Thanks TCT...I too have seen a couple of sets of Dove feathers in my yard and I suspect this Hawk is responsible! Tom McC

I have a Red-shouldered Hawk that visits the area of my feeders several times a day. I suspect he occasionally takes a bird (haven't seen or photographed him doing it yet), but on a number of occasions I have seen him take and eat large grubs. [Nikon D500 + Nikon 500mm PF 5.6]

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You have to plan ahead for Auldbrass...it is only open to the general public one weekend every other year as a fundraiser for the South Carolina Land Trust. I took up birding during the pandemic and as a result upgraded my camera and lenses and have worked hard to get better with my photography. By the way, I would move to Utah in a heartbeat if I could talk my wife into it!

Mike...Auldbrass is a plantation near Yemassee, South Carolina (about an hour NE of Hilton Head), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939. Hollywood producer Joel Silver (Die Hard, Matrix, etc) bought it in the mid 1980s and has spent millions restoring it. I became interested in Wright's work when I visited Taliesin West outside of Phoenix in the Fall of 2022. Wright incorporated petroglyphs into the design of his winter residence and this prompted my visit. (I enjoy experiencing rock art sites and have visited your beautiful state many times to that end!) On my visit to Taliesin I became interested in FLLW and his work and have since tried to visit as many of his sites as possible. Anyway, Auldbrass was beautiful and I enjoyed seeing it.

The work of rebuilding the dam at Lake McQueeney is reported to be on schedule. McQueeney is the second in a series of 5 small hydroelectric dams built about a hundred hears ago on the Guadalupe River. The Lake Dunlap dam (located just up-river from us) suffered a catastrophic failure 4 years ago and was the first of the dams to be rebuilt. It took about three years to rebuild Dunlap, so that is what is predicted for our dam. We shall see! The lake is completely dry in front of my property and we have a growing herd of sheep and goats positioned there to keep the weeds from taking over the lake bed. I have attached some pics for you. Take care Mike, Tom McC

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Very nice Mike! I was at Hilton Head last week...my wife and I met up with some dear friends who live in Atlanta. I didn't get to spend much time looking for birds, but I think I got a few good looks (haven't had time to process or go through them yet). The main purpose of our trip was to visit Auldbrass...hoping I got some good captures there as well. Thanks again for sharing your photos! Tom McC, McQueeney, Texas

Hi Mike, I visited San Jose in February of this year and had a couple of days on my own before I hooked up with my birding group. I booked, and enjoyed, a couple of excursions with Oropopo Experience Costa Rica (https://oropopoexperience.com/) and enjoyed my time with them and found them to be very accomodating. They use mostly college students as their guides and I found them knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They set up a private one day tour for me (we went to an archaeological site a couple of hours out of San Jose) at a very reasonable price. On my trip I also used a Uber driver named Anthony Quiroz (+506 6023 3386 (WhatsApp);
anthonyquiroz1982@gmail.com (Email). Anthony was very reliable and knowledgeable and I recommend him without reservation. In fact, I put a blurb about him on my blog (https://mccuration.com/anthony-quiroz-uber-driver-extraordinaire/). In my blog I cover the museums and attractions (coffee plantations, churches) in San Jose I visited on my trip (see:https://mccuration.com/captivating-costa-rica/). Hope you have a great trip! Tom McC, McQueeney, Texas

Very nice! Thanks for sharing that Gary. Does that site have any known astroarchaeological history, or did you just go off a hunch? Thanks, Tom McC

Thanks Longshadow! I have a couple of trips planned for the Fall, so, if it does not act up, I will probably send it in for regular service. I bought the camera used, so it is probably about time! Tom McC, McQueeney, Texas

Yesterday I tried to photograph the annular eclipse from my home in central Texas. I used my D500 and 500mm PF 5.6 lens with a solar filter (NISI ND100000(5.0), shooting in live mode and using a tripod and remote shutter button. Things were going passably well until about 20 minute before the "ring of fire". I suddenly couldn't take pictures and the top screen showed an "Err" message. I checked my manual (page 16) and it said it was probably related to the lens connection and recommended taking the lens off and remounting it, which I did, without success at getting the camera working. I set the camera aside (in the shade) and enjoyed the "ring of fire" with solar glasses. About 20 minutes later the camera was working fine and I was able to finnish taking pictures of the remaining phases of the eclipse. I forgot to mention, the first thing I did was change the battery, thinking a low battery might be the culprit. Any ideas as to what happened? Perhaps heat related? Anything I should do (maybe send the camera in for service)? Attached are a couple of photos I took yesterday when my camera was functioning. As always, thanks for your input and help. Tom McC

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I have enjoyed watching a pitch of Baltimore Orioles which have been visiting my backyard feeder over the last five days. I have particulary enjoyed the interation between the Orioles and the bees, as they battle over the grape jelly I put out several times a day. Tom McC, Lake McQueeney, Texas.

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John...two places that I have enjoyed: 1. Three Rivers Petroglyph Site in SE New Mexico provides numerous opportunities for some amazing shots (Large boulders on a 40 acre ridge with over 20,000 petroglyphs; and 2) Taliesin West outside of Phoenix. Frank Lloyd Wright's beautiful and unique winter compound also has some wonderful photo opportunities. Have a great trip! Tom McC, McQueeney, Texas.

John...two places that I have enjoyed: 1. Three Rivers Petroglyph Site in SE New Mexico provides numerous opportunities for some amazing shots (Large boulders on a 40 acre ridge with over 20,000 petroglyphs; and 2) Taliesin West outside of Phoenix. Frank Lloyd Wright's beautiful and unique winter compound also has some wonderful photo opportunities. Have a great trip! Tom McC, McQueeney, Texas.

Hi Joe...your comment about the goat made me fondly recall this photo I took back in 2018, which I entitled "Three Old Goats and a Dog". The gentleman on the left is a very close friend while the gentleman on the right ranches a remote section of Largo Canyon in Northern New Mexico (we had stopped to chat him up, hoping to get some local info about archaeological sites in the area).

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Hi Mike...they say two years, but I figure it will be three or four. It is pretty depressing, and has been extremely hot and dry to boot! Take care, Tom McC (PS - my house and boathouse have green metal roofs)

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I live on a small lake on the Guadalupe River in Central Texas. Our dam needs to be replaced, so in late March they began to drain the lake. The resulting mud flats and very shallow areas have attracted some new visitors to my dock area. One such visitor is this juvenile Tricolored Heron, which has been hanging around fishing from newly exposed stumps in the early evening. In an effort to keep the dry lake bed from becoming overgrown, a mixed herd of goats and sheep have recently been introduced. This male Spanish Goat has chosen the shade of my dock as his resting and sleeping spot of choice.

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