MUSE Nature photographer

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER SHARES HIS TALENT It’s for the Birds

Photos by Dale Bargmann

Story by Nancy Foster

Dale Bargmann is passionate about birds, and he likes nothing better than to photograph them in their natural state. To date he has photographed 271 species, over half the 420 species that live here in the Edwards Plateau region, as documented by Texas Parks & Wildlife. We met up with this talented Kerrville resident at the Riverside Nature Center, one of his favorite spots for photographing birds. His intrigue with the camera began at an early age.

“My interest in photography started while observing my father take photos on family vacations across the U.S.,” Dale said.

Over the years, he honed his skills and is now well known and respected for his captivating photographs.

Bird Photography: Rewarding, but Not Easy

Dale prefers to photograph birds. He prefers to shoot in the early morning and evening light and uses a Canon DSLR with either a 500 or 600 mm lens.

“I love the idea of trying to track down something elusive. You never know what you’re going to get from one day to the next, one hour to the next, or even one minute to the next.” Patience is a crucial component of being a good bird photographer, he explained.

“Sometimes you hear the bird before you see it,” Dale said. “You try to track it down, perhaps seeing a branch move slightly, giving you a momentary glimpse. Some species jump around very quickly as they search for food, while others will land right in front of you, stay a few seconds and then move on. Ultimately, you have to wait and wait for something to appear and be ready to hit the shutter when it does.”

Kerr County has so many great bird spotting sites, and the flocks increase when migration starts, usually in April and then again in the fall, from late July through November. Dale cites both Flat Rock Park and Riverside Nature Center as being designated Hill Country Birding Hotspots and adds that most anywhere along the Guadalupe is prime to view and photo birds. One of his most exciting shots was of a great egret with a snake in its mouth, taken on the banks of the Guadalupe. He also was thrilled to capture photos of the rare white Leucistic Black-chinned Hummingbird at the Coming of the Kings Foundation last August.

A lesser-known area but still great to view birds is just off Arcadia Loop on Bear Creek Road, Freedom Trail and Indian Creek Road. Dale chose this area for the annual Texas Christmas Bird Count that yielded viewings of

53 birds in 2017, 43 in 2018 and 25 in 2019.

Exhibiting His Work

Dale is one of several bird photographers currently exhibiting at Riverside Nature Center’s “Alfred Woodcock Presents the Return of the Birds”. His panel of photographs showcases a beautiful green kingfisher, pied-billed grebe, great blue heron, and other native species. The public can learn more about Dale and his avian subjects by attending his Nature Education Talk, “Look Who’s Hanging Out at the Birding Hotspots” at the Center on April 28 at 10:30 a.m. Find details at riversidenaturecenter.org. An active member of the Hill Country Camera Club for over 20 years, Dale is currently

serving a third term as president of the club. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at “The Barn” at Hosanna Lutheran Church, 134 Camp Meeting Road, Kerrville and those interested in photography at any level are welcome to attend. Although he does not have a website or gallery, Dale does sell his beautiful photographs, and he will be a participant in the club’s PhotoQuest annual juried exhibition at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center during its run from Aug. 15 – Sept. 12.

If you’d like to meet and talk with this avid birder, a great place to meet him is to join one of the monthly Riverside Nature Center bird walks, held the third Saturday of each month from 8 – 9:30 a.m. See locations and details at www. riversidenaturecenter.org.

We finished our interview with Dale at the Center’s bird watching blind, where he positioned himself on a well-worn plastic chair. Poised with a direct view of a bird feeder well stocked with sunflower seeds, he scrutinized a pair of energetic Lesser Goldfinches eagerly munching breakfast. Resting his Canon on the handle of his cane, he patiently awaited that perfect moment to snap the shutter.