Trogon Photo Tours

TEXAS

Galveston Migration

April 9-14, 2023

May 5-10, 2023

Workshop: During this workshop we will photograph migrating songbirds from blinds at Stevenson Woods in Galveston, Texas.  The migrating warblers, tanagers, orioles, thrushes, grosbeaks, buntings and other migrants are attracted to water drips, oranges and seed that are put out.  Afternoons are usually spent in the blinds with the songbirds.  Mornings are split between the blinds and shorebird photography which is excellent in the area and produces Clapper Rails, plovers, terns, various sandpipers, herons and egrets.  The variety of species photographed is very high.  

Leaders: Nate Chappell and Melody Lytle. Nate and Melody will provide in field instruction and answer any photographic questions that you may have.  



Galveston Migrants and Shorebirds

Cost and Logistics:

The workshop is based in Galveston, TX.    The cost of the workshop is $2,950 and includes property use fees, instruction and guiding.   It does not include hotels, meals or transportation, but we will carpool to the shooting sites.  If you are flying in from out of town and don't want to rent a car please contact us.  There are many lodging options in the area, please contact us for details.  For those wanting to stay at the same hotel as Nate, he will email you a few months before the trip which hotel we are planning to stay at.  The deposit required to reserve your spot is $900 per photographer.  Maximum photogaphers is 5.   Maximum number of photographers is 5.

Itinerary:

May 5th - Arrive to Galveston, TX.  Afternoon blind photography at Stevenson Woods.   

May 6th-9th - We will have 4 full days of bird photography.  Our 2 main shooting locations are Stevenson Woods where we will be photographing migrating warblers, redstarts, orioles, tanagers, thrushes and other migrant songbirds from blinds at water drips that are very close to the blinds and the south end of Galveston Island for shorebirds.  Nate will place attractive perches above the drips that the birds will drop down onto before entering the water. Jim Stevenson's yard has the biggest yard list in North America at 319 species.  The other main shooting location,  the south end of Galveston Island, is terrific for shorebird photography.  Avocets, Terns, Plovers, Skimmers, Phalaropes and many other birds can be photographed at close range here.  How good the warbler and migrants shooting is of course dependant on weather, Jim will be keeping an eye on the birds at his drip and the weather and have a good feel for when it's best to shoot at the water drips and when it's not.  When we don't think it will be as productive at the drips we will be out at the shorebird locations.  In addition we will photograph nesting breeding birds like Seaside Sparrow, Clapper Rail and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. During our down time Nate will give presentations on photographing birds in the wild, raw image processing and/or using flash for bird photography. 

May 10th - We will have one more morning of bird photography and the workshop will conclude before lunch.  You will go home with a lot of great images and memories.



Contact: Nate Chappell at nchappell@trogontours.net or 281-778-1486 with questions or to sign up for the workshop.