By Thursday I knew it was time to explore my way south into the Lower Rio Grande Valley. I’d had three days to explore Aransas NWR, and a couple of delightful afternoons in Rockport. The Central Texas Coast had been generous with her gifts, but every knowledgeable person I’d communicated with prior to embarking on … Read more
Friday night I stayed in Alpine Texas behind Penny’s Diner. It was a 24 hour cafe, so I set my alarm for 6 a.m. and had an early breakfast, then I headed south into Big Bend National Park. I set my sights on the Sam Nail Ranch, one of the earliest homesteads in Big Bend. … Read more
My stay in Las Cruces was extended several days because of issues I had to sort out with my RV generator. All is well now as I send this post off from Alpine Texas. I’m poised to explore Big Bend tomorrow (Saturday), but I don’t plan to exploit the whole park on this tour. I’ve … Read more
Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park proved to be the best birding location in the Las Cruces area for my friend Jerry and I. I scouted the park briefly on Friday, spent a solo day there on Saturday, and accompanied Jerry there on Sunday. The drive to the park on Sunday provided a brief encounter with … Read more
I let myself get behind in my posting. Since leaving the “BTA” I’ve completed two more photo safaris, but it took me longer than expected to organize the photos and stories for this visit. As I post this, I’m headed back to Poway to finalize my plans for an extended journey. I left Thatcher Arizona … Read more
I met my friend Linda in 1978 while I was living in Missoula Montana. Without going into too many details, it was one of the most interesting periods in my life. Music occupied a huge part of my daily existence and I had a lot of fun playing with friends there. Music was a means … Read more
One aim on this trip was to visit family in Northeast Tucson. While there I spent some time at Agua Caliente Park. It had been in my head for several years I should spend a few days at Beatty’s Guest Ranch in Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista. On my return home … Read more
I made several fruitless thrasher hunts during the first half of 2013, and while I failed to locate the Le Conte’s Thrashers I had hoped for on these trips, I enjoyed company of the birds that more readily gave themselves to me. This Saturday expedition into the desert at Clark Dry Lake in the Anza-Borrego … Read more
County Road S-2, or the Great Southern Overland Stage Route, runs along the desert floor at the foot of the local San Diego mountains. The route is one of my favorites in the county. Scissors Crossing, where State Route 78 crosses, is a wonderful bird location. Here San Felipe Creek settles into a wide cienega … Read more
Whoever said ‘you must suffer for your art’ must have been thinking about photographing birds at the Salton Sea in mid-summer. Temperatures here often elevate to over 115°F in the shade. Standing in the midday sun, trying to catch an image, is a test of one’s endurance, fortitude, patience and sanity. Not that the birds … Read more
