Bright sunny days are pretty common in South Texas at any time of the year but the lighting seems to be even better during the summer months. Although you may have to make adjustments on the camera to deal with harsh sunlight, the lack of dim conditions means that you can get fantastic, high resolution images for a wide variety of birds.
Chachalacas are always fun to photograph because these social birds always seem to be up to some sort of antics.
This Chachalaca is perhaps cleaning its feathers or ridding itself of parasites by allowing ants to climb through its plumage.
They also make nice family portraits.
A family of Plain Chachalacas.
The bright colors of gorgeous Painted Buntings really stand out in the bright sunshine.
Here’s a fantastic looking male Painted Bunting.
The female doesn’t look too bad either even though she’s mostly green.
A female Painted Buntings spreading her wings.
Of all the birds that look great in sunny conditions, the Pyrrhuloxia makes one of the best portraits due to its delicate combination of subtle grays and rose-colored feathers.
The Pyrrhuloxia displays a rare, delicate beauty.
Over on the beach, Ospreys can pose for excellent portraits.
The Osprey is a common sight at waterways in southern Texas.
The good lighting also makes it easier to get stunning shots of mammals like the common yet photogenic Mexican Ground Squirrel.
Mexican Ground Squirrel.
Sometimes, you get lucky and have photo opps. for larger, much shyer mammals…
A Bobcat on the prowl!
Set yourself up at a water drip or some other water source, adjust your camera for strong light, and you have a really good chance of getting several excellent shots of wildlife in south Texas.