Texas Bird Photo Workshops: Laguna Seca and Whooping Cranes

TEXAS BIRD PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Laguna Seca Ranch and the Rio Grande Valley, March 10-14, 2024: This workshop will include 3 full days at Laguna Seca Ranch photographing from blinds, an evening presentation on bird photography and a last morning photographing at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands.

Maximum Participants: 8 participants. Leaders are Ken Archer and Melody Lytle. Melody has been a guide at Laguna Seca for many years.

Whooping Cranes, March 14-17, 2024: This workshop includes 3 boat trips on a specialized photography boat. It also includes photographing cranes from blinds in the afternoon. In addition to the cranes many other species of birds are photographed on this workshop including Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, Sandhill Cranes, Long-billed Curlews, American Oystercatchers and many other shorebirds and waterbirds.

Maximum Participants: 5, Leader is Ken Archer, Nate Chappell will be there for part of the workshop.

Cost and Logistics

Laguna Seca Ranch – 2,950 with a $200 single supplement. Deposit to reserve your spot is $800. Balance due 90 days before workshop. Cost includes all lodging, ranch fees, entrance fees, instruction, local transportation and guiding. It does not include most meals or flights.

Whooping Cranes – $1,950 with a $250 single supplement. Nonphotographer spouse/companion 1,400. Cost includes all lodging, boat trips, blind usage and local transportation from Rockport, Texas to the photography locations. It does not include meals or transportation to get to and from Rockport.

Itinerary

March 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 Ken Archer Hotel: A nice hotel in Edinburg.

March 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. Ken and Ruth 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.

March 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 we will drop you back at the airport for an afternoon flight home or help you book a hotel for an extra night.

Whooping Cranes

March 14th – Afternoon arrival to Rockport, Texas. Late afternoon photography trip to a local park to photograph shorebirds which often include Long-billed Curlew, Ruddy Turnstones, Royal Terns and many other species. Evening presentation on bird photography. Hotel: A nice hotel in Rockport.

March 15th and 16th – Each morning we will have a Whooping Crane photography boat trip where we will photograph Cranes in the sloughs and bayous of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The boat often allows for close approaches to these amazing birds. We will also visit offshore islands which harbor Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets and other birds. We will break for lunch and then each afternoon photograph Whooping and Sandhill Cranes, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and other birds from blinds on private property. Hotel: A nice hotel in Rockport.

March 17th – One more morning boat trip to photograph the Whooping Cranes followed by return to the hotel and check out.