Welcome to Texas Target Birds!

Greg Lavaty

I have been excited about photographing birds for nearly 20 years and during that time I have had the blessing of being able to explore lots of exciting birding hotspots and some personal spots that are a bit off the beaten path.  In 2010 I decided to share my experience with birders and nature photographers to help them get the most out of their travels. 

 

I love to share my knowledge with others and hope that a little of my excitement about birds, nature and photography will enhance your next trip.

 

 

 

 

Upcoming trips

TX and AZ May 2024

 

Details HERE

Puerto Rico May 2024

 

Details HERE

Minnesota Songbirds

June 2024

 

Details HERE

Ecuador July 2024

 

Details HERE

Costa Rica September 2024

 

Details HERE

 

Costa Rica October 2024

 

Details HERE

Yucatan November 2024

 

Details HERE

Oaxaca December 2024

 

Details HERE

Yucatan Flamingos

Jan 2024

 

Details HERE

Ecuador Feb 2025

 

Details HERE

We also offer several trips that can be run whenever you like.  These are designed for two or more people and are fully customizable. 

South Texas Specialties, Click HERE for details

Audubon's Oriole

Birding in Texas

 

Texas is a big place with extreme geographic diversity and as a result has one of the most diverse bird populations in North America.  Finding birds in this vast area can certainly be a daunting task and having someone with you who is familiar with the area and birds can save lots of time and money. 

more

White-tailed Kite

Services

 

Just let me know what birds you want to see or what area you want to visit and I will put together your itinerary.  I can help you get the photos you want, help you tick off those species that you have been struggling with or anything in between.  All of my trips are customized to fit your individual needs.

more

Why hire me?

Having spent many years searching for birds in a great many locations, I have learned not only how to find them, but also how frustrating and time consuming the search can be. I am certainly someone who likes to avoid spending money unnecessarily, and for this reason I always try to hire a guide when traveling to a new location. Airplane tickets, ground transportation, food, lodging all cost a lot and are unfortunately necessary expenses when birding away from your local patch. Hiring a skilled guide who is wired in to what is going on in the location you are going to visit can make a huge difference in the outcome of your trip. It could mean the difference between a OK trip and a great trip or even the difference between a successful trip and a trip that needs to be repeated later.

 

Furthermore, if you are interested in photography, having a guide who is a skilled photographer really does enhance your trip. It is one thing just to detect a bird and check it off the list and it is another to get an identifiable photo of the bird. It’s once again a whole other thing to actually get a great photo of the bird that you would be proud to show off to your friends. When birding away from home, time is limited and the birds and birding locations are new and unfamiliar. As a result a large portion of field time is allocated to simply locating the bird. This limits the amount of time actually spent on photographing the bird. If you aren’t a strong photographer it is easy to miss key photo opportunities because of less than ideal camera settings or techniques or lack of knowledge about a particular bird’s behavior.

 

On my trips I am there not only to locate the birds efficiently, but also to stack the deck in favor of you getting beautiful photos of the bird. I am right there to answer any questions you have about your camera or the lighting as well as to help you get into an ideal position to photograph the bird you are after. I am your photography coach as well as your birding guide. I will try to set up the situation to ensure your success. Any time I am in a place that I am not very familiar with I will always take on an assistant who is very skilled at locating the birds of the region so I can better be there to help you.

 

The end result is that we see a large variety of species and come home with lots of great photos. You will also come away from the trip with stronger photography skills.

 

At the end of the trip the money you spend on hiring me as your guide will not only make your trip more successful and fun; it will also save you money since you can get so much more done in a shorter period of time.