After beginning the day studying for a biology test (yech) and then taking the test and getting an A, I decided it was time for Karen and I to spend a little “us” time out and about with our cameras.

We headed south to Arlington to a place called the “Village Creek Drying Beds”.  Yes, it is a water treatment facility, but there are usually all kinds of birds there.  I’m told that it is a migratory stop so almost every time you go you may see different birds.

We were there last weekend, but shooting from the car with the big lens didn’t work out so well, so I got an Apex Low Profile™ bean bag to mount my camera on while driving through the beds.  The difference was huge!  Instead of just a few keepers from the week before by just balancing the camera on the window, I ended up with more like 80% keepers!

Since I spent the morning on school work, we didn’t get there until mid-afternoon.  Not sure what it was like earlier in the day, but it was not as happening a place as I had hoped today.  But I was able to capture one of my favorite birds, the Red-tailed Hawk.  I saw it sitting on a tree stump, and while watching it, I began to get the feeling it was about to take off, and sure enough it did.  I thought this was a great shot, but it would have been an even greater shot had I not clipped the end of its wing.  I really wasn’t expecting it to reach that far up!

After it took off I was able to capture a few BIF (bird in flight) shots that turned out pretty decent.  Having the ability to mount my Wimberely gimbal head to the beanbag is a real plus!

I did see one kestrel but before I could get aimed and focused, it flew off.  I’m still waiting to get a really good shot of that one.

After driving around the beds for a while, I promised Karen that we would get out and walk some (she’s always trying to get me to exercise), so we parked and walked down one of the berms at the south side of the beds.  To the south, there are several heron nests up in the trees.  It is an amazing sight to see all of those really big birds up in the tops of the trees.  Because of the branches in between us, I couldn’t get a clear shot, but I did catch this one Great-blue Heron wading in the murky water in the shade of all the trees.  It was really amazing that as I was preparing to take the shot, it moved into a place where a beam of light illuminated its face.  I found this shot very striking!

It was shortly after this that one of the “officials” came and started running everyone out so they could lock the gates for the night.  I had hoped to see the bobcat that has been spotted around here around dusk, but I guess today wasn’t the day.

If you are interested in checking out the drying beds, here is a link to google maps.

Maybe I’ll see you out there some time!

All photographs made with the Canon 7D and Canon 600/F4 IS lens