Explorations in Texas.
On February 27, I left San Diego on what turned out to be a 16,000 mile tour of western North America that lasted 7½ months. I began with a slow crawl north up the Pacific Coast, with my first stop in San Luis Obispo, and followed it to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. During the … Read more
Davis Mountains State Park has its origins in the 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps project to help lift the broken economy out of the depression. Miles of trails were constructed across the 2,709 acres of this property, along with a sixteen room lodge. In 1967, 101 campsites were added, including many with full or … Read more
I spent two nights at Fort Clark in Brackettville Texas. It was my base camp during my tour of Kickapoo Caverns State Park, about 30 miles away. In the spring of 2021, I tried visiting Kickapoo Caverns on my way out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, but my timing was bad. My visit was … Read more
During the last week in September 2022, it was my pleasure to spend several days with friends and visiting wildlife at the National Butterfly Center in Mission Texas. I spent several restful days at this sanctuary enjoying the birds and butterflies. I’m no butterfly specialist. While it requires patients to photograph butterflies, much like it … Read more
My friend Luciano told me how much fun it was to explore the Rio Grande aboard our friends Matt and Marianna’s boat. So when I ran into them at the SPI Birding and Nature Center a few days into my two-and-a-half week tenure on the island, and they extended an invitation, I knew I would … Read more
I learned a new word recently: “Documentarian”. The Oxford Dictionary’s first definition is “a photographer specializing in producing a factual record.” I believe it perfectly describes the goals I set for myself as I wander this amazing continent in search of experiences in the natural world. Sometimes the images I capture are lovely, and sometimes … Read more
I spent most of Tuesday suffering for my art, under the heat and humidity that hung like a blanket over the 20 acre bird sanctuary in McAllen Texas, called Quinta Mazatlán. This property was once a 1930s estate for the wealthy, but when it came up for sale by auction in 1998, concerned citizens convinced … Read more
Monday, when I finished getting the warranty work done on my RV in Weslaco, I drove to Edinburg and paid a visit to the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands only 21 miles away, part of a network of birding destinations called the World Birding Center. I arrived to find nobody attending the front office, and no way … Read more
I ended my visit to South Padre Island on Sunday. I used the day to tour the SPI Birding and Nature Center, and it yielded a few close encounters with the local herons. I noticed very little action with warblers during the morning’s visit, but that was no surprise. Recent warbler movement has been pretty … Read more
Saturday, I fulfilled my ambition to ride my bike up the beach and look for plovers. I drove north a few miles from the Convention Centre and found a parking lot with public access to the beach and unloaded my bike. After packing my camera gear for the ride, I rode north for a couple … Read more
