PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
(More extensive details TBA very soon!)
“South Texas: Specialties and Migrants in the Rio Grande
Valley”
April 4-12, 2009, $1890. Leaders: John Yerger and/or Jake
Mohlmann
TRIP OVERVIEW
The Lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas is a unique part of the country where temperate meets subtropical, desert meets coast, and birds abound as a result! This trip will cover a variety of habitats from tidal mudflats to subtropical thornscrub to prime Chihuahuan desert. Not only will we have intimate encounters with the avian residents that just reach this area from Mexico (e.g. Green Jay, Altamira Oriole, Great Kiskadee), but we will also experience the wonder of spring migration in a major flyway. In addition, we will likely track down a few exciting rarities along the way!
ITINERARY (subject to change at guide’s discretion)
April 4 – Arrival/First night in the Valley
Welcome to the Lower Rio Grande Valley! As everyone arrives, we will probably already be seeing birds that are lifers for some, right from the Harlingen International Airport and our hotel – commonalities like Great Kiskadee and Great-tailed Grackle. We’ll start the trip by getting to know everyone in the group, and holding a brief orientation on the ecology (and especially the birds) of the region. We’ll stay in Harlingen for the first three nights, so we can settle in and just enjoy the birds!
April 5 – The serious birding begins!
Starting the morning at the wonderfully diverse Laguna Atascosa NWR, we’ll be greeted by 50,000 acres of Tamaulipan thornscrub, dense grasslands, sandy lomas, and tidal mudflats. This is a great place to introduce ourselves to some south Texas specialties like Green Jay, White-tipped Dove, and Olive Sparrow, combined with coastal inhabitants like Reddish Egret and Roseate Spoonbills. We may even run into some migrant Painted Buntings or one of the recently reintroduced Aplomado Falcons! We’ll return to Harlingen for a mid-afternoon break, and if we have time we’ll work in a pre-dinner stop for another specialty or two.
April 6 – Palm forests and parrots…are we still in Texas?
In one of America’s last remaining palm forests, the Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary, “regular rarities” such as Gray-crowned Yellowthroat have nested. We’ll also seek the sometimes elusive Groove-billed Ani while enjoying the antics of Plain Chachalacas and Buff-bellied Hummingbirds. Afterwards, we’ll make our way to the USFWS Boca Chica tract. This coastal locale has the potential to hold thousands of northbound shorebirds. As dusk and dinner approaches, we’ll hold vigil for Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets as they come to roost.
April 7 – Local hotspots
Frontera Audubon Thicket and other Weslaco hotspots dominate the itinerary today. Clay-colored Robins, Altamira Orioles, and our second chance for parrots and parakeets will be had in this area. A visit to Estero Llano Grande should yield kingfishers of 3 species (Belted, Ringed, and Green), along with many Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and others. Night in McAllen
April 8 – THE “must see” Wildlife Refuge
Santa Ana NWR, a gem in the crown of the National Wildlife Refuge system, will be our best chance for difficult birds like Hook-billed Kite and Tropical Parula, but should also afford great looks at species like Least Grebe and Long-billed Thrasher. Birding here can be spectacular, with a great diversity of species on the list.
April 9 – THE “must see” State and County Parks
For a really good chance at Common Paraque, we’ll need to depart exceedingly early on this particular morning. We’ll follow it up with a search for Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, and conclude the morning at Anzalduas County Park for things like Gray Hawk and Cave Swallow. Fortunately, a vehicle-based nap will be in order as the guide(s) transport you closer to White-collared Seedeaters!
April 10 – Farther afield; reaching for rarer residents
If the family of Brown Jays is still crossing the river at Salineño or Chapeño, this morning will offer our best chance at them. Audubon’s Oriole is also a possibility here, as well as Red-billed Pigeons and a number of other Valley specialties. Falcon Dam State Park will allow us to explore the Chihuahuan desert bordering the Tamaulipan thornscrub with which we will now be quite familiar. The afternoon will be flexible, and will allow us a second shot at White-collared Seedeaters if we have not yet encountered them. The heat of the afternoon will be a good time to make our way back to the lower end of the Valley.
April 11 – Rarities, migrants, or whatever the day may hold
Our last full day will be flexible in case any big-time vagrants show up, but we will tentatively focus on the spectacular passerine migration that should be well underway by now. South Padre Island, areas around Port Isabel, and perhaps even another visit to Boca Chica may be warranted.
April 12 – Departure from Harlingen
Brief morning of birding, time permitting, before departing flights.
For questions or to register, contact us: info@adventurebirding.com or 814-308-4078