Wildlife in Photography

In San Antonio, one of the first natural places that I’ve begun to explore is McAllister Park. Featuring miles of trails through varied environments, both paved and otherwise, it gives a nice mixture of scenery. The trails accommodate hiking, jogging and biking.

And if it’s your thing, it also features recreational areas for soccer and picnics.

On Friday, I made a short exploratory visit.

I’ve been to McAllister Park a few times in the past and even found my first live armadillo there. As a side note – I’ve added that creature to my mental checklist, since I wasn’t able to photograph it last time.

There’s a fair amount of shade along the trails, which will be nice once the temperatures begin the climb toward triple digits. Trees in Texas are distinctly different than those I’m accustomed to. Often times they are short and seem as if they’ve warped under the brutal heat. The leaves are usually small to cope with the arid environment.

Park signs indicate that species in the area could include coyotes or large felines such as bobcats and mountain lions.

I would love to see a bobcat again. I’ve only photographed one during my last book in Virginia. Mountain lions are something that I would like to have photographs of, but… I would also prefer to remain alive. Don’t get me wrong… I’ll still see if I can make it happen.

The uniquely southern accent to the environment are the cacti that dot the area. They’ve even begun to recently form new growth.

As cliche as it might be, images with animals on cacti could be nice if the opportunity presents itself.

Friday’s outing was relatively uneventful until I began to pay close attention to the trees. There is a specific type of beetle that was present in large numbers on the bark. As I approached certain trees, they would aggressively defend their perches. I’m not sure what type of legitimate defense mechanism they have, but they waved their heads around and lunged in my direction as I moved.

Later, I noticed them on the ground and flying from tree to tree as well.

They were a curious observation, but I’m guessing they won’t be the last as I continue to explore this park.