Texas Drought

Gallery: AvianPosted June 9, 2011124 views11 comments

Brazoria NWR. Freeport, TX June 4, 2011

D3 ISO 400. 300/2.8 with 2x tc f13 1/400s. Gitzo with Wimberly head. Morning light. Stitched pano of 2 images. Little tough to get this down to size and maintain quality. (started at 6800 pixels)

Southeast Texas is in a terrible drought. That's bad...no good...no bad. Well I guess it is a little of both. These birds are all crowded into a dwindling pond filled with minnows forced there by the receding waters near the Texas Coast. Fortunately for me, the remaining ponds are near the auto tour of the refuge.

One might think that this is great. But, I believe that I may have bird ADD.

I couldn't keep my mind on a bird because something "better" was flying by or catching a minnow and the change from white, to black to dark blue birds was dizzying with regard to compensation changes.

It was a great day and I'm going to try and get back there this weekend.

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on June 9, 2011 at 11:07 PM

Very nice, Angela. It would be tough to get this one down enough for the web. I look forward to seeing more, though I do wish the drought would end for you folks.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on June 9, 2011 at 11:14 PM

In a situation such as you describe Angela, my guess is that we'd all be experiencing a touch of "bird ADD" ;^)

Real nice to see this kind of behavioral shot, and you did an amazing job of the stitching; can't even begin to imagine where the seam might have been :^)

Be nice to know what species I'm looking at here, my guess is some type of Ibis?

Thanks for sharing :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on June 9, 2011 at 11:28 PM

White Ibis-Adults and juvies, avocet, tri-colored herons, snowy egrets, black-necked stilts pictured here.

Also that day were the skimmers I posted, great egrets, various gulls and terns, a bittern, nighthawk, scissor-tailed flycatcher, great blue heron, green heron, YCNH, glossy ibis and more mosquitoes than you can imagine.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on June 10, 2011 at 12:47 AM

Send them to Colorado....we have plenty of water here this year. I like the comp on this Angela. It really gets across your story. Nice work.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on June 10, 2011 at 12:01 PM

Small pool, LOTS of interesting birds. I was able to get open shots of bitterns, sora, and rails in SE Texas (Anahuac NWR) recently because of the low water levels associated with the drought. That's pretty close to you too.
I have sorrowful news for you. I don't think there is a cure for bird ADD.

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Huff on June 10, 2011 at 1:20 PM

Wow,well done Angela. Hope the drought ends soon. Really bad for the minnows- not much of a chance for them to escape.

Ron Huff

Registered on August 31, 2010, 69 Posts, 440 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on June 10, 2011 at 3:24 PM

Angela,
definitely a lot of birds in a very small pond. This image surprised me because I have a completely different memory of Brazoria NWR last summer. I found there plenty of water with gators in full activity. I hope the drought ends soon.
Very nice shot that conveys well the idea of the present situation.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on June 10, 2011 at 7:02 PM

Great to be able to get them all together. Unfortunate about the drought, but you've conveyed it very well. Excellent image,
Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on June 10, 2011 at 10:38 PM

Thanks for responding to my question Angela :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on June 11, 2011 at 12:43 PM

Went there again today. No water, No minnows, No birds.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Dottie Short on June 20, 2011 at 1:35 AM

I hate to hear that the drought is still an issue, but it made a nice opportunity to capture this image. They don't seem to be fighting either. Nice job on the pano.
Dottie

Registered on April 12, 2010, 61 Posts, 375 Comments