Have you ever had a stock agency (or even a potential individual buyer) ask you if you had a photograph of a Great-tailed Grackle, a male House Sparrow, or even a common gardener's delight - a particular flower? We photographers seem to travel to the far ends of the earth to capture the exotic creatures and birds hoping (or perhaps thinking) that we will be rewarded and share the accolades the same as a renowned photographer known for his (or her) photography. In most cases, this won't happen, but at least we can say we have been there. As Dorothy said in the "Wizard of OZ" - you need not look any further than your own backyard. That goes for Nature and wildlife photographers as well.

I have the luxury of living in an apartment complex near a small lake in Southeast Texas (Sugar Land - to be exact - a suburb of Houston) where all sorts of visitors (of the non-human kind) frequent on a regular basis. Being so close to the coast, and technically in the Coastal Plain, the lake offers an abundance of flora and fauna. The busy traffic of the streets and highways close by don't seem to phase the critters as they pass my way - from various birds to the dreaded Nutria - they feel comfortable and safe in the man-made environment created for them here. Well -  technically not totally man-made, I guess I should say "man-enhanced" as the lake actually was a natural creek that the developers decided would better serve the "amenities" of the residents by damming it up and building some strategically placed fountains and small spillways throughout the complex.

I seem to have it all where I live - the water attracts various species of wading birds (Great and Snowy Egrets, Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night Herons, Green Herons and even an occasional Belted Kingfisher), as well as songbirds, ducks with various inbreeding tendencies, dragonflies, turtles and snakes (yes, I even had one who decided he wanted to spend some time on my patio while I was trying to grill a steak one evening!).

The undeveloped fringe area of the lake offers up wildflowers such as Dewberry, Passionflower, Crow Poison, and many of the extremely small varieties such as Carolina Geranium and Scarlet Pimpernels. I might add that as part of my songbird enticement, I have several feeders set up with various types of food - from seed mix, dried fruit, suet and sugar water to a peanut bucket for the Blue Jays. The Jays must be nesting close as a "fledged" chick was hopelessly trapped on my patio one evening as his flight feathers hadn't developed enough to give him the necessary "lift" to get airborne. I graciously helped him up on the ledge with momma keeping a trained eye on me the whole time. In addition, I have a few snags strategically placed to allow for the "landing and waiting" zone when they come to feed which has rewarded me with many a decent photo!

One of my most recent excursions to the lake area began early one Sunday morning in May of this year. I had noticed a few Yellow-crowned Night Herons and a Green Heron out by the lake the evening before and decided I would set up early the next morning in hopes of getting a few good clicks of the shutter off and perhaps a couple "keeper" photos of both species. Well, the Green Heron never showed..but to my surprise, one Yellow-crowned decided to start his search for food no more than 25 feet from where I had positioned myself on the ground. With the tripod as low as it would go, I patiently waited for the right moment when he would take the "perfect" position before I clicked the shutter. I have never witnessed what occurred next - another Yellow-crowned flew in and proceeded to arch his back, spray his feathers upward and assume the "fighting stance". I never knew these birds would be so territorial - but it was most definitely worth the couple hours I spent shooting these two going at it. They would fight, back off, stare down and then start fighting again. Who would have thought that this behavior could be found right outside my door!

I think many of us would be surprised at the photo opportunities that exist right outside our door - from bugs and butterflies to the birds and critters that make their way into our small world without giving a thought that a large lens may be pointed at them at any given moment.

The trick is to study your own area, that is, learn the habits of the creatures visiting you. Do the songbirds only come during the early morning hours? Do the bugs and butterflies remain hunkered down until the sun breaks the sky? Do the flowers close up at night and open at first light? Does that occasional wandering Opossum hang on your back fence waiting for you to feed the dog on the back porch so he can steal some food? The answers to these questions lie solely with you - the photographer. Think out of the box on occasion and you will be rewarded tenfold. Not only will you have some breathtaking photos, but you will have explored your own little microcosm and know it well - your own backyard.

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts. Michael is an Editor and Field Correspondent for PhotoMigrations. Feel free to visit his website - Michael's Natural Images and peruse the many galleries of the flora and fauna of Texas and Oklahoma.