were made in the shadows at a water feature without the aid of photogenic perches. Fortunately, the yellow birds exposed well, even on dead limbs.
Click on a photo to enlarge and sharpen it for better viewing.
Ever try photographing a redstart in low light…twitch, twitch, twitch.
Most of these photos were shot at 1/160th to 1/80th of a second; pretty slow but you work with what you find.
Magnolia warbler looking for water.
Nice bird (Magnolia Warbler), bad perch.
Beautiful but shy Mourning Warbler.
Mourning Warbler, same perch, different head position.
Yellow Warblers bathing
Bath before the long flight home.
Male Yellow Warbler bathing.
Not bad for a “bird on a stick”.
Yellow Warbler male among the limbs.
Yellow Warbler with a hint of orange in it feathers.
It was a tough afternoon, shooting into thick, shaded cover, but those yellow birds made my day.
Last week I had the pleasure of photographing for a few hours at the Christmas Mountains Oasis south of Alpine, Texas. It’s a long way from “Nowhere”, but it is heaven for the birds. Rare and beautiful Lucifer hummingbirds nest on the property and spend much of their time at the Oasis feeders.
A visit to the Oasis is by invitation only, so if you want to have a chance at Lucifer hummingbirds and many other species, sign up for my August 17-18 hummingbird photography workshop. I’ll be posting the particulars on my website under the Photo Tours heading in the next day or two. Eight slots were available and two are already taken.
Here are some images of the oasis and Lucifer hummingbirds:
Click on a photo to enlarge and sharpen it for better viewing.
Lucifer Hummingbird male landing at feeder, west Texas, USALucifer Hummingbird female hovering in flight.
These birds have long, curved beaks and, of course, the males have that incredible purple/pink/lavender…throat. The above shots are in natural light and photographed with the Canon 7D mark II and 500 mm lens with Wimberly head and Feisol tripod.
Christmas Mountains Oasis bird habitat after sunset, s. of Alpine, TexasChristmas Mountains, west Texas.
Lucifer hummingbirds nest in cholla cactus near the top of this mountain. Amazing!!
Lucifer Hummingbird male hovering in flight, west Texas, USA.Lucifer Hummingbird male displaying gorget, w. TexasLucifer Hummingbird male perched.Lucifer Hummingbird male feeding, w. Texas.
The last shot was done with the aid of multiple flashes and artificial background. If you like stop-action hummingbird shots, you can appreciate this image made at about 1/12,000 of a second. I’ll have the setup available at the Christmas Mountains Oasis Hummingbird Photography Workshop in August. To register, contact the folks in charge of the Fort Davis Hummingbird Celebration at Fort Davis (info@fortdavis.com) or contact me by email at lditto@larryditto.com and I’ll get you hooked up.
Like last spring, the Texas hill country caught a lot of rain in April and the bird photography instructional photo tours endured a few overcast, cool and even drizzly days. Nevertheless, we saw a lot of nice birds at Block Creek Natural Area (Turkey Hollow B&B) and at Transition Ranch near Uvalde. I was at Transition all of last week with two groups of photographers where we worked from photo blinds and by walking some of the roads bordered by wildflowers.
A dry spring will bring more birds to the waterholes and food at the blinds, but I think you will see some indications of the ranch’s potential in the following photos.
Remember to click on an image to enlarge and sharpen it for viewing.
Spring wildflowers in the orange glow of sunset.
Except for the image above, I used my 500 mm lens for virtually every shot. This image was made with Canon 5D Mark II and 24-105 mm lens at f22 and tripod mounted.
White-winged dove in black brush at sunset.Northern bobwhite quail calling from a short perch in wildflowers.Mexican ground-squirrel searching an old for bird seed.Lesser goldfinches visited the photo blind waterhole just before sunset.House Finch bonding behavior. The male fed the female.Black-throated Sparrow with a firm grasp of the only landing spot on a prickly pear cactus.
This ash-throated flycatcher was at the blind for only a moment.
Gray Vireo on Transition Ranch west of Uvalde, Texas.
The gray vireo above is pretty rare in the hill country but they can thrive in the diverse habitats of the Transition Ranch.
Summer Tanager, female perched in black brush. Transition RanchSummer Tanager, male at photo blind.Hooded Oriole, male perched in black brush at photo blind.
Various orioles have already begun to nest.
Scott’s Oriole, male in Texas persimmon bush.This cedar waxwing was probably one of the last we’ll see this season.Singing blue-gray gnatcatcher at the afternoon blind.Blue Grosbeak, male in black brush after rain.
Blue grosbeaks were popping up everywhere during the last half of the week (around May 1).
This male lazuli bunting was the first of it’s species photographed on the ranch.Male painted buntings were singing throughout the ranch.Vermilion Flycatcher male perched.
Vermilion flycatchers are among the early nesters at Transition Ranch and one pair fledged their young while we were there in late April.
Western scrub jay perched at Transition Ranch.
This pose of western scrub jay was one of my favorite shots of the week. Slight head-turn makes the photo.
Yellow-breasted chat “chatting”.
In a chattering contest between cactus wrens and yellow-breasted chats, it was a close call to name the winner. They never let up.
Black-capped vireo on Transition Ranch.
Black-capped vireos are found throughout the ranch in abundant mixed thickets of scrubby oak, Texas persimmon and sumac.
Golden-cheeked warbler on juniper, Transition Ranch, Texas.
These little guys love the juniper thickets of Transition Ranch.
As the days grow warmer and dryer, even more birds will find their way to the fresh water and food at the ranch’s photo blinds. Like most south Texas ranches, the bird diversity is wonderful and the photo ops are abundant.
Last week at Galveston’s nature festival, FeatherFest, I helped lead several wildlife photography field trips and seminars. It was my fifth festival and each year I share in the fun of photographing birds and landscapes along the coast from Rockport to High Island at the upper end of Bolivar Peninsula. The following collection of images is offered to give you a glimpse at the diversity of Texas coastal birdlife during spring migration and nesting:
Be sure to click on the first photo to enlarge and sharpen for viewing.
Roseate Spoonbill spreading its wings for a soft landing.
The weather on most mornings during FeatherFest was gloomy, but colorful birds and intense bird breeding activity livened the scene. Most of these images were made with a Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400 mm lens, handheld. For the spoonbill, the camera settings were 1/1600 sec @ f5.6 and ISO 800.
Reddish Egrets in breeding plumageGreat Egrets pair displaying at nest with young.
The highlight of our photography sessions was a trip to High Island and the Audubon Sanctuary there where thousands of herons, egrets, ibis and spoonbills nest.
Roseate Spoonbill with nest building material.Laughing Gulls mating amid wildflowers in a Rockport city park.Caracara searching for gull nests among the wildflowers in Rockport.
I first saw this crested caracara walking amid hundreds of laughing gulls resting on the ground in a beautiful landscape of Rockport wildflowers. Eventually, it gave up on finding an easy meal and flew directly at me. The Canon AI Servo worked perfectly in predicting the bird’s approach and holding focus for several frames.
Great Blue Heron in flight over Aransas Bay.
Our photo group captured many species and thousands of images from a boat at Aransas and Galveston Bays.
Great Egret landingGreat Egret displaying its plume feathers.Forster’s Terns bonding on the boardwalk at the Port Aransas Birding Center.
At Port Aransas we encountered a mini-fallout of migrating birds forced to ground by an approaching coastal cold front during their northward flight across the U.S.
Black-throated Green Warbler male feeding on insects.Scarlet Tanager male in a mulberry tree.Least Bittern with fish in the cattails at Port Aransas Birding Center.Purple Gallinule eating grass seeds at the High Island Sanctuary.Sunlight on seagull wings and tails in Galveston Bay.Brown Pelicans in flight over Galveston Bay.
On my last evening in Galveston, our group got to see thousands of gulls and brown pelicans swarming over their nesting islands as the sun sank.
Brown Pelicans and laughing gulls at sunset on Galveston Bay.
If you are a photographer, think hard about joining some of the photography sessions at FeatherFest next April.
Last weekend, I was in Canadian, Texas with several other photographers to try for lesser prairie chickens on the lek (booming ground). The weather was fantastic and the birds were active. Two years ago, three of us spent three days in a Canadian rain, so we were primed for sunshine and birds.
One of my problems has been (and continues to be) realizing that when I’m photographing wildlife in action, I need to pull back and leave a lot of room for wings, legs, etc. This time around, I had the Canon 7d Mark II fixed with the new Canon 100-400 mm lens. It seemed the ideal combination for this session, but maintaining space was still a challenge.
As usual, the birds were on the lek well before dawn each day and the wait for shooting light was stressful. I wanted to capture as many “cock fighting” sequences as possible, but it was an extreme challenge. Here are some of the images from the two-day shoot:
Click on an image to enlarge and sharpen it for viewing.
Lesser Prairie Chicken male booming on lek as the sun rises.Prairie chicken perched on a cedar stump in the middle of the lek. The birds seek high perches like cow paddies, yucca clumps and stumps scattered about the booming ground.Chicken landing on a yucca.Lesser Prairie Chicken male landingWestern Meadowlark attracted to all the action at a lek.Horned larks visited the lek each morning.Greater Roadrunner at Adobe Walls west of Canadian.House Cats living on porch of old building in the village of Lipscomb.
Since prairie chickens seldom visit the lek during the afternoon, we spent that time looking for other wildlife and scenics.
Lesser Prairie Chicken landing.
Male prairie chickens constantly run and fly about the lek challenging other males.
Male challenging another bird.Prairie Chicken threat posture.
Male lesser prairie chickens jump into the air, kicking and pecking each other. At the end of the brief encounters, one or both males often had a mouth full of feathers.
Landing lesser prairie chicken.
Next year, I would like to take a group north for lesser and greater prairie chickens. It could be a great early April trip.
*** I’m going to lead a Lucifer Hummingbird photography workshop on a habitat west of Big Bend National Park on August 15-17. The birds WILL be there This is a pre-festival photo session with the Davis Mountains Hummingbird Festival in Fort Davis. Only 6 slots are available, so let me know soon if you want to sign up.
I still have those two lenses for sale: Nikon 80-200 mm and Canon 300 mm, f4.
The Block Creek Natural and Turkey Hollow Bed & Breakfast hosted my first March workshop last week. Some of the photographers wanted to try for “strutting” wild turkeys and March is usually the peak of turkey mating season.
Five photographers worked from all of the 5 photo blinds, the B&B’s spacious porch (for hummingbirds) and along Block Creek which flows through the property. Most of the trees were just getting new leaves and the red bud trees were in bloom; blue birds were feeding young, turkeys were strutting, and hummingbirds were arriving daily. Some of our images were captured at a nearby historic farm house; we even photographed the neighbor’s horse.
Here are some of my photos from the week of March 21-24: click on an image to enlarge and sharpen it for better viewing.
White stones along the bank of Block Creek.
This shot was made from ground level with a Canon 5D mark II, 24-104 mm lens with polarizing lens, Feisol CF tripod and CF ball head, .8 sec. at f22, ISO 100.
Carolina Wren on post.Cedar Waxwing in sycamore tree, Texas, springChipping Sparrow in blooming Redbud tree.
Juvenile Harris’s HawkEastern Bluebird feeding youngNorthern Cardinal male hiding among the redbud blooms.Spotted Towhee male foragingSpotted Towhee, female
** For Sale: Nikkor 80-200 mm lens, great condition, Not VR…make an offer.
** For Sale: Canon 300 mm lens, f4, IS, excellent condition: make an offer
Clay jar by log cabin window.Rock Fence and cabin with dog runBay horse at the red barnHummingbirds and ball moss at sunriseRed-tailed Hawk take off from tree stump.
Photo taken with Canon 7D mark II, Canon 70-200 mm lens, hand held, 1/1600 sec. @ f8, ISO 400.
There are lots of subjects at Block Creek Natural Area, so I can’t wait to return in mid-April.
