View allAll Photos Tagged brazosbend
Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas. 6/2018
Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade
Activists for birds and wildlife
With all this color I have to say that the Purple Gallinule is one of my favorite summer residents of Brazos Bend State Park. I know there has been one hanging out at the park all winter so I don’t know if this is a bird that just arrived or one that has been around all winter but I sure enjoyed watching it during a recent visit to the park. I was able to set up and work on my getting some neat poses as the bird walked around on the floating vegetation occasionally snatching some pretty scary looking bugs from the water. On several occasions the bird boldly walked right up to be allowing for some close-ups like this one.
_MG_5378-web
Porphyrio martinicus
At Brazos Bend we see three ibis species. The white ibis is most common, followed by the white-faced and the occasional glossy. The white-faced and glossy can look similar. The red (vs black) eyes of the white-faced ibis is one way to distinguish these two species. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas - 12/2022.
Today I got back to Brazos Bend, my favorite local spot. It’s been awhile.
When I came across this egret the fish was already lined up and ready to swallow. I missed the grab and no doubt several iterations of arranging and rearranging the fish in the bird’s mouth. Here it’s lined up where the spiny fin will fold back as the fish is swallowed.
I was fortunate to quickly find a shooting lane between the plants and even more fortunate that the egret stayed put. I've seen a lot of birds swallow big prey whole, but it never ceases to amaze me. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas - 8/2025.
Even though they are a common bird, Red-bellied Woodpeckers are quite nice looking. I was really challenged by this one at Brazos Bend State Park today while I was trying to record a video of it climbing up the side of a dead tree. Thankfully I tried for a few stills during the process, otherwise I would have totally missed a good opportunity.
_MG_5391-web
Melanerpes carolinus
The touch of red is courtesy of a few moorhens, with their bright red beaks. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas. - 9/2022.
Blue-winged Teal are a pretty common sight at Brazos Bend State Park during the winter months; in fact, they are so ubiquitous that I tend to almost ignore them. However, during a recent visit I noticed this one swimming around very near me while I was photographing another bird. I decided to take a few photos and immediately when I saw this duck up close, I remembered why I shouldn’t ignore any bird. There really is a great deal of beauty in these birds.
_MG_8299-web
Anas discors
One of the nice things about summer birding is that so many young birds, who haven’t yet learned to fear humans, are around. This allows for relatively easy observation of behaviors since the birds are comfortable going about their normal behavior as if we aren’t there. A great example of this was this recently fledged Green Heron at Brazos Bend State Park. We watched this bird and two of its siblings as they developed their hunting skills; leading to some comical situations. The birds were hunting in a small pool of water that was drying up making catching fish easy. This fish was a bit too big for the young heron to handle. I clicked away for at least five minutes while the inexperienced bird struggled to swallow its prize. Eventually the fish was abandoned.
_MG_1676-web
Butorides virescens
This goes back to February, and the Brazos Bend Owl Nest. The mother owl is feeing the tiny owlet squirrel meat. The light was not my friend here, but I did the best that I could. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas - 2/2022.
This Ruby-crowned Kinglet was flitting around in the trees next to the parking lot at Brazos Bend State Park during a recent visit. It was great to be greeted by such a cute and cooperative little bird!
_MG_2795-web
Regulus calendula
A white egret at Brazos Bend State Park tossing back and swallowing a juicy fish. I love the water droplets that you can see flying through the air.
I arrived when it was still dark, and watched the rising sun gradually illuminate the fog-covered lake. The early Sunday morning start was well worth it. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas. 2/2020.
Early and late in the day, there often are deer alongside the park road. I try to enter the park with a camera on the passenger seat. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas. 5/2020
ƒ/5.6, 312.0 mm, 1/800, ISO 3200
The Orange-crowned Warbler is definitely not the showiest member of the warbler family but I do enjoy seeing them each winter when they arrive here in Texas. I enjoyed spending a few minutes with this one as it foraged along the edge of 40 Acre Lake at Brazos Bend State Park earlier this week. It would visit clumps of leaves looking for ones that had been curled up to protect spiders and pupating insects and use its sharp beak to probe into the crevices to pry out whatever food was hiding within.
_MG_0462-web
Vermivora celata
This Red-winged Blackbird was singing his heart out at Brazos Bend State Park. That call is one of those sounds that just make me feel like I am at home.
Agelaius phoeniceus
_mg_0283a-web
After significant rain, the spillway at Brazos Bend State Park fills with water and becomes a haven for feeding birds and gators. This is one of my first images of a January morning, taken with the earliest bits of light. SE Texas 1/2017
A bridge, and many species of birds, trees, grasses and aquatic plants in, around, and over Creekfield Lake in Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, TX.
For the Remote theme of Flickr Friday.
Last week I spent an afternoon walking in the woods along the Brazos River and came across three of these creatures.
Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas
October 2015
Sunday morning while walking around Brazos Bend SP I stumbled across the worst kept secret in Texas. A large group of Wood Storks was roosting at Elm Lake and everyone was excited. Unfortunately for me I started at 40 Acre Lake and didn’t make it to Elm until the light was getting harsh. I made the best of it that I was capable of and planned to come back later for better light. Well, as is so often the case I never saw them there again since despite making several more visits.
_MG_0887-web
Mycteria americana
This is from an early April trip to Brazos Bend State Park. I've been to the Park many times, but had never before walked the "Live Oak Trail". It was quite a treat, and this spot really grabbed by attention. SE Texas. 4/2020
This was November 2014. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to photograph these trees again this season. The Park was flooded and closed the past two autumns. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas. 11/2014
I caught this crew on my way into the park one morning last week. When I first sat down with my camera, it was just the two fawns. Mama soon came out of the woods to keep an eye on me. Brazos Bend State Park in SE Texas. 6/2020
ƒ/11.0, 330.0 mm, 1/200, ISO 1600