The Lower Rio Grande Valley sits at the convergence of the Central and Mississippi migratory flyways, meaning many millions of birds pass through our area every year on their way north and south. With environmental influences from the Gulf Coast to the east, Great Plains to the north, Chihuahuan desert to the west, and subtropical influence from the south, the LRGV is a melting pot for North American birds and easily one of the top birding locations in the entire ABA Area.
Our festival is timed perfectly for birders to find lingering neotropical migrants still trickling through, wintering birds starting to wander south, and Mexican vagrants popping up from across the border with Mexico.
Every year there are spectacular rarities found during the RGVBF.
Click image above to see our ebird lists from
RGVBF 2023
This is an incredibly rare opportunity to bird in small groups with leading bird experts and field guide authors. Leaders include Jon Dunn, Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman, Michael O’Brien and Louise Zemaitis, and others. These slower-paced trips allow your guides to delve into the finer points of field identification and avian biology and share knowledge learned over decades of birding in Texas, North America, and beyond. They will have you noticing aspects of shape, behavior and plumage that you have likely overlooked even after many years of birding.
Highlights: You can expect to see many of the valley specialties during these trips, but the real highlight is the new knowledge you’ll gain about identifying these birds and understanding their life histories by some of the best leaders at our festival.
Nov. 6th, 8th, 9th & 10th
Time: 7AM-1PM
Capacity:10 persons
This trip is a great mix of water and woodlands! A visit to Anzalduas County Park will show the river from another perspective and you’ll understand why this riverside area’s fame goes beyond its county park status. The mature ash and Live Oak trees can also hold a wide variety of species, both resident and rare. If, as sometimes happens at short notice, Anzalduas is closed for government use, we shall instead visit the nearby World Birding Center at the Hidalgo Pumphouse. For the second half of the trip we will visit the beautiful native woodlands of the nearby National Butterfly Center where nearly all of our Valley specialties can be found. This is one of the few sites east of Starr County where Audubon’s Oriole has been regularly seen, even breeding and producing hybrid offspring with an Altamira Oriole!
Highlights: Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Sprague’s Pipit, Clay-colored Thrush, Audubon’s Oriole, Altamira Oriole, Gray Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped Dove, hummingbirds (including Buff-bellied), Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, and wintering warblers.
Nov. 6th,7th,9th &10th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity:16 persons
Aplomado Falcons disappeared from South Texas in the 1950s, but a successful reintroduction program was begun in earnest in 1993 by The Peregrine Fund. Now over 30 breeding pairs grace the coastal prairies of Texas, and Old Port Isabel Road cuts right through prime habitat! Of course, we’ll be birding around coastal prairies and wetlands the whole time, so we should also see a great variety of sparrows, raptors, shorebirds, and waterfowl as a bonus! If you need to see an Aplomado Falcon, this is your trip!
Note: If the road is partially impassable because of wet weather, we’ll seek the falcons elsewhere. Restrooms are limited to gas stations.
Highlights: Aplomado Falcon, Long-billed Curlew, White-tailed Kite, White-tailed and Harris’s Hawks, Crested Caracara, Cactus Wren, Sprague’s Pipit, and Cassin’s and other wintering sparrows.
Nov. 7th & 8th
Time: 6:30AM-12:00PM
Capacity: 20 persons
Our festival is the only time of the year that birders are granted the opportunity to bird the limited access the Arroyo Colorado Unit of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Management Areas. This site has long been protected for native species and hunting opportunities, so it is an island of woodlands amidst agricultural monotony. This WMA along the banks of the Arroyo Colorado river harbors a high density of RGV specialties and, not uncommonly, rarities. In recent years, this area of riverside thornscrub has had a variety of surprises including Golden-crowned Warbler, Blue Bunting, Mangrove Cuckoo, and Rose-throated Becard.
Highlights: Ringed and Green Kingfishers, most typical RGV specialty birds, and a good chance at a rarities!
Nov. 8th & 9th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity:42 persons
With nearly 800 acres of land and a bird list of some 360 species, it’s not surprising that this oldest of the South Texas state parks was chosen as the headquarters of the World Birding Center complex. Bentsen's woodlands are home to many Valley specialties. Standing atop the hawk tower you’ll enjoy an unobstructed 360 degree viewscape ideal for scanning for migrating raptors, and massive kettles of vultures, pelicans and even Anhingas circling high in the thermals. This has also been THE best place in recent years to see Hook-billed Kites! They are never a guarantee and they have been particularly scarce over the last 5-10 years. During a recent resurgence over the last couple of years Bentsen-RGV SP has been at the epicenter of kite sightings! We hope that winter 2024-25 hosts a similarly large number of birds in the park. The gardens surrounding the green-designed Visitor Center are a magnet for nectaring passerines, hummingbirds, and butterflies with a rich history of attracting rarities.
Highlights: Various raptors especially including Hook-billed Kite (rare) and Gray Hawk, Green Kingfisher, Plain Chachalaca, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Rio Grande Wild Turkey, and numerous other typical RGV specialty birds.
Nov. 9th
Time: 6:00AM-4:30PM
Capacity:8 persons in one of 6 Vans
Ever hear about birding Big Days and wonder what one would be like? Here’s your chance to get in on the action! Our most talked-about trips, some call it ‘whirlbirding’ – it’s fast and furious fun. Prepare to be flexible, as routes will be chosen by your skilled leaders to maximize your time seeing a diversity of habitats and species within them. Exercise those quick get-on-it skills – and make sure your crocs are in sport mode! (Just kidding, please wear closed-toe shoes). Several vans will be involved for lots of birds and for friendly competition. This is a great choice for both Festival returnees and listers. Top teams regularly push 150 species, though there is always a van or two dedicated to birding at a slower pace that still allows for a big list but also better looks at each species. A prize will be given to the participants in the van with the highest bird species list at the end of the day!
Highlights: Racking up an impressive day list – Rarities, valley specialties, migrants. Anything and everything!
Nov. 10th
Time: 7:00AM-12PM
Capacity:10 persons
Do you like birds but also reptiles and butterflies and plants and ants? A bioblitz is an event where every living species is recorded. The rich subtropical biodiversity of Rio Grande Valley makes it a perfect playground for a bioblitz! This trip will go to one of the most diverse parks in the Valley for all things wild – Estero Llano Grande State Park! While birds will certainly be seen and heard, they will only be one facet of this unique trip. Expect to come away with an enhanced understanding of the interconnectedness and important relationships that exist between the diverse flora and fauna of the valley.
Highlights: Birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, dragonflies, arachnids, plants – anything and everything!
Nov. 10th
Time: 7:00AM-12PM
Capacity:22 persons
Have you ever thought about how cool Green Jays look? What about seeing one in your hand?! Join biologist and educator Mark Conway as well as the Brush family for some close encounters with Valley specialties in the picturesque grounds of Quinta Mazatlan. Mark and the Brush family will explain their research as well as the intimate knowledge they have learned of birds in-hand. This is a perfect relaxing last trip of the festival for those that want to learn more about the biology of birds and see the many amazing characteristics of these species that cannot be seen with binoculars. Plus, you never know what might fly into the mist nets!
Highlights: (both in-hand and in-field): Clay-colored Thrush, Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, White-tipped Dove, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Olive Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, and many more!
Nov. 6th &8th
Time: 7:30AM-1PM
Capacity:10 persons
One might assume that expert birder and field guide author Jon Dunn has spent a lifetime singularly focused on birds. Who knew that he is an equally enthusiastic student of history and particularly military history?
Join Jon for a truly unique adventure as he shows you the birds and shares the history of the Palo Alto Battlefield, site of the first battle of the Mexican American War back in 1846. You’ll have to imagine the thunder of cannons and cracks of gunfire on this now tranquil coastal prairie. Only the songs of meadowlarks and thrashers and trills and buzzes of various sparrow songs fill the soundscape these days. The former battlefield lies in an expansive open grasslands surrounded by mature native thornscrub woodlands. After heavy losses in the open prairie battle at Palo Alto, Mexican Army General Mariano Arista bolstered defenses in the thick thornscrub along Resaca de la Palma Battlefield (not to be confused with the nearby state park).
Current day urban sprawl in Brownsville has taken over much of the areas surrounding this park, but the woodlands within this resaca-enclosed patch are still great habitat for our valley specialties. The two sites pair nicely to offer a diverse mix of both grassland and woodland species that will be seen during the trip. Jon will be joined by archaeologist Rolando Garza for this very special combination of birds and history.
Highlights: A nice mix of open prairie birds like White-tailed Kite, White-tailed Hawks, Long-billed Curlew, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, wintering sparrows, as well as riparian species like kingfishers, flycatchers, warblers, and more!
Nov. 6th & 8th
Time: 7:00AM-2:30PM
Capacity:20 persons
Join birding luminaries (and two of our longest tenured RGVBF guides) Dave Irons and Shawneen Finnegan on this trip full of birds and “resacas”. Resaca is the local word for an “oxbow lake”, or an old bend in a river such as the Rio Grande that has been naturally or artificially cut off and is now a separate pond or lake. Resacas provide fantastic habitat for birds, even when surrounded by urban sprawl. We’ll start at Resaca de la Palma State Park with its 1200 acres of protected land, including the largest tract of native thornscrub and woodlands in the World Birding Center network. It was one of the least-birded parks in the Valley before the winter of 2023-24, when it hosted several mega rarities. Next we’ll visit a very different area in Brownsville – the resacas on the lush campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, which has hosted some extraordinary rarities in recent years (think Social Flycatcher and Fan-tailed Warbler)! Finally we’ll go to a great local restaurant for a mixed Mexican-American lunch on a covered patio overlooking a very birdy resaca right in Brownsville. Cost of lunch is included in the trip fee.
Highlights: Green Kingfisher, Gray Hawk, Black Phoebe, Least Grebe, Groove-billed Ani (rare), Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Green Parakeet, Anhinga, Great Kiskadee, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, wintering passerines, and possible rarities!
Nov. 6th 7th & 9th
Time: 6:30AM-1PM
Capacity:16 persons
Explore the “tip of Texas” along Boca Chica Highway – a road that dead ends at the southern-most part of the Texas Gulf Coast beach. On the way we will make stops in pristine coastal prairie that may hold Aplomado Falcon, lush thornscrub lomas (clay dunes) that have high bird diversity (and previously, Ocelots), and wind-tidal flats that provide a winter home for hundreds of thousands of shorebirds. We will also get the chance to stop at a private wooded property along a bend in the Rio Grande and have a rare look NORTH into Mexico! If shorebird conditions are good we may spend some extra time there, however they are frequently too far out on the flats to see. If rockets are being tested at SpaceX, or shorebird conditions are poor, we may spend more time in the prairies and thornscrub. Either way, this location may easily be one of the most memorable parts of the valley.
Important! There is a U.S. Border Patrol Check Station on Boca Chica Road. Make sure you have your driver’s license or other official photographic ID with you; participants without proper identification will not be permitted to board. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please notify the festival at info@rgvbf.org.
Highlights: Aplomado Falcon, White-tailed and Harris’s Hawks, Piping and Snowy Plovers, Reddish Egret, Gull-billed Tern, Cassin’s Sparrow, and maybe even some exotic Nilgai antelope!
Nov.10th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity:20 persons
Could there be a better way to wrap up the festival than leisurely birding from the gorgeous back deck of the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center while enjoying a catered breakfast? This park was built as a part of the World Birding Center and has over 3300 feet of boardwalk, 5 shaded bird blinds, a 5-story viewing tower, and even an Alligator sanctuary! After breakfast, we’ll take a walk around their boardwalk that spans salt and freshwater marshes, as well as the open water of the Laguna Madre bay. This boardwalk offers fantastic close-up birding and photography opportunities, often yielding unusually accommodating secretive rails in the cattails, close views of shorebirds on the mudflats, and waterfowl on the ponds. If we end up with any extra time we’ll pop over to the neighboring SPI Convention Center woodlands and mudflats to double our chances of more awesome close-up encounters. Your fee for this trip includes breakfast.
Highlights: “Mangrove” Yellow Warbler, Least Bittern, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Clapper Rail, Sora, Neotropic Cormorant, Peregrine Falcon, American Oystercatcher, Marsh Wren, and hopefully some migrants!
Nov. 6th & 8th
Time: 9AM-3PM
Capacity:10 persons
Over 300 species of butterflies have been recorded in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, making it by far the richest butterflying area in the U.S. This tour, led by some of our local Lepidoptera experts, explores our most productive sites and is a great option for both beginners and advanced butterfliers. On Wednesday, we’ll go to the National Butterfly Center in Mission, the flagship of the North American Butterfly Association. On Friday we’ll likely visit Resaca de la Palma State Park for a chance at some Cameron County specialties if conditions are good!
Highlights: Silver-banded Hairstreak, Red-bordered Pixie, Zebra Heliconian, Malachite, Band-celled Sister, Mexican Bluewing, Guava Skipper, Potrillo Skipper, and hopefully some staked-out rarities.
Nov. 8th & 10th
Time: 6:30AM-2PM
Capacity:20 persons
This conservation-oriented private ranch is adjacent to Laguna Atascosa and has similar native thornscrub woodlands scattered amongst the surrounding coastal prairie. The owner and our host, Mary Jo Bogatto, is an extremely passionate conservationist who invites countless researchers, birders, and students onto the property. She has been diligent in managing the habitat on the ranch for the benefit of wildlife and has received numerous awards for her work. The ranch holds longevity records for the oldest recorded Bronzed Cowbird and Black-crested Titmouse thanks to a local bird bander who visits regularly (see Mark Conway and our “Bird Banding” trip!). Cactus Creek Ranch has occasional Aplomado Falcons at the back of the property, well-stocked feeders, 9 small ponds and wetlands, and plenty of conservation history to discover. Oh, and since Mary Jo loves to pamper her guests, a fantastic backyard BBQ will be provided for all participants at the end of the trip! You can also rest easy knowing your fee for this trip contributes to the ongoing conservation occurring on the ranch and the cost of lunch is included as well.
Highlights: Sandhill Crane, Long-billed Curlew, numerous raptors, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, Green Jay, wintering sparrows.
Nov. 9th & 10th
Time: 7:00AM-1:00PM
Capacity:21 persons
This brand-new trip offers another fantastic opportunity to visit a site that is normally off-limits for birders. Camp Rio at historic Lula Sams has several wetlands and extensive trails through their gorgeous, wooded property. Since 2015, students have had access to this wonderful property for outdoor education opportunities. After Camp Rio, we’ll walk to the nearby old Texas Parks and Wildlife fish hatchery ponds that are now fully reclaimed by nature. These secluded ponds surrounded by dense thornscrub woodlands can provide good looks at some unique waterbird species and valley specialties alike. Both sites are rarely visited by birders, so the rarity possibilities are yours for the finding!
Highlights: Least Grebe, Groove-billed Ani (rare), Anhinga, Green Kingfisher, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbird, Clay-colored Thrush, Hooded and Altamira Orioles, Olive Sparrow, wintering warblers.
Nov. 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th
Time: 6:00AM-1:00PM
Capacity:12 persons
A special trip made famous by Island naturalists Scarlet and George Colley, is now run by outdoor enthusiast Henry Rodriguez from Henry’s Charters. Enjoy two intimate hours out on the bay in a pontoon boat with a small group (weather permitting) exploring the unique ecosystems of the Laguna Madre. You’ll get up close to dolphins, and this trip is arguably the best the festival offers for seeing essentially all of the expected wintering gulls, terns, herons, egrets, ibis, and shorebirds at close range. After the boat trip we will check out a couple sites on South Padre Island for any late migrant species in the local woods and winter coastal residents on the mudflats.
Note: Please only bring hand-held cameras for the boat trip. Much of the boat trip will be spent standing or sitting on an outboard boat in potentially windy or misty conditions and it can be cool on the boat, so bring an extra layer! Life jackets will be provided. In the unfortunate event that the boat trip has to be cancelled due to weather, we will make the best use of our time elsewhere along the coast!
Highlights::‘Mangrove’ Yellow Warbler, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Clapper Rail, Sora, Snowy and Piping Plovers, American Oystercatcher, Marbled Godwit, Peregrine Falcon; and, of course, dolphins!
Prefer less walking? These are the trips for you. Bird from electric carts along roads that leisurely loop the wildlife drives and back roads of our famous valley parks. For South Padre Island, we'll take our time on easy boardwalks, side streets, and roadside mudflats. These are on par with our lowest guide-to-participant ratio trips, so enjoy the quality time with your guide!
Note: Getting on and off vehicles and some limited walking is necessary. Restrooms are available at each site, but not on vehicles.
Highlights: See target listings for each of the destination sites. Enjoy the quiet time on these small trips!
Nov. 6th, 7th & 9th
Time: 7:00 AM-1:00PM
Capacity:10 persons
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and the McAllen Nature Center are both inspiring examples of how enlightened local communities can create and conserve habitat oases that benefit of wildlife and the environment within heavily developed urban/suburban landscapes. Edinburg Scenic Wetlands has two large reservoirs, smaller water features, birding trails, feeding areas, butterfly gardens, observation platforms and a modern interpretative center set on some 40 acres of native vegetation and wetlands. McAllen Nature Center is a similar sized park located near the center of McAllen. It is a fantastic green space for birds to thrive in amongst dense urban sprawl. Over the years a significant amount of work by staff and volunteers has removed invasive vegetation and replaced it with native species.
Highlights: Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Least Grebe, Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped Dove, hummingbirds (including Buff-bellied), Long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Olive Sparrow, and assorted waterfowl and wading birds.
Nov. 8th & 9th
Time: 6:30 AM-12:30PM
Capacity:36 persons
Established in 2006, this state park quickly became one of the World Birding Center network’s most popular and productive birding sites in the Valley. Reclaimed wetlands, marshes, and ponds, all set alongside the Arroyo Colorado river, are ideal habitats for shorebirds, waders, waterfowl – and alligators! Add in boardwalks, birding trails through woodlands and thornscrub, butterfly gardens and a green-design visitor center and you’ll see why Estero Llano Grande SP has skyrocketed to deserved fame! This site is always a favorite among guides and birders alike, and is often the most recommended place to visit for new valley visitors. Depending on the amount of water in the park ponds, a single day during almost any time of year can net you nearly 100 species at Estero, including most of our valley specialties!
Highlights: Common Pauraque, Cinnamon Teal, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Least Grebe, White-tailed Kite, Anhinga, Roseate Spoonbill, hummingbirds (including Buff-bellied), Green Kingfisher, ‘McCall’s’ Eastern Screech-Owl, Vermilion Flycatcher, wintering warblers, Couch’s Kingbird.
Whether you’re just discovering the joys of birding, seeking to develop your birding skills, or wanting to share your love of birding with your family, these trips with two of our festival-favorite guides, Hannah and Erik, are for you! Each day there will be a different site and a different theme to help you develop your birding skills and enjoyment.
Highlights: Developing solid basic birding skills, learning bird identification, good practice in reporting sightings, progressing beyond bird-listing, and above all enjoying time in the field.
Nov. 10th
Time: 7:00AM-12:00PM
Capacity: 8 persons
An adult Gray Hawk sporting its sleek gray tuxedo plumage and black and white banded tail is arguably one of our most handsome valley species. They are often heard before being seen and can be found in almost any woodland habitat in the valley, including urban neighborhoods with intact stands of mature trees. Mike Stewart and Evan Farese have been studying these elegant raptors in the Valley for several years now in tandem with Bill Clark and other volunteers, gathering a wealth of scientific data and knowledge in the process. These birds have very interesting differences in the habitats they decide to set up territories in – some pairs seem to prefer suburban neighborhoods with tall trees while others prefer more typical old growth riparian woodlands. But do they move around? Where do their chicks disperse to? Do they target different prey in backyards vs. big parks? Make sure to catch Evan’s presentation at the festival and then take this awesome limited-participant trip with both Evan and Mike to learn everything about Gray Hawks that you could dream of. And yes, your guides will be pointing out plenty of other birds too!
Highlights: Gray Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Red-crowned Parrot, Green Parakeet, Couch’s Kingbird, and other Valley specialties.
Nov. 6th & 7th
Time: 7:30AM-1:30PM
Capacity:10 persons
For this relaxed morning of birding, we’ll visit a fantastic 15-acre woodland gem in Weslaco known as Frontera Audubon. This small but densely wooded park has amassed an impressive array of Mexican vagrants, including Blue Bunting, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, and Golden-crowned Warbler among others on previous Festival tours. It features a great mix of thornscrub, wetlands, and butterfly gardens, providing nesting habitat for many of our Valley specialties and a haven for wintering passerine flocks. This property also hosts one of the largest Turkey Vulture roosts in the valley. Careful scrutiny of hundreds of vultures lifting off in the morning, or coming to roost before dusk can often produce a Zone-tailed Hawk sighting. After spending a few hours meandering the trails at this park, we’ll pop over for lunch at a valley favorite Mexican food joint – Nana’s Taqueria! Cost of lunch is included in the trip fee.
Highlights: Green Kingfisher, Plain Chachalaca, Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed and Curve-billed Thrashers, Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole, Lesser Goldfinch.
Nov. 6th, 7th & 10th
Time: 6:00AM-1:00PM
Capacity: 42 persons
Join us for an exciting excursion to the famed King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the world (larger than Rhode Island!). The Norias division is the second largest section of this ranch and is the most southeastern of the four divisions. The sandy soils of Norias support extensive areas of grasslands, thornscrub and live oak woodlands – and more Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls than anywhere else in the U.S.! Our newly listed federally-threatened subspecies used to be found more frequently throughout the valley but has been mostly absent outside of the coastal ranches since major flooding back in 2010 altered much of the habitat in Hidalgo and Starr Counties. The ranch also has breeding Tropical Parulas, Audubon’s Orioles, and some species from further north that we don’t tend to see in the Valley. This trip is always a festival MUST!Highlights: Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Tropical Parula, Audubon’s Oriole (rare), Sprague’s Pipit, Wild Turkey, Harris’s Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Greater Roadrunner, and Vermilion Flycatcher.
Nov. 6th & 8th
Time: 6:00AM-4:30PM
Capacity:8 persons
One of the delights of Kleberg County (just north of the valley), is its myriad of fresh and brackish wetlands, particularly in years with above average rainfall. On this trip we’ll drive from hotspot to hotspot, visiting the most productive patches in the county to build a very solid trip list. Perfect for those who want to see sites beyond the bounds of the valley and get away from the “normal” touristy birding sites! This intimate trip includes lunch at a local restaurant (included in trip fee) and will be limited to eight participants, so enjoy the quality time!
Important! There is a U.S. Border Patrol Check Station on U.S. 77. Make sure you have your driver’s license or other official photo ID with you: participants without proper identification will not be permitted to board. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please notify the RGVBF at info@rgvbf.org.
Highlights: Diverse waterfowl, waders, shorebirds, sparrows, and any other birds that love water!
Nov. 8th & 9th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity:16 persons
The ongoing restoration of the Bahia Grande tidal wetland complex is the most significant environmental success in South Texas in recent years. Over 21,000 acres were acquired as part of Laguna Atascosa NWR in 2000. At that time, construction of the Intracoastal Waterway had severed its connections to the Laguna Madre, rendering water-starved Bahia Grande an arid wasteland with only ephemeral wet areas. Once new channels were excavated and a natural tidal flow was restored, the wetlands flourished. On this trip, we’ll have the opportunity to see the dramatic restoration results and enjoy the privilege of birding an area that is not generally open to the public.
Highlights: Aplomado Falcon, White-tailed Hawk, wintering sparrows, and a diverse array of waterbirds and shorebirds.
Nov. 6th & 7th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity:16 persons
For this very special trip, we are being allowed to drive around THE Laguna Atascosa (the actual lake that gives the refuge its name) on roads that cross through wetlands, coastal prairie, and thornscrub. There are a number of extraordinary viewing stops along this route that is not open for the public to drive on. The freshwater Laguna Atascosa is the local saloon for Redheads wintering on the hyper-saline Laguna Madre, where 70% of the world’s Redhead population congregates. Plan to see a variety of waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, raptors, open country birds, and woodland passerines. This is also just one of two festival trips that may see our rare local population of Seaside Sparrow. The roads for this route are not paved so in the unfortunate event that the roads become too wet for our vans, we will swap this trip back to the paved Steve Thompson Wildlife Drive also on the refuge (see next trip description).
Highlights: Aplomado Falcon (rare), Seaside Sparrow, White-tailed Hawk, Harris’s Hawks, Reddish Egret, numerous shorebirds, waterfowl, and who knows what else!
Nov. 10th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity: 16 persons
On this relaxed trip you’ll feel like you’re on an African safari while viewing the beauty of Laguna Atascosa NWR. For this unique trip, we get the privilege of exploring the Steve Thompson Wildlife Drive with a vehicle – something that the public hasn’t been allowed to do since changes to the refuge in 2013 to help protect the critically endangered Ocelot. This will allow us to cover a lot of ground and variety of habitats, such as Redhead Ridge – a vista over the Laguna Madre where 70% of the world’s Redhead population winter – and known to birders as a good place to look for Groove-billed Anis in winter. An Aplomado Falcon nest platform is visible from the drive, so we’ll also keep an eye out for this rare species which has been reintroduced in south Texas in part thanks to the work of former refuge manager Steve Thompson. All of this from the comfort of a vehicle , with occasional forays outside in good habitat or special viewing locations. With any extra time, we may pop in for a walk around refuge headquarters and have a look around the always amazing Osprey Overlook.
Highlights: Diverse waterfowl, Aplomado Falcon (fingers crossed), Groove-billed Ani (rare), Clay-colored Thrush, Harris’s Hawks.
Over the years, many participants have asked about meeting up with field trips on-site, so we’ve created some new trips to meet this need. For this series of trips, you will be responsible for your own travel to the site and will be expected to meet your group/leaders on time at our destinations so that we can maximize the birding experience for everyone. All site fees and guides are still covered by booking this trip – you just don’t have to worry about getting up extra early to meet our vans in Harlingen! See full site descriptions elsewhere in this trip list for more info on the Meet On-site Birding trip that you book.
Nov. 9th
Time: 7AM-12PM
Capacity:20 persons
For this once-in-a-lifetime trip you will meet and work with local raptor guru Bill Clark, author of the Peterson Guide to Raptors and the Raptors of Mexico and Central America. You will be in the field with Bill as he catches and bands local raptors for his research, weather permitting. Bill has a lifetime of experience working with raptors in the hand and field and will impart extensive knowledge to you on this trip! Several other prominent RGV hawk researchers and experts will also help run this trip, so make sure to bring your best raptor questions! In the case of adverse and unsafe weather conditions for trapping, we will still spend quality time finding and observing raptors.
Highlights: Gray Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, and others. Who knows what we will see in the hand and in the field on this unique trip!
Nov. 7th
Time: 6:30AM-4PM
Capacity:20 persons
Many birders have a special fondness for raptors. Judging by the number of species nesting in, migrating through, or wintering in the Valley, raptors seem to have a similar feeling for the Valley! For this trip, led by Harlingen resident and raptor world-authority Bill Clark (author of Peterson Guide to Hawks, A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors, and Raptors of Mexico and Central America), we’ll try our best to see as wide a variety of species as possible in the time available.
Highlights: Hook-billed Kite (rare), Zone-tailed Hawk (rare), White-tailed Hawk, Gray Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Crested Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, White-tailed Kite.
Nov. 10th
Time: 7AM-12:30PM
Capacity: 40 persons
Nothing can be more frustrating than reaching the end of our festival and not having seen or left yourself enough time to chase one of the mega rarities that the RGVBF almost always turn up. We have a solution. Booking yourself for the Sunday “Rarity Roundup” is like buying an insurance policy against such pain and suffering. After a great test run in 2023 (Roadside Hawk, American Flamingo, Rose-throated Becard…) we will again have a number of vans and guides ready for this trip on Sunday morning to chase whatever spectacular rarities are found this year during the festival. Whether you still hope to see Hook-billed Kites at Bentsen, a Tamaulipas Crow that just showed up at the Brownsville Dump, or a rare migrant on South Padre Island, hop on the van headed toward the target bird(s) that you’re after! Of course, we’ll spend time with other birds we see along the way. Please note that we likely will not have time for any Starr County trips as those sites are ~2 hours away, but everything in Cameron, Hidalgo, or Willacy County is fair game! Prepare to be a little flexible, as we can only split up into as many groups as we have vans (which should still be plenty!).
Highlights: The highlights are totally up to you on this trip! There are ALWAYS incredible fun and/or rare birds found at the festival that will make for a great morning of birding.
Nov. 6th & 7th
Time: 6AM-1PM
Capacity: 38 persons
This trip is as good a mix of RGV birding as you could dream of. Step aboard the large and comfortable Riverside Dreamer and see the Rio Grande river in a new way! The wooded banks on either side and our ability to traverse the river will allow for exceptional looks at many of our area’s specialty birds and other exciting possibilities. After a couple hours on the river, we will switch gears at Quinta Mazatlan; a fantastic McAllen city birding hotspot at a restored adobe hacienda set in 15 acres of sub-tropical gardens and native woodlands. This beautiful park is complete with birding trails, feeding stations, and water features. Many Mexican rarities have been found here over the years!
Note: Can be cool on the boat in the mornings. Don’t forget your jacket!
Highlights: Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Clay-colored Thrush, “McCall’s” Eastern Screech-Owl, Common Pauraque, Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped Dove, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole, and a decent rarity potential!
Nov. 9th & 10th
Time: 7AM-1PM
Capacity: 21 persons
A visit to the Rio Grande Valley is NEVER complete without a visit to Sabal Palm Sanctuary! The site is now managed by the Gorgas Science Foundation, who have done a wonderful job of enhancing the already outstanding habitats and restoring the historic Rabb Plantation House, now the Sanctuary’s beautiful headquarters. The forest of native Sabal Palms is the last major remnant of an ecosystem once much more widespread in the Valley, and is unique in the U.S. Its beautiful shady depths and managed waterways shelter a remarkable diversity of wildlife. Arguably the most beautiful species of snake in the entire country can also only be found at this one particular park where its range just barely pokes up into Texas – the Speckled Racer (non-venomous and harmless - as are nearly all of our snakes)! There’s also a bird-feeding area that’s always great for photo-ops. If things are at all slow at Sabal Palm, we’ll make swing by the University of Texas - RGV campus on the drive back and bird around their gorgeous wooded resaca for a bit. This is another fantastic place for some great birds – think Social Flycatcher from 2022 and the Fan-tailed Warbler that spent the winter of 2023-24 skulking along the resaca!
Highlights: Least Grebe, Plain Chachalaca, Groove-billed Ani (rare), Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Green Kingfishers, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Clay-colored Thrush, Hooded and Altamira Orioles, Olive Sparrow, wintering warblers.
Nov. 6th & 8th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity: 8 persons
La Sal del Rey – “Salt of the King” – is one of several natural salt lakes in the brush country northwest of Harlingen where Hidalgo and Willacy Counties meet. Salt from these lakes has been harvested since prehistoric times and continues even to this day. Since much of this area is protected as part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, there are vast expanses of native vegetation that has been spared from clearing for agricultural, urban development, and cattle grazing. This “brush country” provides great opportunities to see some of our more desert-associated species. This is also one of the few places where Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have very rarely been seen in the RGV outside of the large coastal ranches within the last decade, so we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears out for them. Who knows what else we’ll come across!
Highlights: Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (rare), Snowy Plover (and other shorebirds), Black-throated Sparrow, Pyrrhuloxia, Greater Roadrunner, “Rio Grande” Wild Turkey, Brewer’s Blackbird, wintering sparrows, and many of our Valley specialties!
Nov. 7th, 8th & 9th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity:
7th & 8th : 32 persons
9th: 36 persons
Widely famous and justly so, Santa Ana NWR, often called the “jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge system”, has one of the highest bird counts in the entire US NWR system. The dense riparian woodlands, numerous cattail-lined waterways, and banks of the Rio Grande at Santa Ana are a fantastic place to experience nearly all of the Valley’s endearing species. Additional park features include the 40-foot-tall hawk watch tower and the suspended catwalk, offering exceptional hawk watching opportunities and rare views of birds in their habitat from above the forest canopy. Numerous major rarities have been found here over the years due to the extensive native vegetation – think of the recent US/Canada-first ever Bat Falcon! Every visit to Santa Ana is a different experience and a trip to the valley would not be complete without a tour here! Many of our guides deem this as their favorite park and trip to guide.
Highlights: Hook-billed Kite (rare), Tropical Parula (rare), Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Least Grebe, Gray Hawk, Groove-billed Ani (rare), Northern Beardless -Tyrannulet, Cinnamon Teal, Plain Chachalaca, Clay-colored Thrush, Olive Sparrow, and who knows what rarities!
Nov. 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th
Time: 5:00 AM- 2:00PM
Capacity: 20 persons
If you haven’t heard about Santa Margarita Ranch recently then you’re missing out! This ranch just downstream from Salineño is always a festival favorite when we run it due to its spectacular mix of riparian thornscrub along the Rio Grande paired with the arid upland desert thornscrub that Starr County is known for. In fact, this ranch has had some of the most spectacular rarities of any valley location over the last couple years including Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Mottled Owl, nesting Brown Jays and Rose-throated Becards, Muscovy Duck, Red-billed Pigeon, Morelet’s Seedeater, and SO much more. A family group (or two!) of Brown Jays have been seen on nearly every private trip to the riparian section of this ranch since winter 2022-23, in part thanks to the returning private guides that keep a small citrus feeding station well-stocked, and we hope for this to continue through this coming winter. Even if the birds are not as cooperative as they usually are, this ranch offers absolutely stunning views of the Rio Grande from the desert bluffs overlook.
Note: This tour does involve walking at least 3 slow miles round trip including one short section along a rocky hillside. Heat exhaustion can be a real issue in the Starr County desert scrub, so it is absolutely not a trip for those who have difficulty walking or issues with heat intolerance. Additionally, we will be going through a gate in the border wall that the ranch owner will have to let us in and out of, so factor that into your considerations if you need to.
All participants will also need to sign a liability waiver for entry onto the ranch. With all that being said, safety is always our number 1 priority, but the highlights at Santa Margarita Ranch probably make it the best trip that the RGVBF has to offer. A simple boxed lunch is included with this trip!
Highlights: Brown Jay (rare), White-collared Seedeater (rare), Muscovy Duck (rare), Zone-tailed Hawk (rare), Red-billed Pigeon (rare), Scaled Quail (rare), Gray Hawk, Black-throated Sparrow, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Pyrrhuloxia, Audubon’s Oriole.
Nov. 6th, 8th, 9th & 10th
Time: 6 AM-1PM
Capacity: 10 persons
Did you know that the mudflats of the Laguna Madre and surrounding areas are world-class foraging habitat for millions of shorebirds every year from more than 30 species? The Laguna Madre serves as a vital stopover link in the migratory chain for most of these species such as the biofilm-licking Western Sandpiper, the 20,000-mile round trip migrant Red Knot, and polychaete-devouring Piping Plover. Many birders profess difficulty in identifying these shorebirds, but it is a skill that can readily be acquired with the proper help. Once mastered, it is both a pleasure in itself and a potential tool to aid shorebird conservation - shorebird numbers can, after all, only be accurately monitored if they can be identified with confidence. Our highly experienced shorebird guides on this trip will teach you all about shorebird identification and biology at three distinctly different sites to build as big of a shorebird list as possible. We will also spend time with plenty of other coastal species such as Black Skimmer and Reddish Egret!
Highlights: 20+ potential species of shorebirds including oystercatchers, plovers, phalaropes, sandpipers, dowitchers, avocets, curlews, godwits and more!
This is a new series of trips designed to produce a high-quality birding experience and shed light on the importance and value of smaller parks and preserves. For these trips we will spend 60-90 minutes each in several of these smaller oases hidden away in otherwise human-developed areas, and build up an impressive species list in the process. Cameron County trips will visit Los Fresnos Nature Park, San Benito Wetlands, and potentially Hugh Ramsey Nature Park. Hidalgo County trips will visit the Valley Nature Center, San Juan Wetlands, and Hidalgo Pumphouse. Don’t be misled by their sizes – these parks each boast impressive variety for their small patches and when combined make for a fantastic morning of birding. These small parcels of habitat can support remarkable avian diversity. By the end of the trip, we know that you will be thinking about that pocket park just down the street from you or even your own native-plant-filled yard in a whole new way.
Highlights: Many of our valley specialties and possible rarities including Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped Dove, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed and Curve-billed Thrashers, Olive Sparrow, and Altamira Oriole.
Nov. 6th, 7th & 8th
Time: 6:00 AM- 1:00 PM
Capacity: 10 persons
This tour of South Padre Island may include sites like the SPI Birding and Nature Center, SPI Convention Center mudflats, and Isla Blanca County Park. The SPI Birding and Nature Center (and Alligator Sanctuary) was built as a part of the World Birding Center. It features over 3300 feet of boardwalk, 5 shaded bird blinds, a 5-story viewing tower, and even an Alligator sanctuary! This location is one of just a few with any native woodlands left on South Padre Island and, coupled with the fact that it is adjacent to the wooded SPI Convention Center, it has become THE best “migrant trap” for birds passing by our area. The boardwalk around the property winds through extensive stands of black mangrove and is bordered by both salt and freshwater marshes and lagoons. It offers world-class photography opportunities. Otherwise secretive marsh birds like rails, gallinules, and bitterns can often be seen in plain view. Expect close views of shorebirds on the mudflats and waterfowl on the ponds. We will also make a stop over at the neighboring Convention Center mudflats for shorebirds and if time allows, Isla Blanca County Park where the Laguna Madre flows into the Gulf of Mexico. If conditions are good for passerines at the woodlots on SPI, we may instead swap out one of these sites for more time at the migrant traps. Late fall has turned up a number of exceptional surprises on the SPI!
Highlights: “Mangrove” Yellow Warbler, Least Bittern, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Clapper Rail, Sora, Neotropic Cormorant, Peregrine Falcon, American Oystercatcher, Marsh Wren, and hopefully some migrants!
Nov. 7th & 8th
Time: 6:30AM-12:30PM
Capacity: 20 persons
Adjacent to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary, and still along the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Southmost is a lesser-known jewel of shared habitat – the Nature Conservancy’s Southmost Preserve. We are being allowed special access to this massive private park, so who knows what we will find! Don’t miss the chance to visit this unique complex of Sabal Palm forest, riparian woodland, and reclaimed agricultural land that is home to most of our Valley specialties and more. Using our vans will allow us to access remote areas (weather permitting) that were inaccessible on past trips. We may even get to stand on the very southernmost point of Texas!
Highlights: Groove-billed Ani (rare), Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Green Kingfishers, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Clay-colored Thrush, Hooded and Altamira Orioles, Olive Sparrow, wintering warblers.
Nov. 7th & 9th
Time: 6:30AM-1PM
Capacity:10 persons
Amar’s hot new book – The Gull Guide: North America – is being released on October 29, 2024 and naturally he’s one of our speakers at this years’ festival. This special trip led by “larophile” extraordinaire Amar Ayyash will first take you to the infamous Brownsville Landfill to sort through tens of thousands of gulls, including some possible rarities and other highlights, including raptors, Chihuahuan Ravens, and a sliver of a chance for Tamaulipas Crow. If landfill birding is on the slow side, we may take a trip east towards the coast in search of more gull and tern diversity. If, like us, you’ve been wanting to get help sorting out gull species, plumages, and ages, this is absolutely the trip for you!
Highlights: In-depth examination of many gull species and their plumages, Chihuahuan Raven, White-tailed Hawk and Crested Caracara.
Nov. 7th & 8th
Time: 5AM-2PM
Capacity: 20 persons
The Rio Grande’s subtropical woodland edges and the arid desert uplands in Starr County are home to a wide diversity in bird species, including several species that rarely stray south and east into more heavily-birded Hidalgo and Cameron Counties. For many, a visit to the quaint rural riverside village of Salineño highlights their birding visit to the Rio Grande Valley.
The number of rare species that have been found along this stretch of the river is astounding. Just last winter a Crane Hawk, just the second U.S. record, was found a half mile upriver from the town’s modest boat launch and the Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (3rd U.S. record) that wintered just downriver at Santa Margarita Ranch occasionally made day trips up to Salineño as well. Wild and countable Muscovy Ducks and Red-billed Pigeons can often be seen flying up and down the river in the early morning and just before dusk, while Morelet’s Seedeaters are almost always hiding nearby somewhere in the dense cane stands. Salineño also hosts a fantastic feeding station with regular closeups of harder to find species like Audubon’s Oriole.
A walk along the river trail can produce a number of other uncommon specialty birds that are highly sought-after. After we’ve thoroughly enjoyed this wild stretch of the Rio, we’ll go a bit more west to Falcon State Park where we can round out the trip with some desert scrub specialties and check out waterbirds on the lake. A simple boxed lunch is included with this trip!
Highlights: Morelet’s Seedeater (rare), Muscovy Duck (rare), Zone-tailed Hawk (rare), Red-billed Pigeon (rare), Gray Hawk, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Audubon’s Oriole, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Pyrrhuloxia, and Black-throated Sparrow.
Nov. 10th
Time: 6:30AM-1:00PM
Capacity:10 persons
This is a wonderful opportunity for a small group to explore the mouth of the Arroyo Colorado and world-class Laguna Madre by boat to get close, intimate views of birds (and marine mammals) utilizing this coastal ecosystem. This area encompasses vital breeding, foraging, and roosting habitat for dozens of species of waterbirds and shorebirds in the form of dense rookery spoil islands, extensive prey-rich tidal mudflats, and complex black mangrove marshes among many other habitat features. Your leader, Justin LeClaire, is a passionate Avian Conservation Biologist with the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program which has researched, monitored, and managed important spoil islands and mudflats for waterbirds and shorebirds throughout the Central and Lower Texas Coast for decades. Due to limited space on the boat, half of the group will go on the boat with Justin for the first couple hours of the day while the other group birds the backroads of Arroyo City and Adolf Thomae Jr. County Park before switching places midway through the morning.
Note: Please only bring hand-held cameras for the boat trip. Much of the boat trip will be spent standing or sitting on an outboard boat in potentially windy or misty conditions and it can be cool on the boat, so bring an extra layer! Life jackets will be provided.
Highlights: ‘Mangrove’ Yellow Warbler, Seaside Sparrow, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Skimmer, kingfishers, and all local waterbird and shorebird species.
Nov. 7th & 9th
Time: 6:30AM-3PM
Capacity: 8 persons
This limited-participant trip will be a spectacular tour of the wetlands and backroad woodlands of Willacy County – the most under-birded county in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. We’ll bird through the various wetlands, thornscrub patches, and the prairie grassland flats before picking up lunch at Sweet Gregory P’s BBQ – the best food in Port Mansfield! We’ll then pop over to a park on the shore of the Laguna Madre where we can take advantage of their newly improved birding boardwalk and viewing platforms. This is a great opportunity for folks who wish to get away from some the “normal” touristy birding locations and rack up a big bird list for Willacy County (and try some amazing Texas BBQ). Only one van per day will be used for this trip, so enjoy the quality time with two of our guides who know these county backroads best! The cost of lunch is included in the trip fee.
Highlights: Waterfowl, herons and egrets, shorebirds, raptors, Cassin’s Sparrow, wintering sparrows. A bit of everything!
These trips will visit some of our favorite destinations while being specially designed for younger birders ranging from 13 to 16 years old. The guides leading these trips have extensive experience working with youth at birding camps and outdoor education programs for kids. We’ll be sure to spend quality time discussing the basics of birding, identifying our RGV specialty species, and of course picking up some lifers!
Highlights: RGV specialties, wintering passerines, waterbirds, and more!
Nov. 6th, 7th, & 8th
Time: 2PM-5:30PM
Capacity:16 persons
These shorter trips were added in 2023 in response to many requests from participants for more organized afternoon offerings. We’re happy to again offer this trip option after great success last year! As the trip name suggests, these late afternoon jaunts will visit a few great wetlands around the Harlingen area, many of which are not on other field trip itineraries. We’ll check the water for waterbirds, watch the sky for commuting vultures and raptors going to roost, and explore the surrounding woodlands for migratory passerines and RGV specialties. Last year one of the groups even got to witness a gorgeous adult bobcat hunting the shoreline of a resaca south of Weslaco. During late afternoon and early evening bird activity really picks up, with birds actively feeding before going to roost or commuting to roost sites. Sites with water are often hubs for major activity at this time of day. Hop on one of these trips to help round out your bird list for the week and make the most out of your time in the valley!
Highlights: Least Grebe, Groove-billed Ani (rare), Fulvous Whistling-Duck (uncommon), Cinnamon Teal (uncommon), Green and Ringed Kingfishers, plus shorebirds, waterfowl, and wintering passerines oh my!
Nov. 6th,7th, 8th & 9th
Time: 4:00PM-6:00PM
Capacity: 40 persons
For this perfectly timed evening trip we will split up into several vans to separately hunt out parakeets first (which typically can be found earlier in the evening) throughout Harlingen. Our guides will communicate where the birds are being seen so that every van ends up getting on the birds when we find them. For the second half of the trip we will split up again to look for the large mixed parrot roost that should be assembling somewhere in the city and all meet again in the suburban neighborhood that it is found in! The roost typically provides an unforgettable viewing experience and photo opportunity as we watch the antics of these extremely smart, quizzical birds. Join us and use your eyes and ears to help search for these very loud, green beauties while they meet up for their big slumber party! This is trip is a MUST for every RGVBF participant!
Note: Guides are not required to keep an eBird list for this trip, but you are welcome to keep your own.
Highlights: Red-Crowned Parrot, Green Parakeet, Red-lored Parrot, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Yellow-headed Parrot.
Nov. 9th
Time: 4:30-9PM
Capacity:20 persons
Another spin on an evening trip for you is this new and tasty one at Cactus Creek Ranch trip – our only one with dinner included! We will arrive around sunset while the Sandhill Cranes are still calling and flying by to roost for the night. Then ranch owner and passionate conservation advocate Mary Jo Bogatto will talk about conservation projects on the ranch as we enjoy eating some sumptuous backyard BBQ. Mary Jo is a generous host who always takes care of her guests, so come hungry (see description for the Cactus Creek Ranch morning trip)! After dinner, we’ll go for a night walk on the ranch in search of herps, calling nightjars and owls, and invertebrates. UV black lights will be available for all participants to use and look for critters like scorpions, but feel free to bring your own small flashlight as well for the walk!
Highlights: Possible critters include bark scorpions, tarantulas, reptiles and amphibians, Common Pauraque, owls (“McCall’s” Eastern Screech, Barn, and Great Horned), and whatever else we can turn up!
Nov. 7th
Time: 5:30PM-9:00PM
Capacity:20 persons
Join us for a short hike through one of our favorite places in the valley – but at a time that most seasoned valley visitors likely haven’t visited before! We’ll arrive at Estero Llano Grande State Park just before sunset and hear a brief but spectacular presentation about all of the night creatures that frequent the site by Park Naturalist and longtime RGVBF guide John Yochum. Afterwards, we’ll go on our hike with park staff and watch for herps, creepy crawlies, and anything else that wants to show itself. UV black lights will be available for all participants to use and look for critters like scorpions, but feel free to bring your own small flashlight as well for the walk!
Highlights: Possible critters include bark scorpions, tarantulas, reptiles and amphibians, Common Pauraque, owls (“McCall’s” Eastern Screech, Barn, and Great Horned), and whatever else we can turn up!
Nov. 8th
Time: 5:00PM -9PM
Capacity: 20 persons
A morning trip to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is a must on every visit to the RGV, but comparatively few have seen it in the moonlight! On this brand-spanking-new trip, we’ll take a night hike through parts of Santa Ana with park staff while listening and watching for night creatures. We’ll also have a mothing station to check out the spectacular array of winged invertebrates that call Santa Ana home! UV black lights will be available for all participants to use and look for critters like scorpions, but feel free to bring your own small flashlight as well!
Highlights: Possible critters include bark scorpions, tarantulas, reptiles and amphibians, Common Pauraque, owls (“McCall’s” Eastern Screech, Barn, and Great Horned), and whatever else we can turn up!
