Your Bio

My wife Pat and I retired in December, 2006. We have now enjoyed a little more than a year of retirement - I think we like it. We plan to escape the Texas heat each summer for as long as we can - searching for birds and beautiful photos.

03/08 & 04/08 - Added new 2008 images to the High Island Rookery.
04/08 - Added 22 new images to SE Texas Birds Gallery.
05/08/08 - Added South Llano images to Summer Trip - 2008 gallery.
05/13/08 - Added Davis Mtns images.
05/17/08 & 05/20/08 - Added images made in or near Santa Fe, NM.
05/23/08 - Added images from Fun Valley, South Fork, Co.
I will post images this summer as I can - check the "Summer Trip -2008" for specific dates.
06/23/08 - We are back home in Southeast Texas.

Galleries

Summer Trip - 2008 : This summer's trip is to Colorado. We headed back to Texas 6/19 with stops at Palo Duro St Park near Amarillo and Copper Greaks St Park near Quanah. Altitude (it's approx 8400' at South Fork) did not seem to agree with Pat. South Llano River St Park was the first stop on this summer's trip and is one of our favorite camping spots - as the photos should show. S Llano images (1-80) were made May 4-9. Images 81-116 were made at Davis Mtns State Park (May 11-13). Another favorite stop. Then, the next 26 images (117-142) were made in or around Santa Fe, NM (May 17-20). The next 10 images (143-152) were taken at Great Sand Dunes Natl Park on 5/21. The next 13 (153-165) images were taken after we arrived at Fun Valley RV Park, South Fork, Co, 5/22. Some greeting. Snow showers continued into the afternoon of 5/23. Images 166-168 were taken 5/26 - finally warmed up some. 169-170 were taken 5/28. 171-173 were taken 5/29. 174-184 were taken 5/31. 185-190 were taken 06/05 - cold day - didn't get out of the 40's. 190-192 were added 06/07. 193-198 were added 06/08. 199-206 were added 06/10. 207-211 were added 06/12. 212-214 were added 06/13. 215-222 were added 06/15. 223-230 were added 06/18. 231-238 were added 06/21.

Summer Trip - 2008

This summer's trip is to Colorado. We headed back to Texas 6/19 with s ...

Updated: Jun 21, 2008 5:31pm EDT

Southeast Texas Birds : I added too many birds to my SE Texas Gallery, so I created a separate one just for birds. These images come from all over SE Texas, but most seem to come from Sabine Woods TOS Sanctuary near Sabine Pass, Tx.

Southeast Texas Birds

I added too many birds to my SE Texas Gallery, so I created a separate ...

Updated: Apr 28, 2008 6:58pm EDT

High Island Rookery : Smith Oaks Rookery at High Island. Unlike the Port Arthur rookery, this one has Spoonbills. Also fewer Cormorants and less foliage - which allows for better images of the displaying and nesting birds. The first 36 images were taken in April, 2007. The remaining images were taken in March and April, 2008. The rookery looks like a bunch of match sticks after hurricane Humberto did considerable damage to High Island last summer, but the birds don't seem to care.

High Island Rookery

Smith Oaks Rookery at High Island. Unlike the Port Arthur rookery, thi ...

Updated: Apr 19, 2008 10:28pm EDT

Southeast Texas : Miscellaneous Southeast Texas Folder - a little bit of everything.

Southeast Texas

Miscellaneous Southeast Texas Folder - a little bit of everything.

Updated: Apr 13, 2008 1:08pm EDT

South Texas 2007 : We spent almost three weeks in South Texas from Thanksgiving thru Dec 7th.

South Texas 2007

We spent almost three weeks in South Texas from Thanksgiving thru Dec ...

Updated: Dec 09, 2007 8:37pm EDT

Alaska 2007 - in Alaska : Arrived in Alaska on May 24th. Spent the first week in the Fairbanks area. Took a tour bus to the Arctic Circle. Early June found us on the east end of the Denali Hwy (Paxon / Tangle Lakes). Beautiful scenery and great Grayling fishing. 2nd week of June was spent around Palmer - one of our favorite Alaska towns. June 18-22 we spent in Denali Natl Park. Always a trip highlight. Had a very good look at Denali (not always possible). Late June we were in Homer (Halibut fishing) and Seward (Exit Glacier and Sealife Center). We reunited with our new Virginia friends Dan & Ann Tracy in Valdez in Early July. Fished some (Pink Salmon), kayaked some, and took the Lulu Belle to Columbia Glacier. Mid July found us in Fairbanks again (Slide-out damage), then Palmer, Whittier and Portage Valley, then Seward again. This time we hiked the Harding Icefield trail (8 mile / 8 hour round trip), but the most awesome hike of the trip. July 18-23 spent on the Kenai (Morgan's Landing SRA) fishing for Sockeye Salmon (limited success, but learned a lot). July 28 - Aug 3 - St Paul Island - see the seperate Gallery. Had a few days before we needed to head home so we spent those in Seward again (fishing - no sucess), then Skilak Lake (fishing again for Sockeye - Dan had great success). On the way home (8/14- 8/15) we passed thru Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK. Bear viewing on Fish Creek was rewarding, and Salmon Glacier was awesome (and an easy drive this time around). Arrived back in Dallas on Aug 24.

Alaska 2007 - in Alaska

Arrived in Alaska on May 24th. Spent the first week in the Fairbanks a ...

Updated: Aug 19, 2007 11:06pm EDT

St Paul Island : We spent a wonderful week (7/27/2007-8/3/2007) on this little 6 mi X 10 mi island out in the Bering Sea. Mornings were usually foggy, afternoons mostly fog free. It could drizzle at any time. We had a day and 2/3 of steady light rain that cancelled air traffic in and out - and halted our photography. No trees. Lots of Northern Fur Seals, Arctic Foxes, puffins, auklets, amd murres. Very few passerines, though Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finches, Snow Buntings, and Lapland Longspurs were common. As were Rock Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Kittiwakes.

St Paul Island

We spent a wonderful week (7/27/2007-8/3/2007) on this little 6 mi X 1 ...

Updated: Aug 10, 2007 5:10pm EDT

Alaska 2007 - Trip up. : Our "Big" trip for 2007. Left Dallas on April 30. Travelled thru N TX (including the TX Panhandle), W OK, W KS, Central NE, W SD, WY, MT, BC, AB, and YT. Made it to Tok, AK on May 24. Stops of note included Prairie Dog St Park in KS, Badlands Natl Park and Custer St Park in SD, Glacier Natl Park in MT, Banff and Jasper Natl Parks in AB, Canada, and Muncho Lake, BC. Saw lots of wildlife including deer, elk, buffalo, black bear, moose, and caribou. Drove thru high winds, rain, sleet, snow, and hail. Thought about turning back after the 2nd hail storm. But overall, the trip was a destination in itself, and the weather, at least, was not as hot as that which we left behind.

Alaska 2007 - Trip up.

Our "Big" trip for 2007. Left Dallas on April 30. Travelled thru N TX ...

Updated: May 25, 2007 1:42pm EDT

Port Arthur Rookery : This rookery is located on Motiva Refinery property on 7th Street. Photos are arranged sequentually by month from March to June. No birds returned to this rookery in 2006 - probably because of the damage done by hurricane Rita. But a few birds (Cormorants and Great Egrets mostly) returned for 2007.

Port Arthur Rookery

This rookery is located on Motiva Refinery property on 7th Street. Pho ...

Updated: Mar 27, 2007 2:10pm EDT

Bosque 2007 : February 4-22, 2007 trip thru central & west Texas to Bosque NWR. Mostly birds, but some Big Bend scenics toward the end.

Bosque 2007

February 4-22, 2007 trip thru central & west Texas to Bosque NWR. Most ...

Updated: Feb 24, 2007 11:19pm EDT

Anahuac NWR : Anahuac NWR is about an hour from our house. A great place to visit.

Anahuac NWR

Anahuac NWR is about an hour from our house. A great place to visit.

Updated: Jan 07, 2007 10:42pm EDT

Rio Grande Valley : First images are from February 2005 trip to RGV - very rewarding. Later images (starting with the Javalina) are from December 2006.

Rio Grande Valley

First images are from February 2005 trip to RGV - very rewarding. Late ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2006 4:45pm EDT

Belize 2006 : Feb 20-27 trip with Kozi Birding of Houston. Great trip.

Belize 2006

Feb 20-27 trip with Kozi Birding of Houston. Great trip.

Updated: Mar 02, 2006 8:31am EDT

Central Texas : We spent several days in May, 2004, around the Texas Hill Country. Photos are arranged East to West.

Central Texas

We spent several days in May, 2004, around the Texas Hill Country. Pho ...

Updated: Sep 16, 2005 2:23pm EDT

Bosque del Apache NWR : Bosque NWR - Nov 27-30, 2004. IPT w/Arthur Morris.

Bosque del Apache NWR

Bosque NWR - Nov 27-30, 2004. IPT w/Arthur Morris.

Updated: Sep 11, 2005 3:47pm EDT