\n \n These ocelot shots were captured as the sun was rising on the lower Texas coast.\u00a0 Canon 7D camera, Canon 100-400 mm IS lens, hand held, ISO 800, 1\/320 second @ f 5.6.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n \n One of our most anticipated photo subjects at the Block Creek Natural Area was the painted bunting.\u00a0\u00a0Unfortunately, they arrived early this year and were well into breeding when we arrived last weekend.\u00a0 Fortunately, this bird came to a feeder at least twice each morning.\u00a0 Getting\u00a0him on a natural perch proved too difficult for us, so we settled for what we could get.<\/p>\n \n \n \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Squirrels, cottontails and deer were around the Block Creek Natural Area morning\u00a0blind each day.\u00a0 And, they were accustomed to the\u00a0smell of humans and the whirr of cameras.\u00a0 I kept the Canon EOS Mark III camera and the Canon 100-400 mm IS lens handy in case mammals approached.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n The last time I photographed white-lined sphinx moths was in 2001 when Greg Lasley encountered dozens of them feeding on\u00a0bee balm\u00a0west of Eden, Texas.\u00a0 Normally, they aren’t active until just around sundown, but this guy was feeding\u00a0in mid-afternoon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n \n <\/p>\n Mother Nature (God) favored us with good timing at the Block Creek Natural Area.\u00a0 This pair of eastern bluebirds\u00a0was just beginning to feed a second brood of the season, so we spent a couple of mornings trying to\u00a0“shoot” the birds in flight as they arrived at and departed the nest box.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n Our last two afternoons at Block Creek Natural Area were spent photographing hummingbirds with a high-speed flash setup on the back porch of the Bed & Breakfast.\u00a0 The hummers were there by the dozens, so we had some fast and furious shooting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Plan to join me the last week of April in 2013 for a week at the Block Creek Natural Area.\u00a0 The accommodations and food are outstanding and you can see the photo subjects aren’t too shabby, either.<\/p>\n I am convinced, as was the apostle Paul when he wrote his letter to the church at Rome, that God’s glory is obvious in what he created.\u00a0 I’ve seen it in the painted bunting and the hummingbird and it is beyond description.<\/p>\n Larry<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The unusually hot spring weather had me worried for a while.\u00a0 Migrating birds seemed to\u00a0arrive earlier and there were no real “fall outs” along the coast this spring.\u00a0\u00a0From east Texas to the panhandle, nesting\u00a0was\u00a0earlier than usual.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Activity at many of the photo ranches was slower than normal, but things weren’t quiet.\u00a0 I just had to keep … Continue reading Ocelots and Hill Country Wildlife<\/span> ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.larryditto.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Ocelot_Larry-Ditto_MG_83371.jpg\" "\\"Ocelot\\"")
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