Join David in Hidalgo County, Texas for this 9-night photography trip to capture the birdlife & other wildlife of the Rio Grande Valley.
We will be visiting three separate photographic ranches & be making use of hides that should present photo opportunities with american kestrel, black vulture, cooper's hawk, crested caracara, golden-fronted woodpecker, green jay, harris hawk, oriole, painted bunting, red-tailed hawk, white-tailed hawk & more.
15th - 24th April 2023
£4749per participant
£850 deposit required to secure a place
Group size: 3 - 6 participants - places available..
Join David in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the premier areas in North America to view & capture images of the wildlife. The format of this 9 night trip will be to make use of three of the best ranches in the Rio Grande area, to enable you to get some stunning images of mammals, raptors & other birds that can be photographed from the hides.
The Rio Grande Valley is a well known hot spot for a large variety of bird species, some of which are unique to this area.
Join NaturesLens to capture images of the fantastic birdlife of Texas, in United States, during the Birdlife of Texas photography holiday. This photography holiday is of 9 night/10 day duration on a Half Board, Non-Shared basis & costs £4749per participant.
The three ranches which we will make use of are: Laguna Seca Ranch with their collection of elevated & ground level hides for photographing songbirds & raptors. The ranch is comprised of 700 acres of pristine brushland with hides that have been designed with photographers & their needs in mind. All the hides are located near water holes or areas where there are no trees within at least 100 feet, thereby ensuring perfect backgrounds.
Martin Refuge is located in 300-acre thick South Texan brush, rich with tremendous biodiversity of birds, mammals & reptiles. The hides have been professionally designed & are set back from small water holes, close to feeding areas to allow you to capture the wildlife as they wander in for refreshments. Some of the hides here have been sunk into the ground which gives you a perfect eye-level view of your subject, which, of course, is key to a great wildlife image. The Martin Refuge boasts some of the best raptor photography experiences, especially if you are hoping to add images of Crested Caracara & Harris Hawk to your portfolio.
Santa Clara Ranch is a 300-acre parcel of native South Texan brush where the wildlife roams freely, thanks to a conservation easement which prevents hunting & ensures that the native brush will remain untouched in perpetuity at the ranch. Water features & feeding stations have been placed throughout the property to attract wildlife which can be photographed from low-level & elevated hides positioned to optimise morning & afternoon light. The elevated hides are dedicated to raptor photography & in the past, have exceeded expectations with numerous raptors coming to perch just 35-40 feet away!
The price includes all ground transportation within Texas, comfortable accommodation on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis, all photography activities at the ranches, with the split being 3 days at Santa Clara Ranch, 3 at Laguna Seca Ranch, & 2 at Martin Refuge.
Discount from Lenses For Hire on any lenses, or other camera equipment, that you require FOR this wildlife photography holiday.
NaturesLens have partnered with Lenses For Hire to give you an exclusive discount on any lenses hired for any NaturesLens Wildlife Photography Holiday or Workshop.
Accommodation on a non-shared basis (with no single supplement payable)
Airport Transfers
All hide sessions & appropriate permits
All in-trip transportation
All photography sessions & appropriate permits
Food on a half board basis
Guidance & advice from our Photography Holiday Guide
All Drinks
Any activities not listed on the itinerary
Flights
Meals not listed on the itinerary
Personal expenses of any type
Required Insurances
Sundries
Tips & Gratuities
Transportation to start location
Visas
What our clients say
Alan - Calera - 2017
Always good trips, with great photographic opportunities, & lots of camaraderie. Recommended!
Make a Booking Enquiry
To make a booking enquiry, please complete the form below & we will get back to you as soon as possible.
You are making an enquiry for the Birdlife of Texas photography holiday, which is scheduled for the dates of 15th - 24th April 2023 & costs £4749per participant, this photography holiday requires a deposit of, £850 to secure a place.
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How to Book
Before booking, it is important that you read the relevant photography holiday event page & our Booking Terms & Conditions. If you have any doubts regarding your suitability for this photography holiday, please contact us.
To book, simply click the relevant link from the event page on our website. You will then be sent a booking form & a copy of our terms & conditions. In order to secure your place on the selected photography holiday, simply complete the booking form with details of all persons travelling & holiday indemnity, in relevant cases, & return to us (either by email or by post) with confirmation that the deposit has been paid. Payments should be made via bank transfer.
A deposit of 20% is required at the time of booking unless you are booking less than 90 days before departure. In this case, full payment of the photography holiday price is required.
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Camera Equipment
For this photography holiday, we recommend that you bring along an intermediate telephoto lens such as the 100-400mm & a 500mm lens or the 200-400mm with built in extender. The combination of the 100-400mm & the 500mm will cover off close portrait shots as well as action shots. The 200-400mm with built in extender is perfect for this type of photography holiday thanks to its versatility. A wide angle would also be useful if you fancy capturing some environment shots or landscapes.
Recommended Clothing
We will be travelling as Texas begins to get hot for the summer so it is going to be rather warm! Luckily, it is a dry heat so it will be much easier to cope with. So, for this photography holiday, we recommend that you pack thin neutral coloured t-shirts & blouses teamed with neutral coloured trousers. You should also bring a hat, preferably a safari style hat with a broad rim all around the edge, to protect your head & scalp from getting burnt whilst not in the hides.
Sandals or easy shoes are great for the hotel but you will need sensible shoes for when you are out & about or in the hides.
Don't forget to pack your sunglasses, plenty of sunscreen & insect repellent!
Additional Notes
NaturesLens photography holidays do not include flights unless it is explicitly stated on the event page. When it is time to book your flights, we will send you the details in plenty of time to allow for bookings at the best available price.
The photography holiday itinerary is subject to change & is to be considered provisional.
NaturesLens photography holidays require a minimum number of participants in order to be viable. If this minimum number is not met, the photography holiday may not go ahead. This photography holiday has a minimum participant level of 3 plus NaturesLens guide(s).
In the event that the minimum number for a photography holiday to go ahead is not reached, NaturesLens reserves the right to cancel any given photography holiday. In that event 100% of monies received will be returned. However, NaturesLens is not responsible for expenses incurred by its customers.
Not all mentioned wildlife can be observed & photographed at all times of the year, thus some activities may be considered seasonal & not available.
Please note the cuisine on many of the NaturesLens photography holidays is authentic & typical of the region in which you are travelling. International or western cuisine is often NOT available. If you have any concerns over the food arrangements or have any special dietary requirements, please contact us prior to making a booking.
All personal luggage are the responsibility of the owner & we request that photography holiday participants limit their luggage to the equivalent of one suitcase, one flight bag, one camera bag & tripod. We do not wish to appear dictatorial in this matter & the request is made to ensure space & comfort for everyone in our vehicles.
NaturesLens & its agents act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel arrangements, & as such, do not assume responsibility for injury, accident, damage, loss, delay or irregularity which may occur via defect of transportation or any other cause.
NaturesLens reserves the right to substitute hotels, & other previously outlined arrangements as necessary, to either improve or equal the travel experience.
NaturesLens reserves the right to pass on to photography holiday particpants any additional & unplanned expenditure incurred during a photography holiday, via events beyond the control of NaturesLens.
NaturesLens reserves the right to accept or decline any person as a member of any photography holiday.
Payment of deposit by photography holiday participants or their representative constitutes their acceptance of all conditions contained herein.
All bookings are made subject to our terms & conditions.
Travel Insurance Requirements
It is a condition of booking that you are insured against medical & personal accident risks. This must include cover for the activities to be undertaken during the photography holiday. We also strongly recommend you take out cover for cancellation & curtailment & baggage cover.
We have made use of the services of Campbell Irvine Insurance in the past, Campbell Irvine has policies which are specially designed for adventure holidays & are underwritten by AXA Insurance. As an alternative, check your standard travel insurance, many bank accounts include suitable insurance as part of a packaged deal.
Personal Travel Insurance can be arranged directly at Campbell Irvine.
For photographic insurance, we highly recommend the services of Glover & Howe. We have made use of their policies for a number of years now, adjustments, policy maintenance & claims are handled in an easy & professional manner by them.
Birdlife of Texas Photography Holiday Summary
The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday is a photography holiday of 9 night/10 day duration, that costs £4749per participant & takes place in Edinburg in the United States, between the dates of 15th - 24th April 2023. It is ideal for photographing american kestrel, black vulture, cooper's hawk, crested caracara, golden-fronted woodpecker, great horned owl, green jay, harris hawk, indigo snake, leopard frog, oriole, painted bunting, red-tailed hawk, texas tortoise, thrasher, turkey vulture, western diamondback rattlesnake, white-tailed hawk & more. This photography holiday is led by David Miles for NaturesLens. The photography holiday is offered on a Half Board, Non-Shared basis. Group size for this photography holiday is a minimum of 3 participants & a maximum of 6, plus David. We consider this to be an event of Easy level of exertion, if you have any questions about your suitability for this event, please contact us prior to making a booking enquiry. The photography holiday starts & ends at McAllen International Airport. Transfers between McAllen International Airport & Edinburg are included in the cost of this photography holiday, this photography holiday requires a deposit of £850 to secure a place.
Birdlife of Texas Photography Holiday Payment Details
Deposit required to secure a place: £850 payable upon making a booking.
Final balance payment due: January 15th, 2023*. Bookings made after this date will require the full payment to secure a place.
Bookings close: January 15th, 2023.
No-interest payment plan: we offer a no-interest payment plan for our photography holidays. Please enquire for details.
* Unless stated otherwise on our event booking form.