As I pen this story, I’m in northeast Kansas. By my calculation, I’ve been traveling for over 12,000 miles on this trip, with miles to go before I sleep. The voyage began in Southern California and carried me all the way up the Pacific Coast to the Olympic peninsula and Washington state. Then I turned … Read more
My long drive from Grande Prairie ended Monday at Lake Kimiwan near the Town of McLennan in the province of Alberta. There is a boardwalk over the marsh at the southern shore of the lake that the locals promote as “The Bird Capital of Canada”; a lofty claim probably not universally accepted. The boardwalk direly … Read more
Only five miles south from my camp in Brownsville (Texas), Sabal Palm Sanctuary is an attractive birding destination. Nestled into the southernmost arc of the Rio Grande, it has jungle trails, grasslands, thorn scrub, and resacas. As remnants of old watercourses for the river, resacas hold water for pond-loving birds and other wildlife. During my … Read more
Camped only five miles away in Austwell (Texas), an excursion into Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was mandatory. With the recent stories of my journey here already told, it was time for a new adventure. Overcast skies continued during this visit, but there were clear signs of spring. The warmer weather had snakes sunning themselves on … Read more
I spent the night Tuesday at a rest stop on the Interstate-10 freeway east of Houston. I endured a lot of drive time exiting Louisiana after I decided not to pursue Florida on this expedition, and I was beat. I planned to visit Brazoria NWR on Wednesday, but after driving two hours southwest through Pasadena … Read more
I broke camp at High Island early Monday and set a course for nearby Anahuac National Wildlife Reserve. I planned a quick visit before heading east on my clock-wise journey around the gulf. Everyone I spoke with about must see places on the upper Texas Gulf coast spoke well of this 53 square mile reserve. … Read more
Sunday I left Port Aransas and drove to Rockport and boondock camped there. Monday I confirmed the availability of RV parking near Aransas NWR, in Austwell. I drove through the wind and rain to settle in for a few days and ride out the winter storm. After getting my RV spot established, there was still … 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
South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center is part of a network of birding meccas in south Texas, collectively called the “World Birding Center”. It sits next door to the Convention Centre, which I love, and so I’ve not bothered to pay my fees to enter its grounds. On Monday, with my time in Brownsville … 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
