Wildlife photography is all about being the right place at the right time and ready. We stopped for the first big group of Sandhill Cranes along the Tour Loop at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, in Socorro New Mexico, late in the afternoon on the north loop where they are knocking down corn for the Cranes and Snow Geese to feed. After about 10 minutes I noticed that there was a lot more action, especially birds in flight, at the south end of the field and we moved the car and ourselves down the road several hundred yards. The Cranes would come up out of the field and fly close across a hedgerow stand of Cottonwoods on their way to another group of Cranes at the end of the field two fields down. I was at the right place at the right time. I set the Sony Rx10iv in Program with my custom birds in flight modifications: center tracking auto focus, continuous focus, minimum shutter speed Auto ISO pegged at 2000th of a second, low speed continuous shooting (3.5 fps), and exposure linked to the focus point. So I was ready, or as ready as I could be. And the Cranes put on their show. I, and the camera, did not nail every shot, but I got many keepers over the next 30 minutes. The simple subtle grays and delicate feather details of the Cranes against the jumble of fall cottonwoods…and in great light. What more could you ask? Right place, right time, and ready!
There were lots of Inca Doves at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center in Edinburg, Texas when I visited during the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. Some were literally underfoot. Sony Rx10iv at 500mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Helder spotted this Sora working the edge of the second big pond at Estero Llano Grande State Park and World Birding Center when we visited on the last day of the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. It was popping in and out of the reeds, only really coming into full view for seconds at a time. Very Sora like ๐ Patience paid off at least this well. Sony Rx10iv at 1200mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
The other Egret at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center in Edinburg, Texas. Snowy Egret standing on its reflection. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
I am on my way to New Mexico for the Festival of the Cranes, but I still have birds from Texas to finish up. This Great Egret was about to fly from its perch at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center in Edinburg, Texas. The light was still subdued on an overcast day, which is friendly to white birds. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr.
So yesterday I confused the Rio Grande Valley speciality Long-billed Thrasher with the more common Brown Thrasher, because of the rufous on the wings. This is, I am pretty sure, a Curved-billed Thrasher, based on the overall grey look :). National Butterfly Center, Mission Texas. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
A Long-billed Thrasher from Edinburg Wetlands Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center in Edinburg, Texas. Edinburg Wetlands is my second most favorite place to photograph birds in Rio Grande Valley (after Estero Llano Grande State Park and World Birding Center in Weslaco). This Long-billed Thrasher was posing nicely near the entrance gate where they have constructed a new water feature and hung some hummingbird feeders. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Like the Green Kingfisher, the Vermillion Flycatcher is a bird that I do not like to leave South Texas without seeing, and, hopefully, photographing. Estero Llano Grande is always a good spot and they tend to hang out at the west end of the two big ponds…one or the other…on most visits. Sometimes they are close, and sometimes, like this year, they are at the limits of what my camera can manage. This shot is at 1200mm equivalent using Clear Image Zoom past the optical limit, and fairly heavily cropped at that. Still, the Vermillion Flycatcher is certainly one of the more spectacular examples of the species. This one was very busy hunting bugs over the water of the pond, and came back to sit in the same tree on an island about 50 yards from the boardwalk. Sony Rx10iv. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. And here is a slightly heavier crop.
I was leaving the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas when I spotted my first Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (of this trip) on the wires over the road. The light was good, and there happened to be a wide enough margin between the road and the fence of the Butterfly Center for me to pull off, so I did and walked back for a few shots. The Scissor-tailed is certainly one of the more beautiful of North American flycatchers. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. And, of course, I saw a dozen more Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on the wires in the first few miles of my way back to Harlingen.
I always feel any trip to south Texas in not complete until I have had a chance to photograph a Green Kingfisher, and I do come home some years without one. This one was distant…way across a pond at Estero Llano Grande World Birding Center in Weslaco Texas…but it caught some kind of eelly thing and ate it…and with Clear Image Zoom out to 1200mm equivalent, I could just barely do it justice with a heavy crop. ๐ Sony Rx10iv. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.