Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

How annoying is it to snap a once in a lifetime wildlife photo, only to discover it’s blurry? Our state park guide Bryan Frazier helps clear up this issue.

53—It seems like we always overestimate our ability to shoot without a tripod. And what’s funny is, even when we get excited when big deer comes into view, our heart tends to race and our breathing picks up—that’s enough to blur the image. So, when you can, use a tripod or a monopod—sometimes even both—if you have a big lens, you’ll want a tripod for your camera and a monopod for your lens. Or even things like a vehicle. If it’s parked on the side of the road, that can help stabilize your shot, by resting the lens on it. Wildlife a lot of times aren’t conditioned to look for vehicles. They won’t run. So, whether you’re leaning on a vehicle to take the shot across the hood of your car, or if you’re inside a parked vehicle looking out the window, you want to turn the engine off. Just the vibration can do that [blur the photo] but, just something to rest the lens on that will stabilize that will really make a difference. You’ll start seeing better photographs.

Thanks Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

The early bird not only gets the worm, but also the money shot…that is if the bird is also a photographer…and understands that morning and evening light are best for picture-taking. Our state park guide Bryan Frazier offers some tips for clicking the light fantastic.

49—For outdoor photography, the best advice I ever heard is, shoot light first, and whatever it falls on. People get caught up in an object or a tree or a landscape or a landscape, or wildlife there in the photo, and that’s great, but if there’s not good light on it—it’s a bad photograph no matter how you look at it. Morning and evening are traditionally known as the best lighting times, and they are without question. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a great photograph in the middle of the day. If you’re able to set that up—use things like a lens hood that will help shape what you’re doing with your light source. As long as you’re able to have an identifiable light source, you can usually get a pretty good shot. So, change the way you approach your photos; look for light first, especially if you’re able to set up a shot in advance. Look for that good lighting source, and then whatever happens to come into view, it will be that much of a better photograph.

Thanks Bryan.

Share your wildlife photographs on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/texasparksandwildlife

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

Calling a brown-headed cowbird a cowbird, is a misnomer as far as biologist Marsha May is concerned.

05—I think they should be called bison birds, and not cowbirds, because they evolved with the bison.

The bird’s inclination to lay its eggs in other birds’ nests can potentially cause the decline of species with small populations, such as the endangered Black-capped Vireo. Additional species are also affected.

19—Woodland species are now being impacted by brown-headed cowbirds, because we’ve fragmented the woods. Previously those woodland species were protected by the woods. Now that it’s fragmented, the cowbirds are getting into that habitat, and they’re parasitizing birds that have never historically been parasitized before.

The cowbird is in the blackbird family. The male has a black body and brown head, while the female is mottled brown and gray. Now that you know what they look like, with certification, you can intervene on songbirds’ behalf.

11—You can actually become certified in Texas to trap for cowbirds, and that’s mainly during the breeding season, between March first and May thirty-first. And, mainly you’re trying to trap the females.

Find certification information at passporttotexas.org, and get ready for spring cowbird trapping.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of shooting and hunting equipment.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

No Country for Old Cowbirds Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

The brown-headed cowbird migrated with bison across the Great Plains. Because it’s hard to raise a family on the road, cowbirds laid their eggs in other nests; host birds unwittingly raised their young.

The problem with the cowbird eggs is that normally they’re big eggs; they hatch earlier than the host eggs do; and they’re very vocal and hungry and beg for food.

Biologist, Marsha May, says the cowbird hatchlings out compete the host’s offspring for food and starve them out, putting a dent in the population of that species. Back when bison roamed, cowbirds didn’t have quite the same impact.

Black-capped vireos, which are an endangered species now, evolved where if they were parasitized by a brown-headed cowbird, they would leave that nest and re-nest – start a new nest. Well, if the cowbirds had already moved through, that would have worked.

Without bison, cowbirds hang with cows. Because cows are fenced in and don’t migrate, neither do cowbirds.

They’re parasitizing all the birds in that area – their nests – and they’re having a major impact on some species like the black capped vireo, because the black-capped vireo keeps re-nesting and that’s wasting a lot of energy, and if it’s constantly being parasitized, then no young will be reproduced at all that year.

We’ll have more on cowbirds tomorrow.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuels.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Cowbirds: Once Drifters, Now Home Wreckers Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

The digital revolution has made it easier than ever for nature and wildlife photographers, no matter what their skill level, to take great photographs. Something the cameras cannot provide, however, is a place to take those pictures. Our state park guide, Bryan Frazier, says that’s where Texas Parks and Wildlife can help the beginning or seasoned shutterbug.

36—One of the reasons that state parks are popular places for outdoor photographer—be that for landscapes or for wildlife—is because we have places that are accessible with viewing blinds set up where you can be unobtrusive to the wildlife, but get really close for a great photograph. So, remember that when you’re shaping your photos where you set up. If it’s wildlife viewing blinds at parks, or even on your own ranch near a source of water—or near a feeder—you want to predict the shot as much as you can. That way the guesswork is limited, and you’re able to zoom in on an area and get that great shot you’ve been looking for.

Thanks Bryan.

Share your wildlife photographs on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/texasparksandwildlife.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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