This is the view from my front porch, looking east.   My binoculars, spotting scope, and camera are never far away, and I spend as much time as I can enjoying this scene, and documenting the birds, plants, critters and changing weather photographically. 

I have a variety of scopes and binoculars; my 'go to' binocs are Orion Savannahs 8 x 42.  My photography is mostly done with a digital SLR, a Canon Rebel T3/EO3 1100D.  I use a 55-250 mm image stabilized zoom (effective focal length 88-400mm) on field trips, but at home usually use an Orion 80 mm telescope (focal length 600 mm) as my lens.  It requires a sturdy tripod, so isn't very portable.  Occasionally, we pull out the big 10" astronomical telescope to see what we

can see.

An adaptor allows for terrestrial viewing that isn't upside down.  For astronomy and  astrophotography from our observatory, see Michael's Horizontal Heavens Observatory.  

I consider myself a biologist and general naturalist and nature lover, although my truest passion is for birds.  They make up the bulk of my photography.  My photo collection is organized roughly by checklist groups--the Yard Birds page will give you an idea of what you will find on each page.  There is also a page for photos from Other Locations.  I volunteer at the Bracken Bat Cave Preserve, and photos of the birds, bats and flowers are on the Bracken page.  I'm slowly working to document the plant life and critters (mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles) found on my own acre of Hill Country property.  Look for the Flitters & Spinners page for bugs, and the Critters & Crawlies for most other animals.  A Texas Weather page documents the awesome display Mother Nature frequently puts on.

If you are looking for a particular bird species, and aren't sure what group it fits with, check my Yard List & Index.  Not all photos are linked here, but the list will give you an idea of what page to check.  Alternatively, the links below will take you to pages with species grouped by when they occur in my yard (summer, winter, migrants, year-round, or accidental).

For more info on me, please see Who I Am.  All photos and content on all pages are considered copyrighted.  Please do not download, share, or copy without permission.  If you would like to use a photograph, please send an email outlining your request to leslie@horizontalheavens.com. 

For current weather conditions at my location, see the National Weather Service Forecast for Rural Blanco County, Texas:  Local Weather for Leslie's Location