The guy behind the lens

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Springtime along the Raasch Trail




I consider myself lucky to live within an hour of the wonderful Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge that sits on the shores of Lake Texoma near Sherman, Texas. 


Click above to go to Google Maps of the area!




I started to visit Hagerman last year after years of hearing about it. However I had just not gotten up the gumption to get there. Aside from year round abundant bird life ,  and more than a dozen miles of nice hiking trails, I was immediately impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the volunteers I met there who staff the visitor center and share their impressive knowledge of the flora, fauna, and history of the area. I now happily count myself as a monthly volunteer at the visitor center in hopes of being able to give back to those of you who will visit Hagerman in the future. Before a visit, make sure to check out these two websites:

The OFFICIAL  Hagerman NWR Website - The official US Fish & Wildlife website for Hagerman. 

FRIENDS OF THE HAGERMAN NWR  website  - detailed information about the volunteer group I belong to that helps run visitor services for Hagerman NWR



Two weeks ago, I went up to Hagerman to spend the day photographing bluebirds - the Friends of the Hagerman group  has built and monitors several dozen bluebird houses which have greatly bolstered the local bluebird population over the past few years. 



I had a wonderful day taking advantage of a warm spring day capturing bluebirds busily working to capture morsels for their fledglings to feast upon. In addition, the lighting along the Raasch Trail was superb to capture the beauty of early spring growth here in North Texas. 




Please feel free to share this gem of a place with your online friends! It's well worth the visit if you're in the neighborhood! 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful shots of the bluebirds! I don't see them often in central Florida.

Toad Hollow Photography said...

Your shots are simply stunning here, John, all top drawer!!! Love the birds, and the vanishing points in your landscapes here are terrific!!