Perched and Ready

Yesterday was a picture perfect day at Brazos Bend State Park.  I’m not sure I sighted ten people all day.  The skies held sunshine, and just enough breeze to keep away the mosquitoes. 

I downloaded over 8GBs of photos this morning, and took a quick look at the small JPEG files that I always shoot as a “quick view” companion to each RAW image.  I’m kind of excited about some of the photos.  The small JPEGs tell me which RAW images are worthy of “darkroom” development.  I think I got a few worthy ones.

But today is all about errands.  A three day rain, starting tomorrow, is in the forecast:  rainy and warm; rainy and cool; rainy and cold (by Texas standards). I love rainy days, if I don’t have to travel in them. So today I will run errands, preparing me to enjoy three days at home, watching and listening to the rain and promised cold front.  I guess that’s why I’m a true Gulf Coastie:  give me magnificent old Live Oaks and slow rainy days.

And so before I’m out and about, I wanted to share these photos of hunter/gatherers of the sky. I caught them perched at Brazoria NWR.  Even perched, they are always on the ready.

The amazing Crested Caracara, similar to vultures, it mainly hunts for carrion:

 

 

The Red-tailed Hawk, perched but ready for flight:

 

The Turkey Vulture, an under-appreciated member of what I call the Cleanup Committee; if not for turkey and black vultures, our roads and fields would not be so clean:

 

And a White-tailed Kite, an old friend of mine that helped start my passion for birding:

I’m hoping to be perched at home the next few days, enjoying a steady rain, with photos to develop and stories to dream about.  And a cold front arriving, making way for a next day in the field.