JDW Photos and Life

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. As stated yesterday, this B&W warbler was not really interested in singing to us and he seemed to have a purpose flying through the oak tree. Here, he is hopping from branch to branch without pause and creating a challenge to maintain focus while keeping him in frame. I was fortunate to get a shot or two with this shot in mid-air. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. After the performances by the golden-cheeked warbler and blue-gray gnatcatcher, this black-and-white warbler decided to visit us. He wasn't so interested in singing to us but we still enjoyed watching him jumping through the trees. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Having heard the performance from the golden cheeked warbler earlier in the day, this guy said he could do better. He flew to a similar perch at the top of the junipers and sang away as he surveyed the skyline for his girl. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. As he was finishing his last note of his serenade, the little guy decided to exit stage left giving us a glancing view of his back and extended wings. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. After the golden cheeked warbler left us, a blue grey gnatcatcher began singing to us. Hearing this bird is much easier than spotting it (not much larger than a hummingbird)! This guy had a huge voice for such a small bird. You see he selected his perch to give me a small spotlight window to the blue sky behind him highlighting his beauty. He took a deep breath and gave us all he had. You see his puffed-up gullet helping to make it his best performance. I'm certain his lady was somewhere near knowing the song was for her and not us. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. I warned you more were coming.... This note contains three photos so scroll down (or open the blog post) to not miss the action! The bird in the photo yesterday stayed on that branch checking out his territory when he suddenly became interested in something below him. I believe a tasty morsel made the fateful mistake of moving and being seen. You see the warbler reaching down into the juniper to grab it. He must have missed as the next several photos show him going lower in pursuit with his eyes clearly focused on his lunch! Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. The warbler flew from his spot in the photos yesterday to a new juniper tree yet still on the edge so we got a few more clear shots of this beauty. Think about how little this bird weighs! He is barely bending the very tip of the juniper branch. This shot not only highlights the bird but just think about the technology represented! This bird is anything but close yet you can see the small hair-like feathers around his beak. You can see the soft irregular trailing edge of his tail feathers that improve aerodynamics. You can even see the glint in his eye. All of this is available to anyone willing to invest in the hardware, software, and time to learn how to use it (fyi, hardware is the easy part). This photo is still not cropped to 100% (though pretty close). I hope you are not getting tired of this bird because I have a few more photos...

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. These birds choose the central Texas area as their nesting/breeding location for the juniper and oak tree forests. The loss of habitat is clearly their most significant enemy. This guy landed on the fringe of a juniper tree allowing us a good view of his beauty (still a long distance). He sat there in the sunlight long enough for me to make a quick exposure adjustment from the dark recesses of the oak trees. I grabbed a few photos just prior to taking the first photo below. Less than a second after this shot, he takes off and I was able to get another in-flight shot (dumb luck) seen in the second photo. This in-flight shot is interesting with an asymmetrical wing position. The right wing looks typical but that left wing has me slightly confused. I'm guessing he was avoiding the juniper branch. Other in-flight shots had symmetrical wing...

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Typical of photographing these fast birds is the scenario where you just get the bird in your frame and in focus and then see the bird take off to it's next perch (or totally gone). You take the photo(s) and hope for the best - not moving the camera. These 4 shots are just that scenario and you can see how the bird takes flight in about 1/2 second. The sequence is: 1) still perched but starting to leave getting ready for a short flap of the wings, 2) a quick push with legs and completing the short wing flap to get going, 3) gliding through the first wing flap with landing gear retracting, 4) full wing stroke flight and gone! Even at 20 shots/second with my fully electronic shutter, we still miss details you know are there like the extension of wings between Shots 3 and 4. Be sure to scroll down to see all 4 shots. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This is not one of my favorite shots as it is slightly out of focus. However, it is one of my few showing the back of the warbler. When you look closely, you see the small yellow coloration sprinkled along its back. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Little did I know that the central Texas area is the breeding ground for this endangered beauty. I have included a map for reference. The Meridian State Park northwest of Waco is one of the few public areas that you may be lucky enough to catch a sight of the bird. I will be sharing several photos of these wonderful songbirds. Believe me, I have more bad photos than good. They are far enough away that the focus point in my viewfinder covers much of the bird. They are constantly on the move and often deep in the tree with branches in front of them making focus that much more difficult. This photography requires practice and I need more! My friend out-shot me by a mile but at least I got a few on this trip. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. The next batch of photos will go into the world of small songbirds. These little bursts of energy tease you with their flashes of color and beautiful songs as they stay mostly out of sight hidden in the trees. They know when you are there and may come check you out but it will not be for more than a moment and then you may not see them again only to be teased and hear their calls knowing you can't grab their photo. Seeing them is one thing and special enough (this was my first for this breed). Getting a good photo is pure joy. They are never close and almost always in the shadows. Long lenses, low light, and fast birds make them one of the most challenging subjects I've ever shot. My photography mentor in Waco invited me to go shoot with him about a month ago at Meridian State Park. I have to have a crazy-bad conflict to turn him d...

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Do you ever see an abandoned house in the country and wonder what memories it holds? It's strange that I never think like this about an abandoned house in the city as those never seem so personal. This house is just outside Independence, TX thoughtfully placed on a knoll overlooking the rolling hills. It was a pretty day and I had my camera (had shot a horse event nearby) so I decided to try and capture the scene. I'm not sure I did it justice in my mind. I envision the pride and joy on move-in day. The metal roof has protected it well compared to similar structures. The paint has also weathered well. It does not look like a shack erected with minimal funds or vision. This house was built with a future very different than its current state. Let's plant a few simple bushes to break up a bit of a baron landscape. I can see the st...

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. My younger sister Amy passed away last September after more than a decade-long battle with Lupus. She was the artsy of the three kids inheriting Mom's artistic eye and talent. She would draw in her bible and in a notebook of blank pages. While visiting after her funeral, we decided to capture her drawings so they can be shared and treasured. I am including two drawings, one from her bible and the other from her notebook that clearly have Easter in mind. May you have a blessed Easter. If you are of other faith, I wish you blessings in life. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This is one last shot from my recent trip to Brazos Bend State Park. I always find it odd that many long-legged shorebirds often rest on one foot with the other raised high into their body. Not many humans would ever consider a single leg more restful than two. As an engineer, I look at this pose as a bit top-heavy and unstable with the center of mass so high. Nothing about this stance looks restful! I have a hypothesis with absolutely no basis! Maybe they adapted to being so stable on one leg to minimize their exposure to predators in the water. There is a slight juxtaposition about shorebirds in trees. Yes, they nest and roost in trees but it still looks odd to me in the middle of the day. The light, surroundings, and ibis in this photo just says beauty in my eyes. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. We ran across this snowy egret looking for some food along a water overflow. It seems like we run across one of these fishing in small streams most every time we visit the park. Sometimes we are lucky and and see them catching minnows and snails. We did not see this one catch anything and only occasionally even poked into the water. They are a much smaller bird than the great white egret I posted several days ago. Their distinctive yellow feet also make them easy to identify. The very fine feathers seen along the back of its head and towards its tail are indicative of breeding season. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Here is a closer (more zoom, not me getting closer!) of the baby alligator moving to a better location on mom's back. The second photo shows a few of the babies in the weeds of the water - very close to mom. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This mother alligator looks to be snoozing but I assure you she would wake up very angry if you tried to touch one of her babies! There were probably two dozen babies in the immediate area. Though blurred in the photo, there are about 6 babies in the foreground in addition to the obvious one sunning on her back. The trail is just a few feet from her. If you ever wanted to see a close view of a wild alligator, BBSP is where you need to go..... Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Another photo from Brazos Bend State Park. This American Bittern was trying eat a catfish as we were passing by. In this photo you see the fish laying in the grass. We watched for about 10 minutes with no progress by the bittern. We gave up and kept walking. Who knows if the bittern gave up. I am going ahead and posting this second photo of the bittern trying to swallow the fish. It is a bit more graphic but that's nature. I have a few more graphic photos but this one conveys the challenge this bird was facing. I'm guessing that the hard head of the catfish just would not get past the bird's jaws. Knowing catfish, I can only imagine the next challenge of those sharp fins. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. After leaving the owls at the entrance, Pedro and I hiked a couple of the lake trails looking for anything interesting. As it was during spring break, the trails were busy with more people than I have seen in any of my trips to this park. Fortunately a lot of the wildlife are used to people around but I'm betting the people density impacted what we saw. Did I tell you I am looking forward to being free of the academic calendar? This white ibis was fishing around in water next to the trails. They are a pretty bird with their colored legs, beak, and face all against the white feathers. Those blue eyes are also eye-catching (sorry, couldn't resist). This guy was poking around and I kept taking photos hoping to see a snail or crawfish in its beak. No such luck this time but still a nice photo. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. The great horned owl nest adjacent to the ranger building at the entrance had two owlets in the bottom crook of the tree. The area was roped off to keep people away from the nest - about 20 ft or so. It seemed strange to see a nest so low and close to people but people were saying that this has been going on for a few years now. The nest area was shaded and difficult to get a clear view into the nest. The owlets were moving around coming in and out of view. I never saw both owlet faces at the same time. It was either a single face or a face and a portion of the second owlet. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Here is a front-side shot of the parent in an adjacent tree to the owlets. You see she is keeping an eye on me and winking to tell me it is OK to take her portrait. Just a beautiful bird on an amazing perch. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Maybe you are tired of owl photos but you will get a few more. I took a trip to Brazos Bend State Park and there is an active great horned owl nest at the entrance. The owlets are relatively close to the ranger headquarters and surprisingly low. I'll get to the owlets on another day. The adult owl was in an adjacent tree taking a break from the two owlets. Fortunately someone had seen "her" fly to that location earlier in the morning and pointed her out to me. Though the photo looks close, the owl was a ways away and very well camouflaged. They are hard to spot even when you know their location. I am pretty sure she is taking a nap after a long night hunting food for the owlets. What a beautiful bird! Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This is the last of the College Station great horned owl photos. This photo is nearly identical to the photo yesterday but the owlet is standing up a bit. You see a better view of the talons and the fuzzy baby feathers. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Look closely at this photo and you will see the classic ability of an owl being able to swivel their head towards 180 degrees. This is the back of the owlet turning around to take a peek behind himself. You can also see some pretty developed talons! You also see the adult feathers have not fully replaced the fuzzy baby feathers just yet. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This is about my only photo of both owlets in one shot. They are far enough separated that getting them both in focus was essentially impossible. You see they are out of the nest and on branches around the nest. This photo was taken on 3/31 and the owlets have flown to adjacent trees since this photo. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Here is another shot of the owl nest taken the same day as yesterday's photo. If you look closely, I think you can see the second owlet behind the first owlet. From this shot, what I thought was a paper bag yesterday is clearly a leaf. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Word got around here that there was an active great horned owl nest in south College Station. The tree is located in an empty lot next to a very active road. Part of the lot has construction / ground work started for the new JP office. The county was notified of the nest and a barricade was placed around the tree. I talked to one of the construction workers and he said the tree was not on the part land that was being developed for the county building. Other ground cover and small trees have been taken down around the nest tree. When you hear of wildlife losing habitat, this is a classic example. One internet source says nests are seldom used multiple years. I am betting this nest has been there more than just this year looking at the construction. This nest is very similar to what I've seen with eagles (was this a re-purposed hawk nest...

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. One more shot of white egret feathers. This one is heading back to the shoreline to watch for the next fish disturbing the water surface. I'll move to another subject tomorrow. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. I was fortunate enough to grab a photo of a successful fishing trip. I missed the water entry but was able to get this photo as he was preparing to take back off to enjoy his breakfast on the shore. Thanks, Doug White