The weather remains unseasonably warm in south Texas, but we had a couple of cool days in December. I drove out to the coast once just after Thanksgiving and twice more in the last ten days…just before and after last week’s 4-day “sentence” to jury duty, ugh.
I hope you photographers can squeeze in some field time during the holidays. Enjoy the season.
Click in the upper right area of a photo to open it in a larger format with increased sharpness. From there, you can advance through the photos.
![Aplomado Falcon_MG_6011](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Aplomado-Falcon_MG_6011-199x300.jpg)
I was fortunate to locate a pair of endangered Aplomado Falcons just after Thanksgiving. They were busy feeding and getting ready to roost when I saw them at sundown. These photos were done with a Canon 7D and 500 mm lens from a bean-bag on the car window. The flight shots were done at 1/2500 second, f 6.3 and ISO 400.
![Aplomado Falcon_MG_6016](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Aplomado-Falcon_MG_6016-300x199.jpg)
![Aplomado Falcon_MG_6555](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Aplomado-Falcon_MG_6555-200x300.jpg)
![Aplomado Falcon_MG_6586](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Aplomado-Falcon_MG_6586-300x199.jpg)
![Aplomado Falcon_MG_6631](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Aplomado-Falcon_MG_6631-199x300.jpg)
![White-tailed Deer, bucks fighting, December](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/White-tailed-Deer_Larry-Ditto_70K3039-300x135.jpg)
I shot these white-tailed deer pics with the Canon 1D Mark III and Canon 7D cameras and Canon 100-400 mm lens, hand-held. Hand-holding the zoom lens gives me great flexibility for getting into position to catch shots that have to be done in a hurry, often with the buck coming at me. I started at ISO 400 about an hour before sundown and gradually increased the ISO to 800 at sunset. All the while, I was trying to maintain as much shutter speed as possible to aid the “image stabilizer” in eliminating lens/camera vibration. So, my shutter speed decreased from 1/2000 second to 1/250 second during that last hour of sunlight.
![White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) buck in bluestem grass, s. Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/White-tailed-Deer_Larry-Ditto_70K3075-199x300.jpg)
![White-tailed Deer, buck running, Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/White-tailed-deer_Larry-Ditto_MG_7570-300x199.jpg)
![Wild Turkey gobblers in winter, s. Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Wild-Turkey_Larry-Ditto_MG_7732-300x199.jpg)
Thirteen wild turkey strolled by while I was photographing deer. They paused long enough for me make a few images just before sunset.
![Wild Turkey gobbler in winter, s. Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Wild-Turkey_Larry-Ditto_MG_7792-300x199.jpg)
![White-tailed Deer, buck scenting doe in estrus, s. Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/White-tailed-Deer_Larry-Ditto_MG_7834-300x199.jpg)
![white-tailed deer, buck at sunset, s. Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/White-tailed-Deer_Larry-Ditto_MG_7900-199x300.jpg)
The redhead ducks were back on the Laguna Madre around South Padre Island. I was fortunate to catch a few coming to the island marshes for fresh water.
![Redhead Trio_MG_6732](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Redhead-Trio_MG_6732-300x199.jpg)
![Redheads_Larry Ditto_MG_7058](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Redheads_Larry-Ditto_MG_70581-300x199.jpg)
I hope you enjoyed these photos. Have a Happy Holiday Season.
Larry