Wildlife Watching at Garey Park
The Wildlife Viewing and Photography Blind is the latest jewel in the crown that is Garey Park. The blind was dedicated on January 26, 2019, which was a collaborative effort between local businesses and organizations. The Goodwater Master Naturalist organization coordinated the effort with the City of Georgetown Parks staff to bring the blind to fruition.
Blinds designed for birding and wildlife viewing offer users a chance to be among wildlife in a less-intrusive way, capturing animals as they go about their activities of feeding, breeding, parenting and migrating. The blind allows photographers an opportunity to capture the natural behavior of animals while not disrupting our subjects.
The blind is intended to provide a viewing station for wildlife, primarily birds. It features several feeding stations, a substantial flowing water feature, and is completely enclosed for comfort. It features a glassed-in viewing area, bench seating, and on either end provides an area for photographers to enjoy.
The site is surrounded by trees, with one massive oak on the east side. It has a fenced area with native plants attractive to wildlife and a large butterfly garden.
To reach the blind, visitors need to take the walking trail just beyond the gate near the restrooms found just north of the events center. It’s a short walk, less than half a mile, and you can enjoy the flowers and birds along the way.
Wildlife in View
The observation blind was a vision that offers park visitors a place to stop, sit back and enjoy the many species of wildlife the park has to offer. Construction of the blind began in October 2018, so the dedication of the structure in 2019 is the culmination of several months of hard work. The blind is large enough to seat 20 people, is roofed and is glassed-in overlooking several features sure to attract wildlife.
Surrounding the wildlife/bird viewing blind is a large flowing water feature and several bird feeders, including hummingbird feeders, that will surely attract other critters like butterflies, dragonflies and squirrels. The blind will be of great value to novice wildlife watchers as well as experienced wildlife photographers and enthusiasts.
Take a morning and come out and enjoy the birds at Garey Park, especially in winter when they are more dependent on seed for their survival, but the blind offers an outdoor experience and comfort at the same time.
More for the Birds
Nearby, there is also a nature trail along the San Gabriel River for those looking to get out of the blind and stretch their legs.
If you’ve not yet been to Garey Park then the time to go is now. During the winter months, the park offers free admission every Tuesday during the fall, winter and much of the spring.
6 Tips for Photographing Birds from a Blind
- Before you visit a blind in an area that is new to you, study up on the birds that you can expect to encounter. This will help you identify your subjects, but also determine which birds are common and which are more rare. Use a book or birding app.
- Choose Your Angles – Make sure you are positioned to get the shots you want. Maximize your field of vision by setting up in right part of the blind. This means being able to shoot from left to right as well as up and down. Make sure the sun is where you need it.
- Make sure you bring extra gear. This includes storage cards for cameras and extra batteries.
- Make sure you have appropriate supplies for cleaning your camera lenses. Birding blinds will help conceal you, but you are still outside and sometimes blinds can be a little dusty. Plan ahead.
- Put your digital camera on silent mode. This will reduce the number of frames per second that you can shoot, but less noise will allow you to get the shots you want rather than spooking birds. This is especially important early in the morning and late in the evening, or anytime when wind is light.
- Birds clue in on motion and sound. Be quiet while in photo blinds and keep your movements to a minimum. Ideally, keep the front part of the lense inside the blind so that birds don’t pick up on movement outside of the blind. Use the blind just as it was intended, to conceal you and your gear.