Rio Grande Valley Day 2: Mission

Day 2 of the RGV extravaganza took me to the Mission to visit one of my favorite spots in Texas, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. It's a huge park with a hawk watch tower that I hoped to catch some migrating hawks and maybe a Hook-billed Kite if I was lucky. After lunch I planned to stop by the National Butterfly Center.

Altamira Oriole

Bentsen is one the premier birding spots in not only the state, but also the country. Although there is no access to it, it does touch the Rio Grande and you can actually see Mexico from the tower. The size and age of the park has made it a fantastic place to spot rarities. Mega rarities like Stygian and Mottled Owl, Collared Forest Falcon, Masked Tityra, Aztec Thrush, Mexican Violetear, Jabiru, and Northern Jacana are just a few of the many insane birds you can find here.

White-tipped Dove

I didn't have a rarity of this level, but within 10 minutes I had my own find that had the park buzzing. I got in a mixed flock just near the gate that was full of the usual Nashville and Orange-crowned Warblers, but I got my bins on something that looked way different. No, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER! Another rare late migrant that I think was one of only a handful of park records. I was hyped over the lifer, and although rare in the park they are much more common an hour east on South Padre Island where they cross the gulf.

I think this park is the biggest in the valley and it is full of trails. Estero Llano Grande is a great birding spot, but this is a great hiking spot. They do really well in making you feel like you're in the wilderness, despite being a miles away from civilization. They also have a tram that helps getting to all the sights quickly.

Great Kiskadee

The blinds here are very productive. I was getting mixed flocks all over the place of usual migrants and the abundant Black-crested Titmice. The most impressive part was the hawkwatch tower. Kettles of Turkey Vultures in the thousands were soaring overhead. This was a spectacle. I was pretty late for the Broad-winged and Swainson's Hawks kettles and I was told what I saw was nothing compared to 2 weeks prior but I was still stunned. I did get a few Swainson's, but the Altamira Orioles stole the show. On a cloudy day their bright orange bodies stick out, and it's their jaw dropping beauty that had me hooked when I first saw them. I had also never seen so many swallows 

By this point I was starving so I began the 1.5 mile trek back to the car. Just when I thought Bentsen had run out of birds it gave me one last surprise in a stunning Gray Hawk that gave me the best looks of one I'd ever seen. 

Gray Hawk

After a fantastic lunch at Jack in the Box I made my final stop at the National Butterfly Center. I really wanted get Audubon's Oriole and there was one seen a few days prior just south of the levee. 

It was a little drizzly when I got there so unfortunately I didn't get access south of the levee, but I did get to walk through the grounds. This is another good stop for rarities. Yellow-green Vireo, Roadside Hawk, and Rufous-backed Robin have all been seen in the past. RGV specialties were everywhere, especially Altamira Oriole, which weren't as numerous as I expected this trip. Let me tell you, though, I thought this place was dope. I don't know a lick about butterflies but I want to learn more now after going there. It was shocking to see so many different kinds of them and they all were brightly colored. And there clouds of them. It was unreal. Before the next trip I'll have to find a field guide and go back.

Long-billed Thrasher

The last bit of evening was spent in an unlikely area: a Best Buy parking lot. Green Parakeets are one of 2 native species of parakeets in Texas, but sadly the Carolina Parakeet, the other native species, went extinct in 1918. There is considerable debate about where these birds come from. Some say escaped pets, which has merit considering the array of non-native parrots that inhabit the valley. However, I have read about them being seen in the 1800s in Texas, and the population supposedly boomed starting in the 1980s in wake of increased deforestation in northern Mexico. 

There is a lot of interesting (and sad) stuff going on in the border regions for birds. Mexico is destroying a ton of habitat, but fortunately for birds they can fly pretty far pretty quickly. This has pushed them to expand their ranges. Green Parakeets were always native to Texas, but the numbers boomed not from escaped pets, but from colonizers. Apparently there was a freeze in the 80s as well which killed palms and created perfect nesting sites for the parakeets.

Green Parakeets

This isn't unprecedented either. The edge of the neotropical zone is in the Rio Grande Valley, which explains why Green Jays, Great Kiskadees, and so many other RGV specialties are only found in the valley. As a result a lot of ranges on the fringe of the zone are contracting and expanding. Until recently you could find Brown Jays at Salineno, Tamaulipas Crows at the Brownsville Dump, and Hook-billed Kites weren't as rare as they are now. But all of those species have contracted their range south of the Rio Grande. All of these appear to be natural, and there have been cases of species starting to become way more common in the valley as well. Clay-colored Thrush is still listed as a Code 3 rarity in the ABA area, although 10x as many of them as I did Altamira Oriole. Morelet's Seedeater also used to be present at Salineno/Chapeno, then disappeared, then reappeared. Brown Jays are supposedly seen pretty frequently 25 miles south of the border. I suspect both Green Parakeets and Red-crowned Parrots, another debated but probably native bird, have gone through similar and expansions. These trends are particularly exciting when looking at eBird data in northern Mexico. Less than 100 miles away (and maybe closer given how eBird is not super common abroad) some stunning birds like Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Blue Mockingbird, Crescent-chested Warbler, and many others are seen with ease. Maybe we'll see some new species start to expand across the Rio Grande in the coming years. 

Sorry, I am way too fascinated with border birds, but the Green Parakeet roost at 10th and Trenton in McAllen is automatic. I rolled the windows and drove into area and heard a raucous chatter above my head. Dozens, if not hundreds were flying over to roost. The landed on power lines, trees, and the local Best Buy. Can't beat that, and just in time, too. I drove back to the hotel to watch the only birds I hate more than anything, the Philadelphia Eagles, get blown out by my beloved Cowboys.

Rio Grande Valley Day 1: Weslaco

I have been craving a long birding trip for months. Originally the plan was to go to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but unfortunately plans fell through. I would have had to go alone, and that's not real safe in the cold mountains of West Texas. But there was one place I wanted to go that is always birdy: the Rio Grande Valley. It would be a 3.5 day trip. Day 1 was at Estero Llano Grande State Park and Frontera Audubon Center.

The abundant Green Jay is one of the most stunning birds in Texas

Estero Llano Grande is my personal favorite places in the state to bird. It's probably the most diverse place habitat wise and you'll get most Rio Grande Valley specialties. I set out at about 8:00 and was immediately rewarded. The pond in front of the visitors center is full of waterfowl and shorebirds. There are a few ponds throughout the park that are full of birds. Black-bellied Whistling Duck is abundant, but mixed in were plenty of Fulvous, a lifer for me. Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, and Cinnamon Teal were also present. A walk along the ridge brought in tons of various swallows migrating and White-tailed Kites, which are pretty reliable in the right place.

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (L) next to a Fulvous Whistling-Duck (R)

The area is also fantastic for migrants this time of year. A mixed flock of warblers brought in Nashville, Magnolia, Black-thoated Green, Black-and-White, Tennessee, Northern Parula, and even an American Redstart! The blind in the tropical area also had both Kingbirds, Curve-billed and Long-billed Thrasher, Bewick's Wren, and Olive Sparrow.

Clay-colored Thrush used to be very rare in the RGV but they have become extremely common over the years.

The highlight of the day was arguably the hardest bird to find in the valley. They are pretty common, but extremely elusive because they blend in with the dirt and shadows. Common Paraque is impossible to see if you don't know where to look, and then it's almost pure luck. And pure luck is what I had. At the first stop I made I scoured the ground and could not see a thing. Then I took a step and jumped out of my skin. I nearly stepped on one! I only saw a quick gray flash before it settled down and I couldn't see a thing. Colima Warbler may be the biggest physical challenge in the state, but Common Paraque is the hardest to see even when it's right in front of you.

Can you see it? It's a Common Paraque

By the time I left for lunch I picked up 75 species in 4 hours! We're definitely in the neotropical zone! Next stop, Frontera Audubon.

Frontera is right down the street. It's habitat is pretty much the same all around, but it looked like a great place to spend the afternoon. It did not disappoint. The thicket is Tamaulipan Thornscrub, perfect for Rio Grande Valley specialties. It's also just a really peaceful place that is great for an afternoon walk and it's really calming. Pretty much all RGV specialties from Estero Llano Grande were present, but Clay-colored Thrush was extremely common, and Buff-bellied Hummingbirds got right up in my face. The large hummingbirds are a captivating bright green. Great Kiskadees and Plain Chachalacas were very cooperative, and the feeding stations and pond benches get you close to the birds. I came before it gets really busy, the winter Texans were still migrating and they normally stock the feeders, but I can tell that when it's poppin the birds are out there in full force.

Black-crested Titmouse

The perfect end to the day came at one of those ponds. I was beat, and I decided to check out this one pond before I left. One of the best pieces of birding advice I was given was "birds are tired when it's hot in the afternoon. They're like us, they want to chill with a cool glass of water." The pond was somewhat birdy with migrants, and I thought I saw a wren bouncing around near the water, a little out of character for a wren to be on the water's edge. But it was something better than a wren. The tail bobbing that is similar to a wren's was actually a LIFER NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH! An insane and clutch find, I didn't think I had a chance to see one to close out the year. What a perfect way to end the day.

Plain Chachalaca