Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Texas.....



I'm in the very early stages of planning a trip to Texas.. Here's my plan so far:



Feb 25th - talk at the bird study group meeting in Hamilton...


Feb 26th onwards - when ready, drive to Texas... Plan to do lots of in-car sleeping and at least 90-95% bird photography...


Sometime in March - drive home from Texas...



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Note how I'm lacking any actual destinations or specices specific plans... The general goal of my photography trips is to shoot species that we don't have (or a are very hard to photograph) around here..


Presumably I'll have the best luck in the Rio Grande area, so that's probably where I'll focus..

I went through ebird, and picked out some species that I'd really like to photograph (as examples)..


-- I'd probably limit my time with waterbirds, but I would NOT pass up the chance to get some really awesome species like Long-billed Curlew, Gull-billed Tern, etc

--- I'd LOVE to get some of the different raptors like White-tailed Kite, Zone-tailed and White-tailed Hawk etc

-- Plain Chachalaca

--- Unusual doves like Inca, White-tipped etc

-- Roadrunner

--- Green Kingfisher

-- Golden-fronted Woodpecker

--- Vermillion Flycatcher - very high - with other cool fly's like Scissor-tailed or Kiskadee

-- Green Jay

--- Verdin

-- Cactus Wren

-- Long-billed and Curve-billed Thrashers

--- Sprague's Pipit

-- Tropical Parula

--- Olive Sparrow

-- Other cool sparrows like Lark, Black-throated, Cassin's etc

--- Pyrrholuxia

-- Bronzed Cowbird

--- Hooded/Altimria/Audubon's Oriles (high on the wish list)

-- Lesser Goldfinch



Just some examples, but I figure if I chose some specific species as general targets, I'll photograph everything else around as well - and that should give me a pretty good haul...

The only species I'd probably specifically target (and really go out of my way to get) is Golden-cheeked Warbler...



So yeah.... Any tips??





6 comments:

  1. A lot of those birds are "feeder birds" at several places, so shouldnt be hard. Don't forget to track down Parauque as well...

    Other things will require some more work/patience/research, i.e. the pipit and sparrows other than Olive.

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  2. Very much looking forward to seeing some pics.

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  3. One spot i was considering incorporating into a Texas trip was Sandia Crest (New Mexico). more info at http://www.rosyfinch.com/

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  4. I would think Wormington might have some advice. I hear its like a whole 'nother country haha

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  5. So how far west are you willing to go? Big Bend? Davis Mountains? El Paso? Texas is, of course, huge. I lived in west Texas and can give you pointers if you're heading that way.

    At Alan's suggestion, we camped in Palo Duro State Park, in the panhandle - great camping, & birds:

    http://ebird.org/ebird/canada/view/checklist?subID=S8206308

    The lower RGV isn't as safe as it once was. Make sure your gear is insured.

    Have a great trip!

    M

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  6. Yeah, all those species should be pretty easy to get. Yeah, from being there successively from 2007-2009 in the winter you could see the crazy stuff happening in Mexico...

    Lots of great spots to check tho...it'll blow ur mind.

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