TEXAS TRIP REPORT
March 17 to April 2, 2006
Text and images copyright Heather Forcier, all rights reserved

I have visited Texas each spring the past three years and returned again this year to focus mostly on resident birds. Flying into IAH, Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, my trip began with a seven-hour drive to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
This Olive Sparrow was one of the first birds I photographed on the 2006 trip.

South Texas
Most of the land in Texas is privately owned, but a few ranches have allowed access for nature photographers, even setting up photo blinds and regularly maintaining small pools of water as well as feeders to support local and migratory wildlife. This creates amazing opportunities for photographers.

Red-winged Blackbirds were regulars at the Roma feeders. I caught this one doing a split between the branches.

Upon my arrival in mid-March, South Texas was suffering a significant drought; the last rain on record occurred the previous October. Ranch roads were extremely dusty to travel and even a modest breeze carried dust and dirt with it, a source of frustration for my eyes and camera equipment. But this meant wildlife would be that much more attracted to the water holes, with better potential for photography at the setups.

This Golden-fronted Woodpecker was photographed on Prickly Pear Cactus - it had just dipped its bill into an open flower. It has always amazed me that birds can perch unharmed on the thorny Texas plant life. While perhaps not evident in a photo at this small web size, the cactus was showing signs of the drought: the pads were withered and wrinkled.

My first ranch visit was the Ramirez Ranch in Roma, Texas, one of my personal favorite destinations. The water and feed has been put out regularly for a long time and is a big draw for area birds. Species of note included Green Jay, Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed and Long-billed Thrasher, Cactus Wren, Pyrrhuloxia, Olive Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Couch’s Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Vermillion Flycatcher, Northern Bobwhite, Plain Chachalaca, Great Kiskadee, White-tipped Dove, Black-crested Titmouse, Harris’s Hawk, Crested Caracara, and Turkey Vulture. A highlight of the visit for me was capturing images of Audubon’s Oriole, a gorgeous bird that has eluded me for the past few years. I saw and photographed a Green-tailed Towhee for the first time, a bird which winters in the area but typically departs before my usual spring visit. A surprise visit from a Loggerhead Shrike at the water hole was also most welcomed.
I was delighted to find a Vermillion Flycatcher pair not far from where they have nested in previous years, and the color of the male was stunning!
I have heard Audubon's Oriole many more times than I've seen one, but this year they were finally no longer camera shy.

At Roma I had the pleasure to work with Alan Murphy, a fellow bird photographer I greatly admire and a personal friend. A long-time birder, Alan helped me in Roma to understand bird behavior better and realistically visualize end results for my photos.

Because I traveled by air to arrive in Texas, it was impractical to take an Ameristep Outhouse or Doghouse blind with me. I did, however, take a Kwik Camo throw blind, which I used frequently throughout the trip. The summer weight version is a light fabric that allows air circulation while under the blind. I also like it a lot because I can still see around me, not just through the mesh opening over the lens, although another photographer commented he could not see me through the fabric, only the mesh.

The Kwik Camo has a Velcro slot on top for the flash brackets (shown here) and small openings on either side for easy access outside of the blind (you can see the small opening all the way to the left slightly lower than the lens).

The throw blind packs easily and was lightweight enough to sit in in the Texas heat. I also had my Walkstool Comfort 45 with me, which I used instead of the chairs available in the blinds. Overall it was a really good set up and the camouflage helped me photograph some birds that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise (it was used for the Audubon’s Oriole, above).

 

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Text and images on this site are copyright Heather Forcier, all rights reserved. No downloading, hotlinking, or other usage allowed without express written permission. Images contain embedded digital watermarks.