Daily Archives: January 19, 2016

Slow Morning on the Laguna Madre

I spent three hours yesterday morning photographing birds and a kayaker on the Laguna Madre at South Padre Island.  The weather was beautiful with a gentle north wind blowing down the bay and the sun at my back.  Hoping for some good flight photography, I patiently wasted 2/3 of my time waiting for ducks and pelicans that just didn’t come …at least not by air.     Fortunately, there were some birds about so, I took advantage of their feeding and loafing activity.

Using a Canon 7d II camera and 500 mm lens on the Gitzo tripod and Wimberley head, I had enough telephoto reach to make some reasonable captures.  Here are a few images from a slow morning on the Laguna Madre:  Click on an image to enlarge and sharpen it for viewing.

This male American wigeon was one of the few airborne birds of the morning.
This male American wigeon was one of the few airborne birds of the morning.

I prefer for birds in flight to be a little closer to my eye-level, but this bird was acceptable.  Wing position and light angle are important, of course.

An unusual sight, this cinnamon teal male swam by looking for a freshwater inflow where he could drink and bathe.
An unusual sight, this cinnamon teal male swam by looking for a freshwater inflow where he could drink and bathe.

 

One of the drake redheads that eventually drifted by.
One of the drake redheads that drifted by.

 

Mottled Duck drake (yellow bill) loafing in the shallows in good cover.
Mottled duck drake (yellow bill) loafing in the shallows with good cover.

 

*** When the wind is out of the northwest, photographers are mostly seeing the rear end of birds as they face into the wind.  It is important to capture the subject look back over its shoulder.

Red-breasted Merganser drake shaking water. Mergansers are fish eaters.
Red-breasted merganser drake shaking water.

 

This red-breasted merganser was faster than his unlucky prey.
This red-breasted merganser was faster than his unlucky prey.

 

A beautiful morning to kayak the shallow Laguna Madre.
A beautiful morning to kayak the shallow Laguna Madre.

 

Clapper rail stalking along the shoreline.
Clapper rail on the hunt for invertebrates along the shoreline.

 

Common Gallinule at first light.
Common gallinule at first light.

 

Great Blue Heron cleaning his beak.
Great blue heron cleaning his bill.

 

Tricolored Heron preening on a black mangrove perch.
Tricolored heron preening on a black mangrove perch.

 

Reddish Egret herding a school of silvery fish in the shallows.
Reddish egret herding a school of silvery fish in the shallows.

…and so the morning ended.  There are many birds about the Laguna Madre this time of year, but success is always regulated by wind speed and direction and by the tides.  It takes some planning and good luck to catch a “fast” morning on the bay.  I’ll hit it right before winter ends.

Larry