Daily Itinerary:
We will be leaving half an hour before daylight. This allows us to be on-site with the sun coming up at our backs. This can be a great time for flight shots when the cranes are coming out to feed.
Your tour starts at the Sea Gun Marina, then we navigate into Aransas Bay and past the Goose Island State Park. We then travel along the south shoreline of the Aransas Wildlife Refuge to the Intracoastal Waterway. Once in the Intracoastal, we enter the main body of the refuge, where you have opportunities to photograph whooping cranes as well as many different shorebirds, including White and Brown Pelicans, Herons, Egrets, Oystercatchers, Osprey, and others.
Your tour takes you north on the Intracoastal, along the refuge, and into San Antonio Bay to the north end of the refuge; this is the turning point of the tour. The boat is at your disposal for the duration of your tour. We can stop for anything you would like to see and stay at each site as long as you wish. We are on your schedule, not ours.
We stay on each subject until you are ready to move on. You won’t be on the boat’s schedule as you would on a larger group boat. As there is no set return time, we can sit and wait for the behavior shot you are looking for. We will usually spend five to six hours each of the two mornings photographing.
Kevin and Lori are excellent at getting us to the locations where the Whooping Cranes are feeding and interacting. The shallow draft of our boat allows us to get into areas that larger boats are not able to. This also allows us to get close to the birds and have the boat sit on the bottom to make it as stable as possible.
With three different levels to shoot from on either vessel, there is plenty of room for up to six photographers with ample space. The bow and aft decks get you level with the birds, while the upper deck gets you above the grass and brush if needed, providing a clear view over obstacles when necessary and when the cranes are flying through the fields or overhead.
After returning to the dock, you may have lunch on your own or with the group in one of the many excellent restaurants in Rockport and then enjoy the mid-day break to refresh, recharge, and review images. We will then regroup for our afternoon unique photography opportunity.
Each afternoon, we will photograph at a private photo blind. This will give us opportunities to capture unique Whooping Crane behaviors and Sandhill Cranes and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. White-tailed deer often make afternoon appearances as well. This provides a special chance to be even closer to these magnificent endangered species of one of the largest bird species in the world as they interact in their natural environment.
On the first evening, with workshop orientation, Wayne will provide a one-hour presentation on the history of the conservation efforts made and continued by the International Crane Foundation and other local groups in the effort to facilitate the continuation and flourishing of the Whooping Crane.
Any questions or comments should be directed to [email protected], or by phone at 956-867-7877.
