Cow

About the Cow

Not every subject on a Texas back road has feathers. This curly-faced Hereford-cross was photographed in the farm country near Granger Lake in December 2022, ear tag and all, while I was working the winter fields for raptors and sparrows.

Cattle are as much a part of the Texas landscape as mesquite and barbed wire -- the state runs more beef cattle than any other in the country -- and any birder who spends time on rural roads ends up on a first-name basis with the local herds. They also matter to the birding: cowbirds, Cattle Egrets, and wintering blackbird flocks all work the ground that cattle stir up, so a pasture full of cows is always worth a scan.

This particular animal walked up to the fence to investigate the truck, which is more curiosity than most wild subjects ever offer. With a face full of winter curls and a pink 884 tag, the portrait took itself.

Sometimes the best photo of the day is simply the one in front of you. A long lens does fine work on livestock -- same rules as wildlife, catchlight in the eye and a clean background.