View allAll Photos Tagged FtDavis
Montezuma Quail is one of those birds that it seems EVERYBODY wants to see when we do trips out to west Texas. They can certainly be difficult to locate so I end up spending a lot of time each year looking for them. On Monday I was out in the Fort Davis area looking for birds with a good friend of mine when we unexpectedly encountered a pair of them. The male was actually standing out in plain view and its cryptic markings did their job. It took what seemed an eternity before my friend saw it and started taking photos. Thankfully this one wasn’t spooked and posed for pictured for a couple of minutes before disappearing into the tall grass. What a thrill for both of us!
Cyrtonyx montezumae
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Morning shot in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. It had rained almost the entire time I was in the area and the last morning I was there the sun peaked through long enough for me to get this shot.
I was actually looking behind me at the beautiful sunrise that was happening. I took some photos of it, and saw this as I was walking back to the car.
Way out in Far West Texas is a lovely small town called Ft. Davis.It's a charming town you drive through on one main street. I decided to stop to take photos of the outside of this pretty white adobe church and then saw the historical marker. The first building was erected in 1879. This building was consecrated in 1899.
The only light inside on this day was the lovely light filtered by the different colors of stained glass. The original RAW file shows a dark interior with just the too hot light coming through the windows. On the left side of the door is a current photo of Pope Francis.
Blessings to you today and throughout the week.
State Highway 118 runs 155 miles through the Big Bend region of West Texas diagonally from Alpine northwest to Kent, comprising one of the prettiest stretches of road in the state as it cuts through the heart of the Davis Mountains, past the McDonald Observatory complex and 8,400-foot Mount Livermore. This is a five-frame panoramic view from Skyline Drive in Davis Mountains State Park as the highway follows Limpia Creek with its blazing cottonwood trees, exiting the mountains at Fort Davis, seat of Jeff Davis County.
Happy October Polaroid Week.
Day 5
Besides the eclipse, the highlight of our trip was getting to visit McDonald Observatory. I've wanted to go there since I was a kid and it did not disappoint! The star party under the famously dark West Texas skies was simply magical. If you're ever near Ft. Davis do not miss it.
Mint SLR670x
Polaroid Color 600
The dome for the 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope, built in 1939
McDonald Observatory, Ft. Davis, Texas
Selasphorus rufus
I was surprised by how many Rufous Hummingbirds we encountered during our recent West Texas trip. They seemed to be everywhere in large numbers. It was definitely a pleasure to see them.
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This is a composite image made out of 17 different photos from the Perseid meteor shower on August 11, 2013.
It has 16 meteors that I captured during a 3 hour period at the top of Mt. Locke looking towards the Otto Struve telescope of the McDonald observatory.
You can see more of my work at my website at www.sgarciarill.com.
Please don't use any of my photos without permission. Sharing is OK as long as you link back to my page.
Contopus sordidulus
During our recent west Texas trip we encountered numerous Western Wood-Pewees. It seemed like they were everywhere we went but this one that we encountered in Ft Davis, TX was particularly cooperative. In wood-pewee fashion the bird repeatedly flew out after insects and returned to the same nearby perch occasionally giving its diagnostic call.
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Sawtooth Mountain is a part of the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Nikon D-90 with Nikon ED AF-S Nikkor 18-105 lens.
Took a break from the neuroscience class for a trip to west Texas. The Davis Mountains are near Big Bend National Park, with fewer tourists. At the top of this mountain for a sunrise shoot, we saw no other human beings. We may have heard a rattlesnake, but that might have been my imagination.
Ciao October Polaroid Week.
Day 6
Thanks as always to the organizers and admins of Polaroid Week for all their hard work maintaining and keeping this community alive, especially here on Flickr where it all started. I appreciated you all so much. Until next time... ❤
Mint SLR670x
Polaroid Color 600
The dome for the 107-inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope
McDonald Observatory, Ft. Davis, Texas
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You can more regularly find me over on instagram: www.instagram.com/je.studio/
Psaltriparus minimus
One particularly entertaining moment during our west Texas trip last week was in the Davis Mountains when a flock of Bushtits flew into the trees near us. They seemed to come out of nowhere and as soon as we could hear them we were surrounded. They fed in the trees around us for a few seconds then as soon as they had arrived they disappeared. They are definitely busy little birds.
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I took this shot at the McDonald Observatory just as the moon was setting just after midnight in August 13 2013.
I was getting ready to capture any meteors that might be leftover from the Perseids meteor shower and got this shot while the moon was still out enough to illuminate the valley below, but faint enough to allow the summer milkyway to be visible.
You can actually notice some light trails from the cars that were leaving the star party at the McDonald Observatory visitor center that night.
Part of my trip towards home on leaving Big Bend National Park. This is Davis Mountains State Park, just a few miles outside of Ft. Davis, Texas. The Davis Mountains are 5000 - 6000 ft (1,524 - 1,828 m). I'm so glad I was able to visit during spring and enjoyed the abundance of wonderful wildflowers.
The Davis Mountains are a part of the Chihuahuan Desert -the largest desert in North America covering more than 200,000 square miles. Most of it lies south of the international border. In the U.S. it extends into parts of New Mexico, Texas and sections of southeastern Arizona. Its minimum elevation is above 1,000 feet, but the vast majority of this desert lies at elevations between 3,500 and 5,000 feet. ~DesertUSA.com
Thanks to Evelyn Flynt for her texture: Burnt Rose. If you want to see beautiful, artful photos and textures, visit her sites:
www.flickr.com/photos/evelynflint/ and www.daydreamingimages.com
I took this photo when a star party at McDonald Observatory was winding down about to be over.
You can see one of the domed telescopes from the visitor center, and the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes up in Mt. Locke.
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On the second and third legs of our Texas wildflower photography adventure, we found this beautiful native orchid, Giant Crested Coralroot orchid.
For the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog.
On the second and third legs of our Texas wildflower photography adventure, we found this beautiful native orchid, Giant Crested Coralroot orchid.
For the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog.
I took this photo during a star party at McDonald Observatory visitor center on August 13, 2013..
You can see the visitors lining up to see through the telescopes in the visitor center; as well as the Harlan J. Smith and Otto Struve telescopes in Mt. Locke (to the left) and the Hobby-Eberly telescope in Mt. Fowlkes (in the right).
This panorama is made out of 17 vertical images taken with a Nikon D600 with a Bower 24mm lens at f/1.4 for 6 seconds an ISO 2000, then stitched using Hugin for mac.
If you like this image you might want to like/subscribe to my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/s.garcia.rill to keep up with my newest work.
Please don't use any of my photos without permission. Sharing is OK as long as you link back to my page.
View from Ft.Davis State Park, Texas - image processed using 'Orton' method as described by
Philippe Sainte-Laudy
Having grown up in a tree-shrouded landscape, the vistas here still thrill me. Being *in* the land, on foot or bike, is true immersion, and addictive.
The far ridge where the road disappears is about three miles...
A radio telescope that is part of the VLBA (Very Long Baseline Array), weighing in at 260 tons, with an 82 ft diameter dish!
©2009 Alex Suárez. All rights reserved.
Mountains and clouds at twilight from Davis Mountains State Park, Texas.
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