Day one of my So Texas photo safari started off with a click…make the many clicks as we had visitor after visitor stop in front of our lenses at the Weavers Ranch.

It’s just not a trip to So Texas without photographing the Crested Caracara…

or, a Green Jay…

We even had a visit from the normally shy Javelina.

And on our way back in to the Ranch after a great day of shooting, we came across this Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

Images captured with Nikon D3, AF-S 600mm VR, TC-14E on Lexar Digital Media

Javelina captured with Nikon D300, AF-S 70-300mm VR on Lexar Digital Media

It’s always a treat to spend the day at Steve Bentsen’s place, Dos Venadas. I used three different blinds in the morning getting a feel of the activity at each and was definitely not disappointed at any one of them. I was an overcast day so, my shooting time was extended for several hours. I even had a surprise visitor…

When this Indigo Snake looked me right in the eye, even though I knew he was basically harmless, I felt a slight chill.

Lark Sparrow

This Common Ground Dove was a bit skittish and when he heard my shutter fire, he was gone. I got one posed shot, this one and the third shot was….empty. Another good reason to fire in bursts even with still subjects.

Red-winged Blackbird displaying.

All images captured with Nikon D3, AF-S 600mm VR, TC-14E II on Lexar digital media.

Well, I’m in So Texas preparing for my upcoming safari in shorts and temps soaring into the nineties with humidity to match and Moose and Sharon are driving around So Dakota in blizzard conditions, go figure. It really is great to be back in Texas for a couple of weeks. I spent the day at the Weaver’s Ranch photographing and what a great start it was! I counted 23 different species of birds just today only and there are ten more days to go! What an amazing birding mecca is is here. I can hardly wait to share it with my group this next week. I hope they bring enough hard drives for all the images they are going to take home. I shot over 20 gigs this morning and another 12 this afternoon. Groan…I’m going to be up all night editing. I can’t thank Kent & G’Anne Weaver enough for warmly and graciously opening their ranch to photograhers and sharing their slice of paradise with us.

Male Pyrrhuloxia getting ready for a bath

I just love the disheveled look of this Tufted Titmouse in mid bath

A first for my files…a Northern Bobwhite

All images captures with Nikon D3, AF-S 600mm VR with TC-14E on Lexar Digital Media.

Check out this episode of Layers TV where I make a special appearance. I was in Florida filming two training sessions for Kelby Training on the Nikon D300 and D3 when RC asked me to stop by Layers TV for a visit. If you don;t already watch Layers TV, you should.

As my So Texas safari approaches, I find myself going back through my files from last years visit. With the wonderful capabilities of digital and EXIF data, I can study my images and the camera settings I chose to see what images I like and what I want to improve upon.

Great Kiskadee captured with Nikon D2Xs, AF-S 600mm F4, on Lexar Digital Media. Shutter speed 1/500 @ F5.6, -1 stop EC. With this information at my fingertips, I can study my techniques to see if I need more or less depth of field, how my exposure looks, whether or not I had a long enough lens…or, too long a lens. This information was not nearly so available to us in the film days. We either had to carry around a notepad or a tape recorder to log our exposure, lens, film data and I, for one, always seemed to get caught up in my photography and at about frame number six I would forget all about logging my data. Yipee, let’s hear it for EXIF data.

Long-billed Thrasher captured with Nikon D2Xs, AF-S 600mm with TC-17E on Lexar Digital Media. Shutter speed 1/200 @ F8 -1 Stop EC. I was closer to the Thrasher in this photo and needed a little bit more depth of field. Since he was still, I was able to reduce my shutter speed and still capture tack sharp eyes…and that eye is right in your face!

Harris Hawk captured with Nikon D2Xs, AF-S 600mm on Lexar digital Media.

I look for behavior shots, like this Harris Hawk with it’s beak open in mid call.

Magnolia Warbler captured with Nikon D2Xs, 600mm with TC-17E on Lexar Digital Media

or, this Warbler taking a bath.

Groove-billed Ani captured with Nikon D2Xs, AF-S 600mm on Lexar Digital Media

Be alert! Don’t let your guard down or you might miss a rare opportunity. When this Groove-billed Ani appeared, even though I had never seen one in person, I knew immediately what it was and how rare a sighting I was graced with. I captured 8 frames and he was gone so fast that had I not captured him on my CF card I would have wondered if I was imagining things.

Now that I have a D3 with the FX sensor, how will this change my approach to photographing the birds of So Texas? I have new technology available to me that I did not have last year…the FX sensor as I already mentioned, a new AF-S 600mm f4 VR lens that not only has Vibration Reduction but, it focuses several feet closer than my original AF-S 600mm. So many thoughts go through my head as I re-visit these images and take a trip into the past. Memories come flooding back, to a wonderful adventure with some really terrific photographers. I learn so much from my images…and they inspire me to go out and bring the wonders of the world back to share with others…my vision of the world captured one split second at a time. Those special moments, rare sightings, knowing that I “nailed it” fill my heart and I look forward with great anticipation to sharing this bird photographers mecca with some new friends.