The Blackland Prairie Raptor Center: This Place is for the Birds...no really, it is.
This past Saturday, I went to the Blackland Raptor Center again. It truly is like coming home for me, nature and all it's beauty and peace with people who care so much about it.
I have seen the show several times. I've even seen the same birds at times but the beautiful thing isn't what I learned this time, it's more what others are learning.
They all sat in a covered area because of the rain, a perfect slow rain that made everything cool and comfortable. They asked the people who were enjoying their first visit to the center and most of the crowd raised their hand-I am so happy to see their numbers growing.
With the audience, lots of children, many who answered questions with excitement, knowlege and a curiousity only a child could share. I am so excited to see young people getting to see nature, vultures without the derogatory buzzard word and nature with importance to people young and old.
I even got to photograph with a young woman who was so excited about photography. Someone in her family was a professional photographer-this is the future. People caring about things, caring about their environment, caring about birds of prey.
After the ambassadors birds did their thing, there is a backstage show where they walk you through their whole system of rehabilitating these birds. Next month I am planning on joining this part of the program.
I watched as scouts dropped off owl houses for sale. People shared their experiences with the birds and with nature. I walked around looking at spiders and local plants, I plan on getting my Master Naturalist Certificate in the next year so stay tuned.
Photographing the Birds at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center
It was a beautiful autumn day and this time I was prepared. I brought my Sigma DG 50-500mm lens affixed to my Nikon D810 and shut down the lens for the most depth of field I could afford with the light. This lens has a max of 6.3 at its maximum telephoto and if you go to F8 or 11 it can give you sharper results.
American Kestrel photo- I liked how the background faded out with the depth of field. The light was that perfect soft cloudy light, as if it were with a giant reflector. I enjoy when there is a small area of light that hits a certain part of the bird but in this case, the soft light and reflection gave me a clear image and still had the light spot in the eye.
Colors are rich in a rain day, everything is saturated beautifully so don't stay home on a cloudy, rainy day. It was a perfect day to shoot these birds.
This is Pepper- one of their ambassador birds that teach us humans how special they are. I have my bought my owl house from JCs Wildlife on Amazon- The next one I will probably buy from the Raptor Center. I plan on putting it out in December or so-late enough so the squirrels and sparrows don't squat the property.
If you hear soft cooing sound near you-that's a screech owl-nothing screechy about them.
Mississippi Kite-this is such a cool bird. This one doesn't have the red eyes, they usually have them from the insects they eat in their migration.
All of the birds they share with us are ambassador birds as they have already been human imprinted and they only show them if the bird is feeling it that day. I was impressed with how much they care for their birds.
After the show I walked and photographed the spiders and flowers along a trail. It is a beautiful place to visit and I can't wait for my next trip-first Saturday in November.
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