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 In addition to nearly 30 bird
species found nowhere else in the US, the Lower Rio Grande Valley is
home to an astounding 300 species of butterflies. Our tour will explore
diverse ecosystems, from Tamaulipan thornscrub and coastal prairies to
Chihuahuan desert, sabal palm groves, and subtropical oak forests. Come
with us and experience why the Rio Grande is one of the nation’s
premier bird and butterfly destinations.
Day 1: Arrival. The group will meet at our hotel in Harlingen for dinner.
Day 2:
Laguna Atascosa NWR. Heading east, we’ll traverse the coastal
prairie in search of standouts like Aplomado Falcon, Crested Caracara,
White-tailed Hawk, White-tailed Kite, Sprague’s Pipit, and
Long-billed Curlew. We may even have a shot at Xami Hairstreak along
the way. Flooded areas sometimes host Gull-billed Tern, White-faced
Ibis, and the outrageous Roseate Spoonbill.Laguna Atascosa National
Wildlife Refuge should produce a nice variety of waterfowl and
migrating shorebirds like Stilt Sandpiper and Marbled Godwits. The
butterfly garden here is one of the best in the US; if they’re
flying, Blue Metalmark and Clytie Ministreak are certainly the
highlights, and we’ll thoroughly search the flowers for these two
Valley specialties. More common butterflies may include Red-bordered
Metalmark, Queen, and Sickle-winged Skipper. We’ll overnight in
Harlingen.
 Day 3: Santa Ana NWR and Weslaco. Further up the
Valley is Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, protecting an impressive
stand of old-growth oaks along the Rio Grande. Butterfly-watchers will
love this spot; if conditions are favorable, Mexican Bluewing is not
uncommon. It’s also a known location for the striking Silver-banded
Metalmark and delicately beautiful Texas Powdered-Skipper. Hot birds
include Hook-billed Kite, Couch’s Kingbird, Harris’s Hawk, and Tropical
Parula. We’ll also visit Weslaco, home to the Valley Nature Center and
the Frontera Audubon Society. Both locations offer quality birds like
Great Kiskadee and Long-billed Thrasher. The list of vagrants recorded
here is impressive, with Crimson-collared
Grosbeak, Blue Mockingbird, White-throated Robin, and Elegant Trogon
topping the list. Though many of the mega-rarities show up in winter,
bumping into a Clay-colored Robin or another treat would not be out of
the question during late October. Butterflies like Gray Cracker,
Malachite, Guava Skipper can occasionally be found at one of these
sites as well. The surrounding neighborhoods harbor populations of
Red-crowned and Lilac-crowed Parrots. We’ll spend the next two nights
in Zapata.
Day 4:
Zapata area. San Ygnacio and Zapata are the only accessible spots in
the US to find the diminutive White-collared Seedeater, and a great
deal of our time in the area will be devoted to this species. A trip to
Starr County Park will concentrate on desert species, and Vermilion
Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Verdin, and Pyrrhuloxia can all
be expected. A good mix of cryptic sparrows winters here, and we’ll put
our ID skills to the test looking for Clay-colored, Brewer’s, and
Cassin’s Sparrows. Scouring the surrounding desert, we will hope to
turn up Scaled Quail and Greater Roadrunner. Great Purple Hairstreak
has been recorded here in the past.
Day 5:
Chapeño and Salineño. Chapeño is well worth a visit as it is the only
reliable location in the US for Brown Jay. While we search for our main
target, Golden-crowned Woodpeckers and Bronzed Cowbirds will drop in on
the feeders. If we have luck with the jays, we’ll scope out the river,
hoping to catch a Mexican Duck or Green Kingfisher flying by. Salineño
is another great spot right on the Rio Grande and this may be our best
bet for birds like Red-billed Pigeon, Audubon’s Oriole, and Muscovy
Duck. The town itself often supports Hooded Orioles. We overnight in
McAllen.
Day 6: Bentsen and Anzalduas. Bentsen-Rio Grande State
Park and Anzalduas County Park offer still more opportunities for
sought-after Valley specialties. Green Jay and Black-crested Titmouse
should be easy pick-ups as we search for harder birds like Altamira
Oriole, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, and the bushy-crested Northern
Beardless-Tyrannulet. The Edinburg Scenic Wetlands have an extensive
butterfly garden and excellent waterbird habitat. With some luck our
trip here may provide looks at the vociferous Ringed Kingfisher, the
serpentine Anhinga, and the dainty Least Grebe. Red-bordered Pixie,
Mimosa Yellow, or Soldier are among the tantalizing butterfly
possibilities. We’ll return to McAllen for another night.
 Day 7: Brownsville.
The famous Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary will give us a fascinating
glimpse of what the lower Valley looked like 200 years ago. Though the
region was once blanketed by tropical palm forest, this small patch is
nearly all that remains of the habitat in the US. A visit here gives us
a shot at Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, an unpredictable species that has
been breeding at the sanctuary during the past few years. Buff-bellied
Hummingbird and White-tipped Dove are regular, and the feeders are
often dominated by boisterous groups of Plain Chachalacas. If we check
out the butterfly garden, we may turn up a surprise like Two-barred
Flasher or Red Rim. We’ll look for Tamaulipas Crows in this area as
well, although they become elusive after the nesting season. A visit to
South Padre Island should provide a lengthy list of shorebirds, wading
birds, gulls, terns, and rails to round out our tour. On the beach we
could pick up Snowy Plover, and we’ll target Tricolored Heron and
Reddish Egret on the other side of the island. Our final night is spent
in Harlingen.
Day 8: Harlingen. The tour concludes this morning when the group will be shuttled to the airport.
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