1. Nature

Brazos Bend State Park, Houston Zoo, 1-8-2016

Scott Meyer and I ventured to Brazos Bend State Park on January 8 2016. While the cloudy day reduced shadows it made for camera setting challenges all day. Record levels of invasive plants are choking the lakes and threaten to reduce some species significantly this summer. Duck habitat is a fraction of what it was 3 years ago. Multiple sightings of Common Yellowthroats, Goldfinches, Yellow-rumps, Phoebes, and Black-crowned Night Herons. Small birds were numerous but usually too far away for quality photos. Our persistence won out over sparce photo ops early in the morning and we found action at the spillway around 10AM. Heavy rains had a lot of water moving under the bridge between 40 Acre and Elm Lakes, so Herons and Egrets were fishing there. With time left over we drove to the Houston Zoo where we had a good time and got decent results even though we were often shooting through glass and wire screens.
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  • Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 104A Red-bellied Woody

  • Pied-billed Grebe

    Pied-billed Grebe

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 139A Pied-billed Grebe

  • Snowy Egret with crawfish at spillway under bridge between Elm lake and 40 Acre Lake, Brazos Bend State Park.

    Snowy Egret with crawfish at spillway under bridge between Elm lake and 40 Acre Lake, Brazos Bend State Park.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 351A Snowy Egret with crawfish

  • zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 317A Snowy Egret with crawfish

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 317A Snowy Egret with crawfish

  • zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 355B Snowy Egret with crawfish

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 355B Snowy Egret with crawfish

  • Morning dew on spider web beside 40 Acre lake.

    Morning dew on spider web beside 40 Acre lake.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 061A spider web

  • Little Blue Geron with Crawfish.

    Little Blue Geron with Crawfish.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 660A Little Blue Heron with crawfish

  • Tr-colored Heron in flight over Elm Lake.

    Tr-colored Heron in flight over Elm Lake.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 454A Tri-colored Heron in flight

  • American Bittern

    American Bittern

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 500A American Bittern

  • The wondrous plumage of an American Bittern's looks like it was designed by a committee of about 6 quilting bee teams that never came to an agreement.

    The wondrous plumage of an American Bittern's looks like it was designed by a committee of about 6 quilting bee teams that never came to an agreement.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 755A American Bittern side profile

  • zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 427A American Bittern

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 427A American Bittern

  • Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 197A Yellow-rumped Warbler

  • Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 195A Yellow-rumped Warbler

  • Swamp Sparrow

    Swamp Sparrow

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 069A Sparrow

  • Swamp Sparrow

    Swamp Sparrow

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 084B Sparrow

  • Orange-crowned Warbler

    Orange-crowned Warbler

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 237A

  • adult male American Goldfinch in non-breeding plumage

    adult male American Goldfinch in non-breeding plumage

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 919A adult male non-breeding American Goldfinch

  • 1st year male Eastern Common Yellowthroat. Yellowthroat sightings on this day were common.

    1st year male Eastern Common Yellowthroat. Yellowthroat sightings on this day were common.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 881A 1st year male Eastern Common Yellowthroat

  • Eastern Phoebe

    Eastern Phoebe

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 998A Phoebe

  • Alligator approximately six feet long. Distance 25 feet.

    Alligator approximately six feet long. Distance 25 feet.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 986B Gator head fixed

  • Eastern Bluebird

    Eastern Bluebird

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 1001A Eastern Bluebird

  • Remaining photos are from the Houston Zoo. An injured Bald eagle in a dark cage setting finally gave me the Eagle head shot I have always wanted.

    Remaining photos are from the Houston Zoo. An injured Bald eagle in a dark cage setting finally gave me the Eagle head shot I have always wanted.

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 1252A Bald Eagle quartering head view

  • Bald Eagle head on

    Bald Eagle head on

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 1296B brighter Bald Eagle head on

  • Lemur

    Lemur

    zzBrazos Bend, Zoo, 1-8-2016 1086A single Lemur

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    Eastern Phoebe
    Alligator approximately six feet long. Distance 25 feet.
    Eastern Bluebird