Field Trips
There’s no single birding event I look forward to more each year than the RGVBF. It always seems like November can never come soon enough! Having personally experienced many different festivals and conventions, I’m always impressed by how well they treat their field trip leaders, which means that the participants get to bird with the cream of the crop when they’re in the field: a superior experience by far, and worth every penny. And, of course, the birds are amazing if not slightly insidious…it was a trip here as a teenager that left me wanting more, and to a life of tourleading in Mexico. Still, I always come back to the Valley. Sometimes it feels like a second home.
~Michael Retter, Tour leader, Tropical Birding Department Editor & Technical Reviewer, Birding Magazine
The RGV Birding Festival has long been famed for the quality of its leaders. You may find yourself in the field with Jon Dunn, National Geographic Field Guide, or Michael O’Brien and Kevin Karlson, The Shorebird Guide, or Don Kroodsma, Birdsong by the Seasons, or other birding world talent…
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ANZALDUAS COUNTY PARK and CHIHUAHUA WOODS Fee: $45
Friday / 6am – 12pm
Look above and beyond the picnic tables and the playground-Anzalduas will surprise and delight. You’ll understand why this riverside area’s fame goes beyond its county park status. The adjoining U.S. Fish and Wildlife tract provides a wild side, and the two together are always a favorite. Plus, a bonus-if time allows we’ll visit a third habitat, the mesquite and cactus woodlands of the nearby Nature Conservancy’s Chihuahau Woods reserve.
Targets: Hook-billed Kite (rare), Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk (rare), Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Cactus Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Curve-billed Thrasher, American and Sprague’s Pipits, Pine and other wintering warblers.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at site. Shade and sun. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
BENTSEN-RIO GRANDE STATE PARK Fee $45
Thursday, Friday, Sunday / 6am – 12pm
A mere state park? Nope. As the headquarters for the World Birding Center, Bentsen breaks its bounds into world renown, both for birds and butterflies. The forests are home to many of the Valley bird specialties, the ramped tower gives great views into the skies, and the gardens surrounding the green-designed Visitor’s Center sport exciting butterfly sightings as well.
Targets: Plain Chachalaca, Hook-billed Kite (rare), Gray Hawk, White-tipped Dove, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available on site. Shade and sun. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
BIRD BANDING DEMONSTRATION Fee $35
Sunday / 7:30a – 11:30a
A bird in the hand is worth more…and find out why with biologist and nature educator Mark Conway, who has spent many years banding and studying local avian populations. Join Mark at Los Ebanos, a very special private reserve, for some close encounters and a chance to bird the lovely lawns, woods and wetlands.
Targets (both in and out of the net): White-tipped Dove, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Long-billed Thrasher, Green Jay, Altamira Oriole.
Facts: Light walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at site. Shade and sun. Insects possible. (Back to Top)
Saturday / 8am – 4pm
Get in on the action and get hooked on this fast-growing and widespread hobby. Learn or refresh the basics of birding-both visual and sound identification- in a combination of classroom tips and field trip fun. All this, at one of the nation’s top wildlife refuges and with top Valley birder Brad McKinney, co-author of A Birder’s Guide to the Rio Grande Valley, author of A Checklist of Lower Rio Grande Valley Birds, administrator at the South Texas Academy of Medical Technology, and part-time tour leader for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours.
Targets: Green Jay, Couch’s Kingbird, Great Kiskadee, Olive Sparrow, plus wide variety of lower Rio Grande Valley shorebirds and landbirds.
Facts: At Laguna Atascosa NWR. Participants must ride bus, departing from Municipal Auditorium at 8am. Box lunch and soft drinks included. Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available on site. Shade and sun. Insects possible. (Back to Top)
BROWNSVILLE – AUDUBON SABAL PALM CENTER Fee $45
Thursday, Saturday / 6am – 1pm
Early explorers sailed up the Rio Grande amid extensive forests of Sabals, Texas‘ native palm. See one of the remaining stands of this unusual habitat, home to many of our area specialties. A completely different habitat, one of coastal lagoons and oak motts, will also be experienced on a drive toward the Gulf on Boca Chica Road.
Targets: Least Grebe, White-tailed Kite, Aplomado Falcon, Groove-Billed Ani, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Cassin’s Sparrow, Hooded and Altamira Oriole.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at first site. Shade and sun. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
BROWNSVILLE – RESACA de las PALMAS STATE PARK Fee $45
Sunday / 6am – 1pm
Let’s be students for a bit and start our birding trip at the University of Texas in Brownsville. An interesting wild resaca of the Rio Grande curves through campus, sheltering waterbirds and songbirds. Plus the palms in this area are well-known as a prime place to search for both parrots and parakeets. Then on to the nearby and very new World Birding Center, the largest tract in the WBC system, where several semi-tropical habitats should yield Valley species as well.
Targets: Least Grebe, waterbirds, White-tailed Kite, White-Tipped Dove, Green Parakeet, Red-crowned Parrot, Groove-Billed Ani, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Great Kiskadee, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Bewick’s Wren, wintering songbirds.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at last site. Shade and sun. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday / 7am – 1pm
How about a bit of adventure? Want to see the river as the Green Kingfisher does? Can you paddle and handle a canoe? Then join us and the Friends of Santa Ana, operators of these famous trips, and embark from the National Wildlife Refuge and head slowly downstream on an exciting and productive journey.
Targets: Mottled Duck, waterbirds, Hook-billed Kite (rare), Groove-Billed Ani, Ringed and Green Kingfishers, swallows, Altamira Oriole, songbirds.
Facts: Light walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. A bank climb remotely possible. Moderate to intense canoeing. Restrooms available at site, start and end. Much sun. Insects possible. Wear shoes, clothing that can get wet. (Back to Top)
CRUISE THE ARROYO Fee $55 Adult/$20 Youth
Saturday / 7am – 12pm
Bring the family! Find a good seat! All aboard! From the 70′ double deck excursion boat, scan the brush-lined banks and the skies above along the Arroyo Colorado for a surprising number of favorite species, and don’t forget to watch the water too, for the river-swimming dolphins.
Targets: Reddish Egret, Green Heron, gulls including Franklin’s, terns, Ringed, Belted and Green Kingfishers, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, dolphins.
Facts: Light walking to board and on deck. Restrooms available on board. Shade and sun. Insects possible. (Back to Top)
Thursday, Friday, Sunday / 6am – 1pm
The Valley is separated from the rest of Texas by mile after mile of grass-oak-thornscrub ranchland, and it’s mostly the fabled King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the world (nearly the size of Rhode Island!). This unequaled trip will give you access to the Norias Unit, one of the state’s first wildlife reserves and established by the famed Kleberg family. Special species from this special region await.
Targets: Wild Turkey, Least Grebe, White-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Greater Roadrunner, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Vermilion Flycatcher, Sedge Wren, Sprague’s Pipit, Olive and LeConte’s Sparrows, Audubon’s Oriole.
Facts: Moderate to intense walking, long but slow, mostly flat on grass, dirt. Restrooms not available at site. Sun and shade. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
LAGUNA ATASCOSA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Fee $45
Friday, Saturday, Sunday / 6am – 12pm
Which National Wildlife Refuge has more bird species recorded than any other? Yup, this one. Its vast and varied landscape offers up species from woodlands to wetlands, lomas to lagoons. Plus the exceptional Visitor Center feeding stations are the place for potential up-close sightings and prime photo-ops. Keep your eyes open for javelina here, too.
Targets: American White Pelican, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Crested Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Snowy and Piping Plovers, Willet, Groove-billed Ani, Green Jay.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at site. Shade and sun. Insects possible. (Back to Top)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday / 4pm – 6pm
With the nesting season concluded, parrots and parakeets play hide-and-seek with us. Use your eyes and ears and join the search, while these colorful and countable tropical icons choose their nightly roost
Targets: Green Parakeet, Red-crowned Parrot.
Facts: Light walking, mostly flat on grass, pavement. Restrooms not available at site. Shade and sun. Insects possible. (Back to Top)
RIVER PONTOON and QUINTA MAZATLAN Fee $55
Thursday, Saturday / 6am – 1pm
Step aboard the large and comfortable Riverside Dreamer, and see the Rio Grande in a new way. The wooded banks on either side can yield many of our area’s exceptional species and many other exciting possibilities, too. As if this isn’t enough, we’ll then visit Quinta Mazatlan, McAllens’ World Birding Center-with its truly gracious and historic hacienda, grounds, and trails.
Targets: Hook-billed Kite (rare), Gray Hawk, Sora, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Black Phoebe, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed and Curve-billed Thrashers, Olive Sparrow.
Facts: Light walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at site. Shade and sun. Insects possible. Can be cool on boat in mornings. (Back to Top)
SAN YGNACIO and ZAPATA Fee $60
Thursday / 5am – 4pm
Let’s get right to it: White-collared Seedeaters. Often, but not always seen, this tiny tropical species roosts in the giant cane along the river, but forages afield during the day. But beyond seedeaters, many other birds are worth the two hour+ trip to this distinctive region of drier, desert-like brushlands and villages steeped in Texas history.
Targets: Red-billed Pigeon, Vermilion Flycatcher, Chihuahuan Raven, Cactus and Bewick’s Wrens, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (rare), White-collared Seedeater, Olive and Black-throated Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Audubon’s Oriole.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat, some inclines, on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms not available at site. Sun and shade. Insects possible. Box lunch included.
SANTA ANA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REGUGE Fee $45
Thursday, Friday/ 6am – 12pm
Trails that wind through Cedar Elms, moss-draped and towering, make for a magical memory. Widely famous and justly so, with the second highest bird count (after Laguna Atascosa, above!) in the entire US NWR system, the riparian woodlands and cattail-lined waterways of Santa Ana are a great place to experience many of the Valley’s compelling species. A plus is the 40′ hawkwatch tower, offering a rare look out over the forest canopy.
Targets: Ducks, Plain Chachalaca, Least Grebe, waterbirds, Hook-billed Kite (rare), Long-billed Dowitcher, Groove-billed Ani, Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Olive Sparrow.
Facts: Moderate to intense walking, long but slow, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at site. Shade and sun. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
Friday/ 6am – 1pm
Sure, Spring Breakers migrate here in mid-March, but the birds make full use of this sub-tropical paradise year round. Explore boardwalks in coastal marshes, check out the concentrated woodlots, and cruise on the lovely Laguna Madre (get it? Father Island, Mother Lagoon).
Targets: Brown Pelican, Least Bittern, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill,
Peregrine Falcon, Clapper Rail, Sora, Snowy and Piping Plovers, American Oystercatcher, Marbled Godwit, gulls including Franklin’s, Forster’s, Royal, and Sandwich Terns, Black Skimmer, Marsh Wren, lingering migrant songbirds.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at site. Sun and shade. Insects remotely possible. (Back to Top)
Friday, Saturday / 5am – 1pm
Lucky for us, birds don’t recognize our international border. The river’s wooded edges and the arid uplands of Starr County are rich with both riparian sub-tropical and desert southwest species. Visit the birding places with the famous names: Saliňeno, Chapeňo, and Falcon Dam.
Targets: Muscovy Duck, Scaled Quail (rare), Hook-billed Kite (rare), Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Red-billed Pigeon, Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Cactus Wren, Verdin, Black-throated Sparrow, Pyrrhuloxia, Hooded, Altamira, and Audubon’s Orioles.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat, some inclines, on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at some sites. Sun and shade. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
VALLEY SALT LAKES and EDINBURGH SCENIC WETLANDS Fee $45
Saturday, Sunday / 6am – 1pm
Centuries ago, Aztec traders and Spanish rancheros came to these mesquite-rimmed, white-crusted lakes to mine salt, and the birds (and birders) still come. The habitat here is the southern edge of the interesting ranch areas that extend northward. Next, a visit to the World Birding Center in nearby Edinburgh-wetlands, brushlands, butterfly gardens-round out this novel and engaging trip.
Targets: Wild Turkey, Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, White-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Sandhill Crane, Snowy Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson’s Phalarope, Green Kingfisher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, sparrows.
Facts: Intense walking, long but slow, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available at last site. Mostly sun. Insects possible. (Back to Top)
WARBLERS and BEYOND WORKSHOP with JON DUNN Fee $60
Thursday (SOLD OUT), Friday (SOLD OUT) / 6am – 1pm
This is not your standard trip. Jon Dunn, author of the Peterson Field Guide to Warblers and co-author of both the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America and Birding Essentials will lead a limited lucky few for a special classroom + fieldtrip combination. Centered around Frontera Audubon and possibly other Weslaco hotspots, this exceptional offering will focus on Valley wintering warblers, and whatever else presents itself. Participant numbers will be kept at an intimate level and sell out fast, so don’t miss the chance to meet and learn from one of America’s most esteemed birders.
Targets: Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Long-billed and Curve-billed Thrashers, Black-crested Titmouse, Orange-crowned Warbler, Tropical Parula, Olive Sparrow
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available on site. Shade and sun. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
Thursday, Saturday / 6am – 1pm
Pronounce it WES-lah-co and sound like a local. This mid-Valley and multi-faceted town boasts three prominent birding spots. The World Birding Center’s Estero Llano Grande State Park offers strolls along the boardwalks experiencing the reclaimed wetlands. Frontera Audubon Thicket has been, historically, a hotbed of vagrants, such as Crimson-collared Grosbeak and Elegant Trogon, but is always a haven for various residents. Valley Nature Center is another urban oasis filled with specialties. All three have parks with productive butterfly plantings as well.
Targets: Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Harris’s Hawk, Stilt Sandpiper, Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Common Pauraque, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed and Curve-billed Thrashers, Summer Tanager, Lesser Goldfinch.
Facts: Moderate to intense walking, long but slow, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms available on site. Sun and shade. Insects very possible. (Back to Top)
Saturday / 8am – 12pm
Isn’t it fun to see other people’s creative landscaping? That’s what we do on this entertaining excursion, visiting the yards of local nature enthusiasts, and learning how to use native plants, ornamentals, and water features to attract and provide homes for birds, butterflies, and other critters.
Facts: Moderate walking, mostly flat on grass, dirt, pavement. Restrooms not available at most sites. Shade and sun. Insects possible. (Back to Top)
Sunday / 4:45am – 7pm
One of the connotations of ‘pelagic’? Possibilities! The saltwaters offshore from South Texas have rarely been birded in November. This trip could yield some of the target species listed below, and who knows what else! Sea turtles and Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, along with other marine life, could make this a trip to anticipate. Come help our expert pelagic leaders explore the Gulf of Mexico.
Targets: Yellow-nosed Albatross (rare), Cory’s (rare) and Audubon’s (rare) Shearwaters, Masked Booby, Northern Gannet, Bridled Tern, South Polar Skua (rare), Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, dolphin.
Facts: In case of adverse conditions, the Captain will decide if the trip goes or not. If cancelled, a ‘leader’s choice’ trip will be substituted, returning to the convention center by 4pm, and participants will receive a credit of $75. The trip is more likely to be cancelled due to wind than rain, so bring rain gear, plus a lens cloth for optics, sunscreen, and drinking water. If you have never been on a boat, taking medication to prevent seasickness is advisable. Breakfast tacos and a box lunch provided. The vans will leave from the Municipal Auditorium Complex at 4:45am. The Osprey departs the dock on South Padre Island at 6:00am and returns to the dock at 6:00pm. Vans should return to Harlingen at approximately 7:30 pm. For more information on this trip, contact Mary Gustafson live4birds@aol.com. For more information on the boat, visit www.ospreyfishingtrips.com. (Back to Top)
SOUTH TEXAS PHOTO SAFARI Fee $225
Saturday (SOLD OUT), Sunday / 5a-7:30p
If you are a birder who believes a camera is as vital to carry as binoculars, this very special trip is designed for you. Led by esteemed professional photographer Ruth Hoyt, a select group will enjoy the privilege of not only benefiting from her experience and knowledge, but also doing so at a premier private South Texas ranch. Photoblinds will be available for stellar shooting opportunities, often positioned at lucrative waterholes. Instruction will include equipment choosing, exposure techniques, creative composition, and more. This is a singular offering, a rare chance to capture rare images of the area’s unique birds and wildlife.
Facts: Lunch and snacks provided. Be prepared for sun, insects, weather. Moderate walking required. Restroom facilities variable. Trip designed for the advanced amateur and above. (Back to Top)
NORTHEAST MEXICO: AN INTRODUCTION TO TROPICAL BIRDING
Monday, 16 November – Friday, 20 November Fee $1275
About 200 miles south by southwest of Harlingen, just across the Tropic of Cancer, lies El Cielo Biosphere Reserve. El Cielo’s 144,530 hectares surround much of the rugged, northeastern flank of the Sierra Madre Oriental. Its eastern slope is moist, rising into cloud forest before breaking into drier pine-oak. The west side is much more arid, with a feeling not unlike west Texas or Arizona. The reserve is home to spectacular, rare species including Military Macaw, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, and Great Curassow. But along with these icons of tropical wilderness come a host of smaller species with exotic names like motmot, euphonia, woodcreeper, and peppershrike.
We are pleased to offer festival participants the chance to experience this exciting region with expert leadership. This short tour will serve as a wonderful introduction to the pleasures of tropical birding and will also provide much to interest those who have already traveled farther south, but have not visited northeast Mexico.
Our itinerary will allow us to access all the major habitat types and to see and enjoy a couple of dozen bird species rarely or never seen during the main festival. Imagine floating along a crystal clear river lined with cypress trees while White-crowned Parrots, Elegant Trogons, Blue-crowned Motmots, and Linneated Woodpeckers perch overhead. Kingfishers of 4 species ply the waterway and bizarre Boat-billed Herons hide in the shadows. Throw in the chance of seeing a shy Sungrebe or a lurking Bare-throated Tiger Heron and you start to get a feeling for just how rich this area is. Or picture a ride up into the clouds, with everything from tiny Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owls to snazzy Barred Antshrikes to hulking Crested Guans being on the list of possible sightings, all set to a soundtrack ranging from the gurgling swoops of Melodious Blackbirds to the haunting cascades of Brown-backed Solitaires. It’s hard to believe it’s all within a day’s drive of South Texas.
In addition to amazing birding, we’ll also enjoy some fantastic informal butterflying and botanizing, as well as getting a peek into the fascinating, friendly culture of rural Mexico. Transportation will be in comfortable vans. Lodging is in basic but clean and comfortable hotels that offer a variety of delicious, healthy foods. Group size will be limited to 16 participants with 2 leaders.
Facts: Included: All transportation from the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium Complex and back, experienced guides, meals, lodging in Mexico. Not included: Lodging in Harlingen pre- and post-tour, Sunday and Friday nights. A complete itinerary, a detailed information bulletin, and required personal identification documents for crossing into Mexico will be sent to you upon registration. Questions: email Jeffrey A. Gordon jeffgyr@mac.com
Fee of $1275 per person based on double occupancy. Single Supplement $125.
