01-05-2025
My first post of the new year is of a half frozen Eastern Phoebe … LOL… it was a very cold day to be out doing some photography…but hey, that’s the life of a bored single guy :) This picture was taken at the Town Center Nature Park and Trails in Keller…close to the Keller Town Hall.
12-8-24 Like Some Prehistoric Bird
Every time I see a Cormorant, I feel like I’m looking at something out of Jurassic Park … LOL… they’re just a strange, primal looking animal…and you should hear the sound they make…it’s a very strange sound for a bird… This was taken on the shore of Long Pond at the Colleyville Nature Center.
11-24-24 After Years Of Trying… I Finally Got a Bufflehead Duck Shot
Dean and I ran out to the Village Creek Drying Beds today and came across some Bufflehead ducks - I have tried for years to get close enough to Buffleheads to get a decent shot…but they are extremely skittish around people and almost never get close enough for a good shot…but today, I caught one trying to escape the dreaded photographers! LOL
11-09-24 Hunting the Hunter
While I was at the Colleyville Nature Center, I came across this Blue Heron hunting his breakfast… he was laser focused on the minnows along the shallow shoreline.
11-09-24 A Wigeon in Early Morning Light
I took this photo in the soft morning light at Colleyville Nature Center… a couple of wigeons gliding peacefully along Long Pond.
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11-02-24 An Uncommon Redhead Duck on a Drizzling Morning
Dean and I ran out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning and came across a duck we rarely see… it is called a Redhead Duck for obvious reasons :-) It was not exactly “raining”, but it was misting heavy enough that my camera gear was getting wet… but, I’m still glad we got a shot of an uncommon visitor to the Nature Center.
10-26-24 Eastern Bluebird In Flight
These bluebirds are really striking in real life… in plenty of my photos I may adjust color intensity, but in the 3 images of the bluebirds below, I have NOT boosted the color saturation or vibrance… I only adjusted lighting, contrast, and other photographic elements…but the striking blue color saturation/vibrance was left as-is … it’s a beautiful bird!
10-26-24 Eastern Bluebird Has A Head On A Swivel
It’s funny… he can look away from the intruding photographer… and yet still keep eye contact to ensure he’s not in danger…
10-26-24 Eastern Bluebird On A Stick
This little guy watched me intently as I slowly moved closer and closer into his personal space. He seemed fairly tolerant at first… but I could tell, he was unsure about what I was doing.
10-26-24 A Brown Thrasher on Guard Duty
This guy was apparently on guard duty for the Village Creek Drying Beds… he wanted the entire world to know that there was an intruder around because he made all kinds of noise when I started to approach.
10-26-24 A White-Throated Sparrow
I made a trip out to the Village Creek Drying Beds today… the water levels were very low…so, didn’t get much of waterfowl…but, I did catch this little White-Throated Sparrow peering at me from inside a bush.
10-20-24 Northern Flicker 2
Today I was able to photograph a Northern Flicker for only the second time in my life…they’re a member of the woodpecker family, but I rarely ever see them… an interesting bird…they’re a little larger than the average woodpecker…a very striking bird!
10-20-24 Northern Flicker 1
Today I was able to photograph a Northern Flicker for only the second time in my life…they’re a member of the woodpecker family, but I rarely ever see them… an interesting bird…they’re a little larger than the average woodpecker…a very striking bird!
10-20-24 Keeping My Eye On You…
In the early morning hours today I came across something jumping around inside a bunch of twisted branches… I tried to get a clear shot of him, but whatever he was, he was clearly not going to hold still…but I did end up catching a shot of him peaking at me from between a tangle of branches :-)
10-20-24 Hey There Chickadee!
I went out to the Colleyville Nature Center early this morning, just after daybreak… and found a curious little guy observing me from high up in the branches of a tree by Long Pond. I believe this is a Black-capped Chickadee. Cute little guy…
10-20-24 A Very Long Shot…
Last week, Dean and I went out and did our best to capture the comet that we heard about…it was going to be visible to the naked eye....and the last time it visited the earth was 80,000 years ago (if you can believe such a figure ).... nevertheless, Dean and I set out to photograph it...which was no small thing given the light pollution in the DFW area...but, we located it and photographed it... apparently when it reached perihelion (closest point to the sun back in September)...it was 36 million miles away... so... despite being an underwhelming photo, it's still not too shabby for just a camera lens (i.e., no telescope involved - just my Nikon camera using a Nikon 180-600mm lens... shot at 600mm) it's a once in lifetime opportunity! Here's a link to the wikipedia article about the comet... enjoy!
09-13-24 Not A Big Bang Kinda Thing…
I stepped outside tonight and noticed how bright the moon was… just had to take a photo …
09-02-24 Labor Day Wood Duck - Female
Dean and I made trip out to the Trinity Duck Pond in Fort Worth on Labor Day… it was a cool day for this time of year and made for a good chance to get a picture of my favorite duck species: The Wood duck - but unlike the photo below, this one is a female.
09-02-24 Labor Day Wood Duck - Male
Dean and I made trip out to the Trinity Duck Pond in Fort Worth today… it was a cool day for this time of year and made for a good chance to get a picture of my favorite duck species: The male wood duck… the clown of the duck world :-)
08-31-24 Coming In For a Drink
I ran out to Bob Jones Nature Center this morning… and you can tell that hummingbirds are “the thing” right now…simply by judging by the number of photographers with huge lenses and tripods all congregating around the flower beds… but, it’s worth it to get a nice closeup of these little guys. They’re ridiculously fast!
08-31-24 Are You Following Me?
This little guy was staring back at me trying to determine if I posed any threat… they’re so fast and so hard to track that this photo was only one of a few keepers out of more than 250 shots … sure am glad I don’t have to pay for film and developing anymore!
08-25-24 Ready For His Closeup
Dean and I made an early morning trip to the Colleyville Nature Center…and the Mississippi Kites were out in force…this is just one of several great shots I got this morning, so, I’ll post some others later… a very cool looking bird!
08-17-24 Hummingbirds
Bob Jones had a nice gathering of hummingbirds today… it’s amazing how fast these little guys show up, grab a quick sip of nectar, and are gone. By the time I locate them, and start to point the camera - they’re gone! Out of many, many attempted photos this morning, I only got two that were worthy of display…but I’m happy with them :)
08-17-24 Taken from a long distance
Another fun shot from Bob Jones Nature Center… A hummingbird dropping in for a quick visit to one of the many flowers in their garden.
08-17-24 Watching Me Watch You
Today, we ran out to Bob Jones Nature Center… hot and muggy, but still worth the trip… this little guy was very interested to know if we had any snacks!
07-13-24 Bald Eagles Fishing - 2
This is the second decent shot I got of the bald eagle returning back to the trees with his recently caught fish. I was impressed by how large this bird is! For anyone interested in seeing them for yourselves, click HERE for a link to where Dean and I found them… it’s on the eastern side of White Rock Lake in Dallas.
07-13-24 Bald Eagles Fishing - 1
Dean and I ran out to White Rock Lake this morning because we heard there had been bald eagle sightings… not only was this true, but we were able to watch this guy swoop down and pick a fish out of the water (the photographer was NOT prepared for that, so no acceptable photograph can be shown, but this is him flying back to the trees with his prize)… these photos were taken from a considerably long distance, so they’re not quite as crisp as I would like, but I still am happy with the result.
07-06-24 Ever Had a Rough Day?
Yeah, I’ve felt like that before…. A rather exasperated looking Yellow Crowned Night Heron at Colleyville Nature Center this morning :-)
07-04-24 Looking For A Snack
This morning Dean and I tried to beat the heat and make a quick run out to Bob Jones Nature Center… the pickings were slim, but I did manage to find a shot of a hummingbird hovering near a red yucca plant.
06-15-24 He Doesn’t Mind the Heat
It wasn’t a great day for bird photography… the heat already had them in hiding… but this little guy, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to mind just sitting in the hot morning sun.
06-15-24 A Hard To Find Hawk
Made the trip to Colleyville Nature Center this morning…man, it was hot out there… Texas has definitely started to heat up. This hawk was found hiding in the shadows of some thick foliage avoiding the sun.
06-01-24 When All Else Fails, Look for the Egret
Dean and I ran out to the Colleyville Nature Center this drizzling, overcast morning. Very slim pickings at the Nature Center on days like today. Really, there wasn’t much, but I just hate to come away empty handed… and in Texas, you can almost always count on finding at least one egret if you look hard enough. Turns out, this little guy was the first bird we found, and about the only thing worth taking a photo of. I have about a zillion egret photos…but I guess it won’t hurt to add just one more :-)
05-18-24 Mississippi Kite
I ran out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning and found several Mississippi Kites at this pond - they were gathering various material for building a nest…but, I found a chance to get a shot of this one taking a break on a dead tree at the edge of the pond.
05-11-24 Putting On A Show For The Ladies
Another shot from tonight’s outing in Arlington… this male peacock was definitely trying to get the attention of the peahens nearby… a very striking display!
05-11-24 Full Length Shot
There is a neighborhood in south Arlington that has peacocks roaming the streets … it’s quite a sight to behold… certainly a change of pace for Texas wildlife photographers :-)
05-11-24 A very blue Green Heron
Despite the naming convention, this Green Heron was decidedly BLUE. I saw him flying across the pond and land at the top of this tree on the shoreline, so I just had to pause and get a shot.
05-11-24 Hawk and Owl Bait
This little guy thought that if he would just hold still enough, maybe I wouldn’t notice him ;-) But my concern was to get a photo of him before an owl or hawk spotted him… he’d make a great snack for either!
05-11-24 Better Be fast - He’s not in one spot for long
You can always tell when there are Yellow Warblers spotted at the Colleyville Nature Center… because there’s usually a cluster of photographers angling for a shot ;-) They’re a cute little bird that doesn’t stay in one spot for more than just a second or two - a very busy little bird!
04-27-24 Cooper’s Hawk - An Unusual Sighting
The Colleyville Nature Center has lots of hawks…but they’re generally of the red-shouldered variety… this is called a Cooper’s Hawk, and it’s not nearly as common - I’m glad we had a chance to see this one!
04-27-24 Cedar Waxwings
The Cedar Waxwings were out in force this morning.. this was just a small section of a large tree that had many waxwings in it. A striking looking little bird!
04-27-24 Low Flying Aircraft
As Dean and I were wrapping up for the morning, a Hawk screeched and swooped low over the pond we were at… not sure what got him upset, but, it made for a quick action shot :-)
04-27-24 Breakfast is Served
Well, the weather cooperated, so Dean and I made a trip out the Colleyville Nature Center… Found this male cardinal having obtained his morning breakfast… good for him… not so good for the beetle ;-)
04-26-24 White-Winged Dove
Today, I let my dog out into the backyard and noticed some White-Winged Doves walking up and down my fence…so, I decided to grab a shot one…. I must say, they’re more colorful in the face than I thought they were… an interesting bird!
04-07-24 Geese! Landing On Long Pond - Closer Details (image 5 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! I’m surprised at the size of some of these geese - some are quite large! They’re pretty fun to watch as they interact with others that might dare to try and take their spot on the pond.
04-07-24 Geese! Landing On Long Pond - Wide Angle (image 4 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! The Canadian Geese were full of energy this morning and coming together on Long Pond - the wingspan is pretty impressive!
04-07-24 Geese! This is MY Spot (image 3 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! Did I mention that the Canadian Geese were quite active this morning? Several of the larger geese were keen to guard their preferred places on Long Pond.
04-07-24 Geese! Striking a Pose In Hopes of Some Food (image 2 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! Very happy with this closeup shot of a Canadian Goose - they were circling near enough to the invasive photographer to see if there would be any handouts :-)
04-07-24 Geese! They Don’t Call It Golden Hour For Nothin! (image 1 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! Arriving just after sunrise, you get the benefit of the warm light…which always makes for excellent coloration on water shots! The Canadian Geese were particularly active this morning - this little guy was interested to see if I had any snacks :-)
04-07-24 Ducks! Leaving the Shore Behind (image 5 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! Mom and the kiddos decided it was time to branch out onto Long Pond…
04-07-24 Ducks! Supervising the Search for Breakfast (image 4 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! Mother Mallard keeps a close eye on the curious photographer who keeps following their every step :-)
04-07-24 Ducks! Cuteness In the Grass (image 3 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! Moving on from the spillway, the group cut through the grass towards Long Pond which is upstream from the spillway.
04-07-24 Ducks! Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place (image 2 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! This little guy was on the same spillway as his siblings, but he was a little reluctant to actually get into the water :-)
04-07-24 Ducks! Mother Mallard and Her Crew (image 1 of 5)
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! There are two ponds that are close together and connected by a small overflow spillway - and this morning, there was a female Mallard and 13-14 babies all foraging for breakfast on the rocks of the spillway.
04-07-24 Guardian of Owl Woods
I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning - got there about 7:15 AM, and found it to be quite productive! There’s a loop in the trail which is known to all the locals as Owl Woods… appropriately named! This is just one of two confirmed owls this morning, but unfortunately, the second owl was so well hidden, I could only make out tail feathers sticking out from behind cover…. but this big guy was on display for the whole world to see :-)
03-30-24 Spring Has Sprung
Dean and I tried 3 different locations this morning, but all the wildlife must have taken the morning off… we couldn’t find much in the way of photographic animals… welcome to photography in Texas! So, when in doubt, fall back on some floral photography - these tulips were found at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens.
03-23-24 A Different Kind of Predator
Don’t let the sleepy, lazy appearance fool you… this Barred Owl is no less a predator than the Hawk featured in today’s earlier posts… it’s just that the Barred Owl does most of his work at night. Another good shot from the Colleyville Nature Center!
03-23-24 Hawk 3 of 3: Hate To Eat and Run…but…
After finishing his meal, he decided he needed to go back for seconds…so, in a blur of motion, he was gone!
03-23-24 Hawk 2 of 3: The Demise of Some Poor Forest Dwelling Critter
Another shot of the same hawk, but with evidence of what he was eating… something with a tail… maybe a mouse or large lizard?
03-23-24 Hawk 1 of 3: Let Me Eat In Peace
After work yesterday, Dean and I ran out to the Colleyville Nature Center to see what we could find. We happened to come upon a hawk that had just caught something for dinner. In this photo, you cannot see the prey, but the hawk was clearly focused on dinner and busy eating it…but he would look up occasionally to make sure the photographers weren’t getting too close.
03-18-24 Watching Me Watch Them
Another shot taken today at the Bob Jones Nature Center… some deer were very aware of the clumsy photographer trudging through the underbrush…
03-18-24 Trying his best to ignore the photographer
It’s been a long time since I have been able to post any new content… I made quick trip to the Bob Jones Nature Center today after work… the lighting was good and this cardinal decided to strike pose for me…
12-27-23 King of the Drying Beds
I suppose as far as birds are concerned, the hawks are the top of the food chain at the Village Creek Drying Beds… this guy swept low over Dean and I as we were out taking pictures - I think he was inspecting us as much as we were watching him…
12-27-23 Cedar Waxwing 2
A closer profile shot - they’re a striking little bird… I wish I could have been just a little closer, it would have made his face just a little more crisp…but, I figured it’s such an unusual bird to find, I’d go ahead and put him on display anyway.
12-27-23 Cedar Waxwing 1
It’s not every day that I find Cedar Waxwings at the Village Creek Drying Beds - but today, Dean and I ran out for a morning photo shoot and stumbled upon quite a large number of them up in the trees. Cute photo subjects!
12-26-23 Eastern Bluebird On A Stick
Yes, this qualifies as a “bird on a stick” photo (often disparaged amongst nature photographers), but hey - it’s not like I can dictate where the bluebird decides to perch! Nevertheless, I like these little birds - they bring a little color into an otherwise brown season in Texas nature photography. I took this photo several weeks back, but only recently got around to actually working the image. Thank goodness for long camera lenses because this guy was a good distance away - taken at the Village Creek Drying Beds
12-03-23 Mrs. Merganser Striking a Pose
Another shot from yesterday’s trip to Centennial Park in Irving… it’s the only place in the entire DFW area that I can say I’ve ever found Hooded Mergansers…. I was very happy with this shot of the female, but all of the shots of the more exaggerated males didn’t turn out very well… I will get a good shot of them eventually!
12-03-23 Bird on a wire
Another shot from yesterday’s trip to the Village Creek Drying Beds … a staple of Texas bird photographers each winter - I really like these colorful little guys - they’re the smallest member of the falcon family.
12-02-23- Goldfinch 2
Another close up shot of the Goldfinches at Village Creek Drying Beds this morning… cute little birds, but they don’t stay in one spot for very long!
12-02-23- Goldfinch 1
Another shot from this morning - Dean and I stopped by the Village Creek Drying Beds this morning… I haven’t seen this many finches in one place in a long time… but this little guy is a Goldfinch.
12-02-23- House Finch Getting Ready Escape
Dean and I also stopped by the Village Creek Drying Beds this morning… there were finches everywhere… here you have a red House Finch watching me intently with a Goldfinch in the background.
12-02-23- Go Soak Your Head
Dean and I visited multiple locations today - this photo was taken in Irving, TX at Centennial Park… I was stalking a young egret who was repeatedly trying to catch minnows, but kept coming up empty… but he gets high marks for effort!
11-12-Bass for Breakfast
This is the same Great Blue Heron from the picture below…but, he’d moved further up the bank near an over-hanging tree… and sure enough, he was able to pull in a small bass, but for him it was quite large :-)
11-12-23 Stalking his prey
This Great Blue Heron was intently studying the water for signs of food… and as the next image shows, he moved further down the bank of the pond and found some :-)
11-4-23 Great Egret on Long Pond
This Great Egret was off in a secluded corner of Long Pond trying to avoid photographers and Cormorants… but, the lighting was good and the setting was right, so he had to put up with the photographer for a little while :)
11-4-23 Gliding in for a Landing
One more shot of a Cormorant coming in for a landing on Long Pond… the fall foliage is really starting to provide some great color to the pictures!
11-4-23 Breakfast is Served - part 2
Dean and I went back to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning and found that there was an abnormal number of Cormorants today…it was pretty fascinating to watch them dive underwater and come up with fish… I would guess that there was probably at least 30 or 40 Cormorants in Long Pond. They’re a strange, prehistoric looking bird in my opinion…but, pretty photogenic too :)
11-4-23 Breakfast is Served - part 1
Dean and I went back to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning and found that there was an abnormal number of Cormorants today…it was pretty fascinating to watch them dive underwater and come up with fish… I would guess that there was probably at least 30 or 40 Cormorants in Long Pond. They’re a strange, prehistoric looking bird in my opinion…but, pretty photogenic too :)
10-27-23 The Hidden Predator
Dean and I made a trip out to the Colleyville Nature Center this evening… and if Dean had not noticed this hawk and pointed him out to me, I would have never seen him - hidden deep within a thicket of tangled branches, he was high in the trees surveying his domain… Poor little rabbits and mice stand no chance on the forest floor… the hidden predator above is quietly watching and waiting…
10-22-23 Feisty Little Grebe - pic 2
Another cute shot of this busy little grebe… I was surprised how much splashing around he did…but, hey, it made for a good photo op!
10-22-23 Feisty Little Grebe - pic 1
There wasn’t much water in the Colleyville Nature Center ponds today, but this little grebe was getting very rambunctious in what little water he could find… it was quite warm this afternoon!
10-22-23 Stalking the Stalker
Made an early morning run to the Colleyville Nature Center this morning… found this Great Blue Heron stalking minnows in the shallow end of Long Pond.
10-1-23 Hummingbird 4 of 4
The Bob Jones Nature Center had quite a display of hummingbirds this morning… I got 4 shots I was particularly happy with… enjoy!
10-1-23 Hummingbird 3 of 4
The Bob Jones Nature Center had quite a display of hummingbirds this morning… I got 4 shots I was particularly happy with… enjoy!
10-1-23 Hummingbird 2 of 4
The Bob Jones Nature Center had quite a display of hummingbirds this morning… I got 4 shots I was particularly happy with… enjoy!
10-1-23 Hummingbird 1 of 4
The Bob Jones Nature Center had quite a display of hummingbirds this morning… I got 4 shots I was particularly happy with… enjoy!
9-29-23 A Very Vivid Moon
Have you noticed the brightness of the moon the last few nights? I don’t think I remember a more vivid, bright full moon - It was just begging me to point my camera at it!
9-24-24 Grebe In Soft Morning Light
Dean and I went to the Colleyville Nature Center just as the sun was coming up… which made for some beautiful reflections on the waters of Long Pond. This little guy is called a Pied-Billed Grebe.
9-17-23 Very Calm Customer
Early morning trip out to Colleyville Nature Center… I found this very calm Great Blue Heron who didn’t seem to care how close I got… I was beginning to wonder if I could reach over and touch him… most wildlife doesn’t tolerate the encroachment so well… but it does provide a nice closeup shot :)
9-11-23 Bobbing for Minnows
Dean and I made a last minute decision to try to get some photography in before we lost the sunlight… it was a short trip, but it worked out well. Amongst other things, we got a shot of this Green Heron stalking minnows in the shallow end of the pond. There may be more keepers from this trip - I’ll post any if they turn out nice. Enjoy!
9-9-23 Early Morning Fawn
Made a run out to the Bob Jones Nature Center today and finally got a chance to see the fawns that Dean had told me about… they’re very cute and very shy!
