I originally had Sabal Palms on my list of optional places to visit while in the Lower Rio-Grande Valley. I decided to go after a couple elderly ladies that I talked to at the Valley Nature center strongly recomended it. They said it would probably be my last chance to go, they seemed to be on the verge of tears.
Sabal Palms is a 527 acre preserve located southeast of Brownsville Texas. It contains 32 acres of old-growth sabal palm and is considered the best example of this type (The 500 Most Important Bird Areas book).
It doesn't take long to realize that this is a very special place. It is irreplaceable. Sadly it appears that Sabal Palms will be the victim of the border wall. I highly recomend that visit Sabal Palms before it is too late.
Green Kingfisher
1/500 sec, f5.6, iso 250, -1/3 exposure compensation, 400mm
(negative exposure compensation is used to reduce over-exposure of kingfisher's white neck)
Least Grebe
1/500 sec, f5.6, iso 250, -2/3 exposure compensation, 400mm
(negative exposure compensation is used here also to reduce over-exposure of the grebe's white rump)
Red-eared Slider Turtle
1/400 sec, f5.6, iso 200, +2/3 exposure compensation, 400mm
