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We stopped at the Pecos River Overlook on our way to Big Bend. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.

On a balmy Texas afternoon in late April, 13 birders from across the country (and the UK) converged on the sidewalk of the San Antonio Airport, objective lenses clean, diopters adjusted. Two shiny black Mercedes Sprinter vans swooped into the airport pickup lane and the birders piled in: their first destination Del Rio, Texas. In the drivers’ seats were Chris, a veteran of many Big Bend adventures, and Micah, first timer to this corner of Texas.

Excitement was high as they weaved through the traffic, leaving the concrete spaghetti behind. Their first stop—a roadside rest area where they scoped their first Couch’s Kingbirds (remember: olive back does not contrast with the tail!), and Scissortails on the wire fences. The birders arrived in Del Rio by late afternoon, filled their grumbling stomachs and went to bed, eagerly awaiting the day ahead. They filed back into the Sprinters before sunrise and sprinted off to bird the Rio Grande valley, where Olive Sparrows and Long-billed Thrashers awaited in lush floodplain vegetation. Other highlights from the Rio Grande were Morelet’s Seedeater, which everyone saw more or less, and an unanticipated Great Kiskadee, a reminder of how close they were to the tropics.

From Del Rio, they shot to Big Bend National Park, covering hundreds of miles before they could see the jagged Chisos Mountains on the Texas horizon. Their stay at Big Bend was punctuated by many moments of awe, excitement, and exhaustion, especially after that Colima climb! Besides the regular Big Bend assortment of Gray Hawk, Lucifer Hummingbird, and Varied Bunting, the birders also saw Slate-throated Redstart and Tropical Parula, two rarities establishing territories well north of their Mexican homeland. And those weren’t the only novelties—a Short-tailed Hawk also flew by along the jagged pinnacles, one of the few records for that part of Texas. Another highlight of birding Big Bend was the flurry of warblers that came down to drink at a small pool at Boot Springs. Among the mix were Colima, Townsend’s, and Hermit Warblers, Black-crested Titmice, Townsend’s Solitaire, and a couple of Hermit Thrushes. Unfortunately, the Slate-throated Redstart didn’t come down to drink, but folks had good looks as it sang in the canopy.

After a satisfying retreat at Big Bend, they drove north to the juniper-clad hillsides of the Davis Mountains where they watched an Elf Owl emerge from a telephone-pole nest-cavity carved by an Acorn Woodpecker. The diminutive thing stared from the hole for several minutes before trading spots with its mate that was waiting in a nearby oak.

The last leg of the trip they spent in the Texas Hill Country, but to get there they had to traverse hundreds of miles of open flat country where they had a close roadside encounter with Scaled Quail singing from the top of a shrub. They scanned Lake Balmorhea for shorebirds and found a handful of Phalaropes and Dowitchers in the shallow corner of the lake, but not much else because the water was so high.

Lost Maples State Natural Area is one of the best places to see the famed Golden-cheeked Warbler. These stunning birds spend their winters in the oak-covered hills of Nicaragua and breed on the Edwards Plateau, Texas. When the group arrived in Lost Maples, anticipation was palpable. They struggled initially with some distant views but were rewarded when a Golden-cheek came down to the ground to mob a snake only 20 feet away. The saffron cheeks outlined in ebony in the dappled light of the understory made for a dazzling sight.

The Black-capped Vireo is another must-see specialty of the Edwards Plateau. This snazzy little vireo spends the winter in the tropical thornscrub of west Mexico and breeds in juniper shrublands of central Texas. Despite its flashy spectacles, it’s not an easy bird to see. After nearly an hour of trying to see the darn bird, everyone in the group got at least a glimpse of it as it danced from juniper to juniper almost magically evading detection.

The tour concluded at the mouth of the Rio Frio Bat Cave, where millions of Brazilian Free-tailed Bats emerged after dark. They fanned out into multiple plumes, which weaved and flowed back into one another as they winked out in the darkening sky.

Thanks to all for a great tour! We hope to see you again soon. Also, thanks to Karen for setting everything up, and Peg and Sharon for the fabulous picnic dinner at the Rio Frio Bat Cave.

Micah and Chris

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

This Scaled Quail sat out along the road and sang for several minutes. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.

Birders bundled up in the desert. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.

Micah's watercolor study of Lesser Nighthawks in flight. We saw them flying around in the daytime near Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend.

Micah's watercolor study of Black-capped Vireo habitat on the Edwards Plateau.

Participant Dixie Sommers captured this Canyon Wren at the Rio Frio Bat Cave.

Participant Dixie Sommers photographed this Morelet's Seedeater while we were birding near Del Rio.

Participant Norman Spurling photographed this handsome Hepatic Tanager at Big Bend.

Flat-headed Snakes are rarely seen out in the open. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 208 bird taxa and 14 mammal taxa