Monday, when I finished getting the warranty work done on my RV in Weslaco, I drove to Edinburg and paid a visit to the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands only 21 miles away, part of a network of birding destinations called the World Birding Center. I arrived to find nobody attending the front office, and no way … Read more
I ended my visit to South Padre Island on Sunday. I used the day to tour the SPI Birding and Nature Center, and it yielded a few close encounters with the local herons. I noticed very little action with warblers during the morning’s visit, but that was no surprise. Recent warbler movement has been pretty … Read more
Friday, after my morning visits with the birds at Sheepshead and later at the SPI Convention Centre, I took a break from the worst of the midday heat, and retired to my campsite across the road from the SPICC, where I found shelter under the air conditioner in my RV, and I could work on … Read more
Well friends, I said I would limit my photo shooting time in the field to half days. The strategy would allow me to process my images and tell my stories in time to meet an every-other-day in the field schedule. I also said if a warbler fallout should happen, all bets were off. Well, it … Read more
I had an exceptional day at the SPI Convention Centre. I met three new bird species: Veery, Dickcissel, and Black-Billed Cuckoo. Not that the rest of the birds I met weren’t amazing, it’s just hard to beat the high I get when a new bird comes into my life. One new bird is enough to … Read more
I’ve made it no secret. My mission is to experience as much of the vernal migration through south Texas as I can. South Padre Island is the best place I know to meet these birds. It lies at the crossroads of their trip from Mexico, Central and South America, before they scatter with the winds … Read more
Deciding where to spend my last day in Brownsville wasn’t easy. I plan to stay two more weeks in the Rio Grande Valley, but I want to explore sites further upstream before I resume my journey east. There is still so much of the Gulf Coast I’ve yet to see. Spring hasn’t yet arrived, and … Read more
Visiting South Padre Island has never disappointed me. I began February with a visit to test this trend, and it fulfilled its promise to entertain, though a slow start in the morning caused me to have doubts. I began with a stop at the Sheepshead Preserve, but the few birds I could detect seemed content … Read more
A visit to the Lower Rio Grande Valley without spending time on South Padre Island would be silly. Tuesday I paid the island my respects. It came as no surprise the variety of birds in winter did not compare to a spring visit. Still, there was enough variety to keep me busy most of the … Read more
Last spring, while on my way through Texas and the COVID-19 pandemic was taking a grip on our nation and the rest of the world, I’d been boondocking in my RV. By that I mean I was sleeping wherever I could park. My RV being a van can fit into a typical parking space without … Read more
