After Falcon we moved to Mission, TX and the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The RGV area has world class sites dedicated to bird watching. One site, Estero Llano was formerly an agricultural field that was transformed into lakes, trails, birding blinds, and visitor’s center. There are 9 major sites from Roma on the west to South Padre Island on the East. Unfortunately the RGV hosts thousands of retirees, large shipping warehouses, lots of trucks, and an inadequate road system to handle the traffic.
It is an amazing change to go from desert scrub and 60 miles later to Palm trees and lush flowers. Here are some of our pictures from the RGV.
Grapefruit tree at our RV park.
Flowering shrub at our RV park.
Survey marked at Bentsen Rio Grande SP used to keep tract of the boundary between the US and Mexico. because the river is constantly changing course.
Eastern Screech Owl at our RV park.
This is a Common Pauraque. What a master of camouflage! The trip leader had to use a laser pointer for us to find the bird from 8 feet away.
This is Quinta Mazatlan, a 1930’s country estate with historic adobe hacienda surrounded by lush tropical landscaping and native woodlands. It is now part of the World Birding Center complex.