south texas wildlife workshops

Would you like to get images like these? Well, you can – for $200/day including lodging (for groups of 3 or more), you will be accompanied by me to four premium-quality photo blinds (two for the morning and the two for the evening) where I will instruct you and help you to hone your photographic technique so that you can get world-class wildlife images. Maximum 8 people. Meals extra.

The following images were taken while I was on a scouting trip during a morning and an evening session in the blinds. See also this link for more images.

bobcat, rio grande valley, texas

white tailed deer approaches cautiously and drinks, rio grande valley, texas

greater roadrunner, rio grande valley, texas

bobwhite quail chicks at waterhole, rio grande valley, texas

bobwhite quail chicks at waterhole, rio grande valley, texas

painted bunting pair, rio grande valley, texas

logistics
You will either drive or fly to McAllen, Texas where you will be met and taken to your lodging. Each day we will make a pre-dawn start and be in the blind before sunrise, and we will photograph until you have had enough (all day if you like), after which we will go for lunch and a siesta – the evening session will usually begin around 3:30-4:00 pm depending on the heat (and the enthusiasm).

accommodation
If you would like to make you adventure even more memorable, you can chose to stay out at the ranch where you will live in an air-conditioned, self catering trailer. This way you will be able to walk to the blind and be setup before sunrise, and in the evening photograph until last light and stroll back to the trailer and prepare the evening meal under the texas sky. The cost for this option is an extra $75/day and this will include all your food and drink. (you will need to bring a sleeping bag).

I will work with your schedule so if you have a window of opportunity we can make plans to accommodate you.

when is the best time to photograph in the valley
In this case there is no best time. There are simply different seasons, and since there is a constant water supply at the waterhole, there will always be wildlife coming in to drink. Late winter and going on into spring (when it is super green – fresh mesquite leaves are as green as it gets) is great for migratory species heading north, the fall is a good time to record their return to Texas and Mexico and further south. Summer, although the heat is brutal, is fantastic and since the local rainfall is spotty at best, the blind is always a hive of activity – you call it and we will make it happen for you!

cost
$200/day. $180/day for groups of 3 people or more.

To plan your tour contact Jeremy at 469-371-5310 (cell) or 214-544-3169 or jeremy@pixelchrome.com

green jay and kisskidee, rio grande valley, texas

bathing painted bunting, south texas

indigo snake, south texas

texas cottontail, south texas

about the santa clara ranch
Located in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas, nine miles west of McCook lies the Santa Clara Ranch. Owned and operated by Dr. Beto Gutierrez this 300 acre wildlife sanctuary is comprised entirely of virgin brush land. The Santa Clara Ranch is part of a growing group of land holdings owned by forward thinking landowners in the lower Rio Grande Valley who have realized the importance of creating and preserving natural habitat for wildlife over the past three decades. Their tireless efforts have resulted in the return of many native species to their lands, some of which are found nowhere else on earth. This has developed an increased interest in the area and its wildlife, as well as the opportunity to view an amazing amount of migratory song birds during their annual spring migration.  Many professional photographers now come to the Rio Grande valley to harvest incredible images of wildlife. This was something that was unheard of in years gone by. Through the labors of these concerned individuals the  Rio Grande valley is now one of the premier areas in North America to view and photograph wildlife.

Though small by Texan standards, the Santa Clara is a real gem in its diversity of wildlife. Because of the nature of this property, virgin brush land that has never seen a plow blade, the observer of nature has an unusual opportunity, a chance to see southern Texas the way it was before human intrusion. This small island of pristine Texas landscape is a sanctuary that offers an abundance of seeds, nuts, and berries that attracts a profusion of native wildlife as well as migratory birds. The native plant life found on the Santa Clara is responsible for it being one of the most biodiverse landholdings in the region.

Through the tireless efforts of Dr. Gutierrez, the Santa Clara is becoming one of the foremost destinations for bird watchers and nature photographers who are in search of native wildlife in a unique natural habitat. While many of the surrounding landholdings use hunting as a management tool Beto has chosen not to allow hunting on the Santa Clara. The result of this is an opportunity for photographers to capture images of wildlife interacting in nature in ways seldom seen on ranches where hunting pressure alters animal behavior. This is an important consideration for the serious photographer as many species of wildlife will often revert to nocturnal habits when confronted with the threat of human predation. At the Santa Clara you will find surroundings where human activity is restricted, encouraging animal behavior that is not modified by artificial environmental pressures.

By consulting wildlife biologists and professional photographers Dr. Gutierrez has strategically constructed pit blinds as well as waterholes on the Santa Clara in a way that guarantees guests to the ranch that they will see numerous species of birds and mammals in great light with unencumbered backgrounds. In one day at the Santa Clara, it is not uncommon to see twenty or more species of birds as well as mammals such as whitetail deer, collard peccary, bobcats, and coyotes.