Trogon Photo Tours

Laguna Seca Ranch and Rio Grande Valley

February 10-17, 2022

Whooping Cranes and Rookeries

March 19-22, 2021

Laguna Seca Ranch and the Rio Grande Valley, February 10-17, 2021: This workshop will include 3 full days at Laguna Seca Ranch photographing from blinds and 3 days of walk around photography in the lower Rio Grande Valley.  Nate Chappell is the leader.

Maximum Participants:  8 photographers.  Leaders are Nate Chappell and Melody Lytle

Cost: 3,750 with a $200 single supplement.  Deposit to reserve your spot is $900.  Balance due 30 days before workshop.  Cost includes all lodging, ranch fees, entrance fees, instruction, local transportation and guiding.  It does not include most meals or flights. 

February 10th: Arrival to McAllen airport or hotel in Edinburg, Texas.  If you are flying in we can pick you up at the McAllen airport.  Evening presentation on bird photography with Nate Chappell Hotel: A nice hotel in Edinburg.

February 11th-13th: 3 full days of bird photography at Laguna Seca Ranch.  Green Jays, Long-billed Thrashers, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Black-crested Titmouse and other South Texas specialty species are in good plumage at this time of year.  Nate and a local photographer will setup beautiful perches for the birds to land on.  Laguna Seca has the best raptor blind in South Texas often with dozens of Caracaras and also visited by Harris's and White-tailed Hawks.  Hotel: A nice hotel in Edinburg.  

February 14th: We will spend the morning at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands looking for Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Least Grebe and other species, then check out and head to our next lodge, the Alamo Inn Bed and Breakfast.  Alamo is run by a birder, Keith Hackland and has hummingbird feeders which attract Buff-bellied Hummingbirds.  Afternoon photography at the Inn's feeders or at another local natural area. 

February 15th and 16th: We will have 2 full days of exploring local areas to add many specialty species which aren't typically at the ranch.  We will visit Estero Llano Grande, Rio-Bentsen and the World Butterfly Center among other spots to photograph Plain Chachalaca, Kiskadee, Altamira Oriole, Pauraque and other South Texas Specialties.  We will also visit a park in Brownsville where hundreds of the endangered Red-crowned Parrot roost.  The wetlands at this time of year are also very good for waterfowl (Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal) and waders.  Each evening we will return to the Alamo Inn. 

February 17th: One more morning at one of the Rio Grande Valley parks followed by drop off at the McAllen airport for your flight home. 

 

Whooping Cranes and Rookeries March 19th to 22nd:  Nate Chappell will guide you to photograph Whooping Cranes and a variety of waders which are starting to nest.  The timing of this trip coincides with the vast majority of the Whooping Cranes still being on their wintering grounds near Rockport, Texas and the start of breeding activities for waders such as Great Blue Herons, Great and Reddish Egrets and the beautiful Roseate Spoonbill.  We will have 2 morning boat trips where the focus will be cranes and one afternoon boat trip where the focus will be the offshore rookery.  We will also photograph from blinds where some of the Whooping Cranes come into and at other rookeries which are onshore. 

Maximum Participants: 4 including photographers and nonphotographer spouses.

Cost: $1,795 includes all photography, instruction, hotel, boat charters and property use fees.  Single supplement is $250.  Deposit to reserve your spot is $500.  Balance due 90 days before the workshop.  It does not include meals or transportation to and from Rockport, Texas or tips for the boat captains.  We can provide local transportation to and from the shooting sites.  The closest airport is Corpus Christi, Texas. 

March 19th - Arrival to Rockport, Texas by 2pm.  Afternoon boat photography trip to the offshore rookery where Great Blue Herons, Great and Reddish Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills will be in nest building mode.  This location is excellent for flight and interaction shots.  In the evening at the hotel Nate Chappell will give a presentation on photographing birds in the wild. 

March 20th and 21st - Morning boat photography trips both days with Kevin  Sims.  We will be out at sunrise with the main targets being Whooping Cranes.  Kevin has specialized boats for photographing the cranes.  We will photograph other birds including White Pelican, American Oystercatcher and others.  The afternoons will be a combination of photographing Whooping Cranes from blinds and visiting an onshore rookery where lots of Great Blue Herons and Egrets nest as well as seeking out other birds such as Least Grebe. 

March 22nd - This morning we will visit a local park which has active Laughing Gull, Black Skimmer and Tricolored Heron colonies as well as interesting wintering birds such as Long-billed Curlew.  We will then have a classroom session on photo processing and the workshop will wrap up.