For the last three years, my wife and I have gone to the Davis Mountains of west Texas for a week-long summer retreat. While the temperatures hovered close to 100-degrees in south Texas, the mountain air was refreshingly cool throughout the July trip. Of course, I had my camera gear along and used it every day to capture hummingbirds, foxes, mountains scenes and wildlife.
Here are several images I hope you will enjoy. Don’t forget to click on an image to make it enlarge and sharpen for better viewing.
![Aoudad Sheep, ewe on hillside near Fort Davis, Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Aoudad-Sheep_79A1498-480x320.jpg)
While eating breakfast one morning and watching for wildlife on the hills out the back window, I spotted a herd of approximately 13 aoudad sheep ewes and lambs grazing on the mountainside.
![Aoudad Sheep, ewe on Davis Mountain hillside near Fort Davis, Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Aoudad-Sheep_79A1522-480x320.jpg)
By adding a 1.4 X tele-extender behind my 500 mm IS lens, the magnification was improved significantly for the sheep photos.
![Black-chinned Hummingbird, male feeding at salvia flowers, Davis Mountains, Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Black-chinned-Hummingbird_79A1907-480x320.jpg)
![Black-chinned Hummingbird](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Black-chinned-Hummingbird_79A2206-480x320.jpg)
Although there were only about 8 hummingbirds around the house, most were males and I had a lot of fun working them at the multi-flash setup. All the birds were black-chinned hummingbirds.
![Black-chinned Hummingbird](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Black-chinned-Hummingbird_79A2272-320x480.jpg)
![Full moon and agave](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Davis-Mountains_51U58741-320x480.jpg)
Century plants (agaves) were in full bloom at mid-July.
![Agaves in bloom, Davis Mountains, Tx](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Davis-Mountains_51U5890-480x320.jpg)
Just after sunrise, I captured this scene with clouds and century plants (agaves) along the roadside near McDonald Observatory.
![Davis Mountains and agave in bloom, Texas, July](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Davis-Mountains_MG_8920-480x320.jpg)
I used HDR toning while processing the photo above.
![Scott's Oriole, male in agave flowers, Davis Mountains, Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Scotts-Oriole_79A2088-480x320.jpg)
This Scott’s Oriole fed among the agave blooms for several days at our residence near Fort Davis.
![Scott's Oriole, male on agave bloom.](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Scotts-Oriole_79A2093-480x320.jpg)
Alerted by this bird’s distinctive call (the windows were always open so we could enjoy the cool breeze), I simply sneaked out of the house and photographed him from under the edge of the porch roof.
![Gray Fox strolling across the hillside behind the house where we stayed.](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gray-Fox_79A2603-480x274.jpg)
A long-time resident pair of gray foxes came by the house each afternoon at sunset, looking for a handout (usually weenies).
![Gray Fox, Davis Mountains](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gray-Fox_79A1854-320x480.jpg)
The 70-200 Canon lens with 1.4 tele-extender on the Canon 1D Mark IV body, hand held.
![Gray Fox in grassland, Davis Mts, Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gray-Fox_51U5760-480x320.jpg)
![Gray Fox in side oats gramma grassland, Davis Mountains, Texas](http://www.larryditto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gray-Fox_79A24731-320x480.jpg)
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the chance to do this again next year.
Larry