I bagged some great images on my last trip to south Texas. With the dry year, all the creatures are congregating close to water making for some great shots...and also making it a little easier to find them. Click on any image to start a slideshow...
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| It's all about the water! The critters below were all photographed within close range of windmills - the only source of water on many south Texas ranches. During drought conditions, they rely exclusively on windmills for the precious water they need to survive. |
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| Black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) - Although jackrabbits get most of their water from the plants they eat, during extremely dry years they need supplemental water and can be seen regularly close to windmills. |
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| Texas Indigo Snake (Drymarchon melanurus erebennus) - Juvenile indigo snakes are often seen close to water and love feeding on other snakes and frogs. This one was crossing the road within a few yards of a windmill trough. |
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| Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) - I saw a number of Harris's hawks hanging around in the shade near water. They seem to like the convenience of being close to water and likely catch unsuspecting prey coming to drink as well. They are often observed hunting in pairs or groups, flushing prey out to one another and taking turns chasing it. |
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| Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) - A small white heron often seen with cattle or horses. They seem to be more at home on pastures and roadsides than in water, but I've observed them preying on frogs near water tanks and ponds. |
Overall...great June trip to south Texas. I got a ton of work done at the ranch and had some time to shoot a few photos while I was riding around. Things were drying up and temps were hitting triple digits, but rain showers in the weeks before my trip had kept things greener than expected. And, although drought conditions are stressful on wildlife, it sometimes makes finding and photographing them easier. Knowing where to find subjects during seasonal shifts in range can be invaluable for a wildlife photographer.
I'll be shooting around my home in Oregon for the next couple weeks, and then heading back to south Texas...so I hope to have more photos to post soon.
Until next time...
