These are gorgeous. Perhaps you can answer an image question for me. I'm pretty new to this forum and even newer to posting pictures. I just posted a small one today for the first time. How do you post these large images here? I kept getting my image rejected until I reduced it so much that it's now the size of a postage stamp. I must be missing something because I see other images here that are larger with great resolution such as these you've posted. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pics and for any help you (or anyone) can offer. Jann

Ooooooo! Oooooooo!! I KNEW you wouldn't leave us here at the forum sad and deprived of your beautiful photos! I've been too concerned about disturbing fledglings to take photos of my own lately because frantic parents click at me when I even pass by on the trails, and with the 400mm lens I have to get fairly close and use a flash in the woods to have any kind of photo.

Wow - beautiful clear photos! Thanks for sharing these. That Caracara bird is very unique looking. Is it native to where you live?

When I first saw a caracara soaring overhead some time ago I thought it might have been a bald eagle what with the white head and all. But I never got that good a look at them. I am sure now that it was a caracara I saw. Another exciting find was a pileated woodpecker. All I knew from Houston were red-headed woodpeckers. I know they are common, but it was neat nonetheless. Moving to Bastrop has been great for all sorts of wildlife spotting. We have any number of deer that feed right beside the house. I have seen bucks locking horns and jousting, and once saw three of them doing that at the same time. HavenÂt seen a wild hog yet, but I have seen wallows close to the house. IÂm not a hunter, but I would shoot a hog if I get the chance. BTW, my identification book is "Birds of Texas" by Smithsonian Handbooks. I highly recommend it!