You'll be paired with a guide and provided their cell phone number and email address, which you can use to contact them if you have any specific questions about what you will do during your visit.  Your guide will contact you about a week before your reservation to let you know when and where to meet the first morning of your reservation.  If you have any specific requests, ask your guide and they will do their best to accommodate those requests.  Your guide should ask you about your camera equipment and give you their opinion of what would work best.  As a general rule, 300–400mm lenses are best for Raptors (Birds of Prey) and about 400–600mm lenses are best for Songbirds.

 

You will meet your guide the morning of the first day of your visit at a predetermined location and you will follow them to the ranch.  Typically, you will meet the guide about 30 minutes before sunrise to allow being in a blind and ready to photograph when the first light hits the perches.  You will photograph until the light becomes harsh and then take a midday break.

 

For lunch, you have three options:  (1) Bring your lunch and eat at a covered pavilion that has a picnic table, (2) Eat at a local restaurant about 10 minutes from the ranch, or (3) Go to town to eat, rest, and review images, etc.

 

Plan to be in an afternoon blind when the light is “barely” harsh so that you’re in place when the light becomes optimal, and then photograph until you lose light.

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For attire, we have two important recommendations.  First, we recommend wearing close-toed shoes. This prevents stickers and dirt irritating your skin.  Second, if possible, please wear dark colored shirts.  This helps you blend in with the background of the blinds so the birds don't see your silhouette while photographing. 

 

The ranch has a bathroom and electricity available.  It is common to bring a charger to charge batteries while at lunch so they’re fully charged for the afternoon session.