Got back Monday from a birding trip to South Texas

[harper]

Spent 5 days in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Went to South Padre Island, Sabel Palm, Santa Ana, Laguna Atascosa and some great little spots in Westlaco and Edinburg. Saw some great birds. New birds for my list include Olive sided sparrow, Green Kingfisher, Ringed Kingfisher, Rose Collared Grosbeak, Pyrrhuoxia, Green Heron, and Orange-crowned warbler. What a great trip. I've been looking for the kingfishers for years and finally saw them both on this trip! Can't wait to go back.

[amazona]

1. a wonderful area

The old "snowbird" folks at Bentsen with their little RVs who had marshmallows for the Altamira Orioles and peanut butter for the Plain Chachalaca really cracked me up but I've been told the old folk's camping was closed in that area for "renovation" since my visit.

Too bad, some nice Hook-Billed Kites there when we went. But maybe it's all fixed and accessible again by now? You don't mention Bentsen so I wonder.

We had to do everything but sacrifice the voodoo chickens to get the Aplomado Falcons at Laguna Atascosa, wonder if they are still doing OK there.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[harper]

2. We stopped by Bentson

but were so turned off by the incredible disorganization at the so called "World-Birding Center Headquarters" that we left and didn't come back. We had intended to stop by on Friday afternoon and see what was going on and then return bright and early Saturday morning. After our bad impression we just gave it a miss and went on to Santa Ana, where we spent a productive day.

I guess they threw the RVers out of the park and built this new world birding center headquarters, but haven't got it together yet. I think I'll try it again in a couple of years and see if there is any improvement. By the way, one of the nicest spots we were at was the Frontera Audubon House in Westlaco. They have about 6 acres with paths, feeding stations and some little ponds. I didn't see them but lots of folks there were excited about a white-throated robin and an elegant trogan on the grounds. And there were lots of knowledgeable folks there. By all means, give it a visit if you are ever in the area.

[XemaSab]

3. Went to Bentsen last month

It's an interesting experience. Had my life Chachalacas, Pauraques, Ferruginous Pygmy Owls, and Rose Throated Becard (!!!) there.

They've totally closed it to vehicular traffic, except for a tram that runs infrequently. I don't remember the exact hours, but it's something like 9-4, which is too late in the morning and too early in the evening.

They have bicycle rentals for getting around. You can still camp, but you have to ride the tram, walk or bike in with your stuff, and the camping area is a WAYS in (but in practice you can camp wherever you want...the place is EMPTY after dark--I was there with 4 other people at the maximum, and I think that's not atypical). Also, the camping area is nowhere near the bathrooms, which makes finding water after dark a hassle. I got lost and wandered around the old trailer loops for what felt like hours in the middle of the night. You also have to leave your car outside, which gave me the creepies... do I bring everything that might get stolen, or do I stay lazy and hope for the best?

The World Birding Center was sort of a work-in-progress. Nobody working there seemed to bird, which was disturbing. Even the little old ladies at Santa Ana seemed better informed (one of the LOL's at Santa Ana had me my life Groove Billed Ani right outside the visitor center--never misunderestimate biddy birders!). Bentsen didn't have a checklist of the birds, which I thought was pretty surprising. Nobody really seemed to know much, and even simple questions such as "Where do I go to get Hook Billed Kite?" seemed to baffle them. The maps of the site aren't clear at all, especially for a first-timer.

The birding isn't bad at all, but it's a LOT of walking, especially carrying a scope and camping gear. All the walking is sort of a hassle, and I truly felt for oldsters and the disabled. All the other places, like Frontera and Santa Ana are small enough that you don't feel like you're spending more time walking than birding. (I know Santa Ana's huge, but there's epic birding 5 minutes in).

Talking with people down there, they all either seemed convinced that the park had been ruined or saved by the vehicle closure. There are lots of state parks in Texas that have been taken over by snowbird trailers, where the park is just basically a big RV park for people staying there all winter. Goose Island, outside Rockport, is an example of this. It sounds like that's how Bentsen was. Birding in an RV park sucks.

On the positive side, the park is very quiet (especially at night), and almost everyone inside the park is a birder (staff excepted). There's a lot of work that needs to be done, like depaving the trailer loop. It seems like a middle-way could prevail, like there could be a provision for older or disabled birders to bring their cars in. I guess it's a slippery slope though, and it's frankly nice having the place as "birders-only" as a public park can be. It feels very safe, even though there are few people.

It would be better if the tram ran more often, and if the staffers were birders--even newbie birders. I think that would go a long way.

On edit: Frontera and Santa Ana were OFF THE HOOK. Had the White-Throateds, Crimson-Collared Grosbeaks, and Trogon at Frontera, and Santa Ana--wow! Blue Bunting, GB Ani, hordes of Clay-Colored Robins, Green Kingfisher, Kiskadees, all that good stuff....

[scarlet_owl]

4. I love that area! I went on a birding trip there about three years ago.

I saw lots of those same birds. Did you take the canoe trip down the Rio Grande? I saw tons of wildlife there-including a bobcat. My dad and I saw a five foot rattlesnake at Laguna Atascosa. It was the first time I have ever seen a venomous snake up close. My dad sees them all the time, as he is an ameteur herpetologist. I would love to go back someday.