Tag: #birdphotography

Coming in Hot

~ Ben Messick

Great egrets seem to be everywhere down here. You see them flying around, wading in the fresh water ponds, wading in the salt water flats, by the road in the ditch and sometimes in the trees. In mating season which will soon begin, the egrets grow extra fancy feathers (aigrettes) and their face turns green. Unfortunately, we are leaving the area next week and will miss this show.

This photograph was taken earlier this month at the Tule Creek Nature Preserve in Rockport, Texas. (Nikon Z5, 1/3200 sec at f/7.1, ISO 100, 400mm, cropped)

Wall Art made from this photograph is available for purchase on benmessickphotography.com.

Reflecting Rail

~ Ben Messick

We have only seen one of these birds so far and couldn’t identify it. After we got home, Wendy used the Merlin App (highly recommended!) to take a picture with her phone of my picture on the computer screen and the app identified it as the Clapper Rail. This rail is common in saltwater marshes and mangrove swamps from the east coast all the way around to Texas. They have special glands that allow them to drink salt water.

This photograph was taken last week about an hour after sunrise in the North Cove Harbor Wetlands Sanctuary, Rockport, Texas. (Nikon Z5, 1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100, 400mm, Cropped)

Wall Art made from this photograph is available for purchase on benmessickphotography.com.