Egrets and Barbed Wire

Photo Information

Taken:	28 July 2013 18:35 at The Hermit's Rest near Cameron, Texas
Camera:	Canon Rebel XT / Sigma 50-500
Exposure:	ISO 100
	500mm, 0 EV
	f/7.1
	1/400

Backstory

I followed these egrets from a pond near The Hermit’s Rest for almost a quarter mile through several short flights. They are very shy birds and would not let me get closer than a few hundred yards. This is the best of all the pictures, and it is fully zoomed and closely cropped. So you can see how hard it was to get close.

This pair lives in our woods—or maybe Wild Type’s. We get to see them in the trees around the cattle tanks regularly.

In this picture, I love how the back one is getting ready to fly, wings aloft.

–3 August 2013

Male House Sparrow

Photo Information

Taken:	9 March 2013 16:06 in The Meadows of Brushy Creek, Texas
Camera:	Canon EOS Rebel T2i / Sigma DG 50-500mm
Exposure:	ISO 3200
	500mm, 0 EV
	f/9.1
	1/500

Backstory

This male house sparrow is a regular visitor at our bird feeders. Some mornings dozens of his playmates from several species join me for coffee (and birdseed).

High Chaparral

Photo Information

Taken:	22 November 2009 11:45 near Alamogordo, NM
Camera:	Cannon Rebel XT / 75-300mm
Exposure:	ISO 200
	300mm, 0 EV
	f/10
	1/500

Backstory

We had gone to Alamogordo, New Mexico for my sister’s funeral. We decided to stay at an RV park marked by giant cowboy boots and across the street from the world’s largest pistachio.

On a walk around the place, this Greater Roadrunner came prancing under the fence. He was content to let me take several pictures, so long as I kept my distance (which I was able to do thanks to my new-ish 300mm lens. He seemed almost a curious about me as I was about him until he finally decided there was nothing interesting to eat on this side of the fence and headed back into the desert.

–2 April 2012

Behold My Plumage

Photo Information

Taken:	16 July 2007 12:13 near Ponder, Texas
Camera:	Olympus C200Z
Exposure:	ISO 100
	5.6mm, 0 EV
	f5.6
	1/250

Backstory

I believe the peacock probably inspired the Beholder in the original Dungeons and Dragons role playing game a million years ago when I was young. I mean…look at all those eyes! For a nonviolent fowl, all those eyes make an intimidating display. And its cry! Just what I always imagined the Beholder would sound like as it called hordes of ravenous monsters to devour the party invading its dungeon.


Back in this reality, some of the tail feathers that graced the altar when Suna and I got married may have come from this very bird. Thanks, G.

–23 May 2012