Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, commonly referred to as Cabeza
de Vaca, lived from 1490 until 1557. He
was a Spanish explorer and a proto-anthropologist, who explored the New World. He and 600 other men left Spain early in
1527. On April 15, 1528 the expedition
landed close to Tampa Bay, Florida.
In a short amount of time many in the expedition
perished. He and forty of his men shipwrecked
either on or close to Galveston Island, which they called “Malhado”
(Misfortune) or The Island of Doom.
In a very short time only Cabeza de Vaca and three other men
on that expedition remained. Over the
years different American Indian tribes from the upper Gulf Coast enslaved them,
but the Spaniards escaped and spent eight years exploring the northeastern
Mexican states and what’s now the state of Texas. While exploring the South Texas Brush Country
Cabeza de Vaca said that he arrived in a barren no man’s land because the
landscape seemed so thorny, desolate and bereft of life.
But looks are deceiving.
Thriving Nature
In a lot of other places around the world the indigenous
species are dying. However, this is not
the case in Texas Brush Country, where Nature is thriving. Per acre, more wildlife roams through this
area than on any other place in the United States. Because it is so rich in biodiversity it has
become one of the most favored destinations for nature lovers.
Today wildlife photographers and bird watchers consider this
region of South Texas to be one of the easiest places in the world to capture photographic
images of wildlife. Were you to leave
the comforts of the air conditioning in your car or SUV and venture outdoors amidst the fragrant
huisache bushes and mesquite trees you would find a thriving, vital environment
rather than a desolate area.
Although 95% of the region is privately owned, some of the
landowners have established sanctuaries that include feeding stations and
watering holes. They’ve also built
photo-blinds for the photographers.
It’s in this region that you’ll find the non-venomous black
indigo, which is otherwise known as the giant yet gentle Texas Indigo Snake. These snakes are non-aggressive; the longest
of which on record is around nine and a half feet.
These giants are so gentle that a lot of people have taken
them home as pets. That may be why these
snakes – whose meal of choice is rattlesnakes – are now classified as a
threatened species.
When you’re in the South Texas Brush Country and look overhead
you will often be treated to the sight of a Harris hawk that’s silhouetted
against the stark blue sky as it hunts for snakes and rodents. Scientists have recently found that Harris
hawks sometimes act like pack animals and form a group of two to four birds
when they go hunting.
If you’re in the area at night you will hear the coyotes
howl. Their howls are a signal for
members of their family to get together to go hunting. You might also catch them coming out during
the day, so keep your eyes open for photo opportunities.
If you’re going to South Texas you might also go hunting
yourself for the legendary javelin, a gentle creature that looks rather vicious
because of its sharp tusks. These
animals are almost blind and rely on each other and their sense of smell to
find the beans and prickly pear cacti that comprise most of their diets.
This is just a small sampling of the wildlife that has made
this area so popular with nature and wildlife photographers. Go there with your camera and you will enjoy
an outdoor experienced like no other.
You will be amazed by how many animals pass in front of your lens.
Air Conditioning
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