Tag: LLELA

Red-shouldered Hawk

by Michael

So, if you can’t catch the hawk as if flies through your yard, go to his yard.

This evening, Karen and I spent some time at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) to do a little practicing with our cameras before heading to Yellowstone in two weeks.  This is only the second time I’ve been our there, and as I said the first time, I’ve got to get out there more often.  There is wildlife all over the place.  Too many times we yearn for the exotic wildlife we see on television while ignoring the exotic wildlife in our own back yards.

Today, along with meeting a couple of new friends, I got a few good shots of a Red-shouldered Hawk as it sat on an old tree looking for dinner.  A very magnificent bird.  I don’t know if this is the same fellow that flies through my yard scaring the little birds or not, but if I were a little bird, I would run too.  Check out the talons on this guy!

Another new bird to add to my list now is the American Coot!  Can’t say I have ever noticed these guys before, but they are pretty cool looking water fowl.  Black and shiny with the red eyes, white bill, and the black ring on the bill.  They were diving for dinner and didn’t seem to mind the hawk watching over their territory.

It was a good day for wildlife, photos, and making new friends.  I look forward to returning again in the near future and possibly maybe even helping out in the area.

Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area

by Mike

Today I finally make it to the Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area (LLELA).  I’ve been meaning to get over there for a couple of years now but just never seemed to make it.

While preparing the night before, I couldn’t decide which parts of my camera equipment to take and which to leave behind, so silly me, I decided to just take it all, which would be my undoing later as the heat started getting ramped up earlier than I expected!  Next time I go, I will definitely be packing much lighter.

LLELA has four main nature trails ranging from .3 miles to 2.1 miles long.  The one I decided to start with was the longest, the “Bittern Marsh Trail.”  According to LLELA’s handout: “The Bittern Marsh Wetlands Boardwalk Trail: takes hikers through a bottomland hardwood forest to Bittern Marsh.  Two viewing blinds at the marsh give birders, photographers, and hikers great views of waterfowl and other wildlife.”  Of course, since it specifically mentioned “photographers”, I had to make that my first stop.

It is a very well maintained trail, with several sections which are boardwalks going over the marsh area.  At one point, my Canon 7D with the 100-400L lens came loose from my tripod and bounced precariously close to the edge of the boardwalk, almost going into the marsh.  As I scrambled to grab it before it went over the edge, I knocked the sun guard off of my 5D lens and sent it into the marsh.  I guess losing a $30 lens shade is much better than losing $3000+ worth of camera and lens.  You can bet that next time I will be more observant when attaching the camera to the tripod to make sure that does not happen again.

The main purpose of this trip was practice.  I have been reading Moose Peterson’s book “Captured” and was ready to try out some new shooting techniques.  I was also eager to practice shooting with my Canon 100-400L and utilizing the 2x Teleconverter.  In this configuration, auto-focus does not work, so it is up to me and my almost 50 year old eyes to focus.  There were quite a few misses, but I was actually surprised that when I did nail it, the camera/lens combination worked very well together.  I had several birds to choose from to practice, many of which were pretty stationary, but a few I got to test while flying.  I’ll certainly be back to this location for more practice.

The second trail that I walked was the Redbud Trail which “meanders through open grasslands and scattered woods to beautiful views of the Elm Fork.”  Unfortunately for me, by the time I started this trail, the weight of all the extra camera equipment and the raising heat level was starting to wear on me (did I mention I’m not in the best of shape right now?).”  It was still an enjoyable walk and provided for several more photographic opportunities, but I was stopping and resting more than I would have otherwise liked to.  Good thing I took plenty of water with me.  This 1.4 mile trail seemed more like 3 miles by the time I was finished.

After making it back to the parking area, I decided to call it a day.  The other two trails will have to wait for another day as I was just too whooped to do any more.  Of course, my goal is to walk these trails to both get myself in better shape, as well as sharpen my wildlife photography skills to prepare for my next big adventure, which, while really hasn’t been decided on yet, is now in the planning stages!  I can’t wait until Karen and I decide on a destination!

All in all it was a good experience and I look forward to my next trip over.  I definitely have to do morning trail walks though as here in Texas the temperature is already starting to creap up sooner and sooner in the day.  Why didn’t I start this back in February!  I guess there is always next year.