Colleague Mike tries to pass an enormous 4m alligator "at a safe distance" :-)

Took a weeks vacation to visit south Texas and do a little wildlife hunting..My main goal was to photograph a few birds and get some Gator pics. I wasn't disappointed. We found alligators in quite a few different places but by far the most alligators we found was at Brazos Bend State Park. This a very scenic area with a lot of alligators. You just have to look very careful because they fit in their environment quite well. This is a very swampy area with plenty of cover.

It's usually more of a bog than a lake, but there has been a lot of rain.

And really, this is not a nature scene. The far line of trees is along an embankment. This is a man-made wetlands. This image is an architectural photo.

Swampy area in Brazos Bend State Park.

After he calmed down, we felt it was safe enough to walk by. this angle is from the other side.

As the prothonotary warbler flew from the dead willow, this bittern flew up from the tall grass and perched on the limb. Another of the Brazos Bend beauties.

Brazos Bend State Park with miss-sakamoto

Leo's first time camping in the tent.

brazos bend state park, tx

Brazos Bend State Park

Spring 2014

I waited for what seemed like at least ten minutes, eye to the viewfinder waiting for this Harrier to jump from its perch. Not only did I get the shot, but it flew within ten feet of me at eye level, it was amazing.

Gator watching the shoreline of Elm Lake

Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio martinica, at Brazos Bend State Park, Fort Bend County, Texas, 5 July 2012.

Brazos Bend State Park

American Alligator

Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, Texas

Just as I was walking back to my car, this shot caught my eyes. I was there at the perfect moment and at the (almost) perfect location... I had to move forward for a couple of meters. But, I was too lazy to use my big sturdy (heavy) tripod. Instead, I upped the ISO to 1250 (yak, I know) and shot a couple of frame. It was quite sharp at f/4.5 but the sky was noise. Photoshop didn't help so... Oh well, live and learn.

American Alligators lying in wait.

Leo's first time camping in the tent.

i liked the light behind them

A good habitat for wetland creatures

silhouetted against the sky (that's another spider and web behind him)

Brazos Bend State Park, Texas USA

Male Cardinal, either very young or molting.....

While scanning the water looking for birds, I saw an alligator suddenly appear. He started slowly swimming and I followed along the shore. Finally he came up to this patch of grass and twigs in the water and started attacking it. With my 400mm lens I felt like I was right there in front of him, but pulling away from the camera I could see all the distance between us, thank goodness.

What works, you say? The cheapo Kenko 2x Teleplus with the cheapo Sigma (non-APO) 70-300mm. Muhahahahahaha... Yes, I am cheap!

I had the close-up filter on my Sigma 70-300 and focusing was a PIA. Took it off for the later shots.

I must say, this lens redeemed itself to me today.

Brazos Bend State Park on Elm Lake