| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Swamp Coyotes in the Great Trinity Forest dawn June 23, 2012 |
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Staring down three coyotes at 6:00 on a summer saturday morning among a labyrinth of head high swamp grass is quite a way to start a day. I could not tell if they were interested in me or the beeps of my camera. More photos mean more beeps which brought them in closer and closer. Uncomfortable to the point where I started to wonder whether or not they were curious or hatching a game plan to eat my camera for breakfast. Since it was technically nautical twilight they might have been wrapping up a long night of hunting before calling it a day. They are the swamp coyotes. An elusive and fleet footed pack that roam the oxbows, ponds and swamps along the Trinity River. Very hard to see since they run among the reeds and willows that surround the old meanders of the river. It's not the sight of this pack that is exciting rather their liberal use of vocal calls. Since they cannot see one another in this swamp country they call to each other constantly. Many times, I have been in this same spot only to be surrounded by yipping and calling coyotes. A little unnerving but fun. Healthy adult coyotes pose no real threat to adult humans and attacks are very rare to non-existent. This pack in particular are true ghosts. They will often howl and call from areas where you just walked, as if they were following you. The coyote pack in the photos here worked their way behind me then stood their ground for some time before melting back into the swamp grass.
Wading through the swamp is no small feat. The high grass and marshy peat bottom make for a tough go before sunrise. The reward is catching a glimpse into a world few people see.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| White Ibis in the pre-dawn light |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Wood duck mother with her young and two Great Blue Herons |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Black Necked Stilts |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Snowy Egret |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Little Blue Heron |
Sunrise Through The Eye Of A Green Tree Frog
The photo above and below are opposing views 180 degrees of the sun as it climbs above the tallest grove of trees in Dallas. Seen first through the reflection of an American Green Tree Frog's eye.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Sunrise over the foggy Dallas Trinity swamps June 23, 2012 |
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| American Green Tree Frog Hyla cinerea in the Great Trinity Forest |
