The Rio Grande Valley

I had some odd preconceptions of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte. For one, I thought it would be wider. Here we are downstream of Falcon Dam, about 100 miles from the river’s mouth. That’s Mexico on the right.Now looking upstream, with the U.S. on the right. I also thought this indefinite border would be heavily urbanized and fortified. Not to say the river valley wasn’t crawling with immigration patrols. We were questioned, scanned, followed, and once, 70 miles north of the border at a highway checkpoint, with one Canadian and three Brits in our van, asked to produce our papers. That was pretty cursory, though: it would have been hard to be more Anglo-Anglo in that van. At this particular spot, we were looking especially for Red-billed Pigeon, who roost nearby. They care nothing for the border. You know the saying, “alas poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the U.S.”? The Valley was historically Mexican, and habitat-wise it essentially still is Mexico, hence its huge appeal to North American birders. Even before I birded I knew there were these “South Texas Specialities” in the back of Roger Tory Peterson’s field guide. Hooded, Altamira, and Audubon’s Orioles; Great Kiskadee, Counch’s Kingbird; Pyrrhuloxia; Clay-Colored Robin; Plain Chachalaca; Long-billed and Curve-billed Thrashers; Brown and Green Jays; White-collared Seed-eater; Olive Sparrow; Blue Bunting; Golden-Crowned Warbler and Gray-Crowned Yellowthroat; White-collared Swift; White-tipped Dove and Red-billed Pigeon; Aplomado Falcon; Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl; Northern Beardless Tyrannulet; Rose-throated Becard; Green-breasted Mango. A magical litany, many of which I saw (barring the bold-faced birds).

In addition, spring migration funnels birds along the coast. There’s a hawk watch at Bentsen State Park which can overflow with Broad-winged Hawks; we saw hundreds kettling. And south Texas knows it’s popular: the infrastructure catering to birders is impressive, if a bit Texan (with its “World Birding Centers”). We ran into four other organized tours and many other birders along the way. I went with Wings, my second trip with them. Highly recommended. Our guide was Gavin Bieber, also highly recommended. I have a good many pictures and stories to share in the coming days. Tomorrow: owls! chiggers!