SOUTH TEXAS!
RIO GRANDE VALLEY WINTER RARITIES
& SPECIALTIES
TOUR
February
11 - 19, 2023
Contact [email protected] to
reserve
your
space!
Trip
Cost & Travel
Planning> Registration
Form>
Tour
Registration
Details,
Terms
and
Cancellation
Policies>
South
Texas in February is
the perfect destination
for birders hoping to
add some special species
to their North American
bird list while enjoying
a little winter sun.
This
birdy, relatively easy-paced
tour offers a wealth
of remarkable birds including
many that only inhabit
the US in this tropical
little corner of Texas.
Our adventure starts
in the Corpus Christi
area as we search for
wintering groups of the
charismatic Whooping
Crane along with the
many other wonderful
birds
that call this region
home: Roseate Spoonbill,
Gull-billed Tern, Snowy
Plover, White-tailed
Hawk,
and
Sedge Wren.
As
we head south, we will
find some of the more
festively
adorned avian regulars – garrulous Green
Jays,
raucous Great Kiskadees,
and stunning Altamira
Orioles.
We will also seek
out other local specialties
that only irregularly
find themselves on
the US side of the
border: Brown Jay,
Red-billed Pigeon,
and Hook-billed Kite.
Perhaps the main
draw of a visit to
Texas
at this time is the
lure of southern
vagrants that are
found wintering along
the Rio Grande each
year, such as Crimson-collared
Grosbeak, Blue Bunting,
and White-throated
Thrush. Part of the
excitement is that
one never knows what
rarities each winter
here will produce,
and our trip has
the flexibility built
in to go find them.
Some species possible on this tour:
Black-bellied
Whistling-Duck, Fulvous
Whistling-Duck, Muscovy
Duck, Mottled Duck, Plain
Chachalaca, Northern
Bobwhite, Least Grebe,
Neotropic Cormorant,
Reddish Egret, White Ibis,
Roseate Spoonbill, White-tailed
Kite, Hook-billed Kite,
Harris's Hawk, White-tailed
Hawk, Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed
Hawk, Whooping Crane,
Long-billed Curlew, Red-billed
Pigeon, Inca Dove, Common
Ground-Dove, White-tipped
Dove, Greater Roadrunner,
Groove-billed Ani, Common
Pauraque, Buff-bellied
Hummingbird, Ringed Kingfisher,
Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted
Woodpecker, Ladder-backed
Woodpecker,
Crested Caracara, Aplomado
Falcon, Red-crowned
Parrot, Green Parakeet,
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet,
Vermilion Flycatcher,
Great Kiskadee, Couch's
Kingbird, Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher, Green Jay,
Chihuahuan Raven, Cave
Swallow, Black-crested
Titmouse, Verdin, Sedge
Wren, Black-tailed
Gnatcatcher, Clay-colored
Thrush, Curve-billed
Thrasher, Long-billed
Thrasher, Sprague's
Pipit, Painted Redstart,
Morelet's Seedeater,
Cassin's
Sparrow, Olive Sparrow,
Green-tailed Towhee,
Pyrrhuloxia, Bronzed
Cowbird, Altamira Oriole,
Audubon's Oriole, Hooded
Oriole, and Mexican
rarities.
Join
us for a winter birding
escape to South Texas
and the Rio Grande Valley! It's
birdy and tons of fun!
Trip
Cost & Travel
Planning> Registration
Form> Questions? Contact [email protected]
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ITINERARY
(This is a necessarily flexible itinerary subject to change depending upon the birds!)
Day
1: Arrival in Corpus Christi,
Texas
We
will meet at the airport
in Corpus Christi (Airport
code:
CRP). Time
permitting we will start
birding right away and later
check
in to our hotel
and enjoy our welcome dinner. Night Port Aransas
Day
2: Port Aransas / Rockport
/
Harlingen
The
diversity and abundance
of birds that winter in
southern Texas is impressive.
We'll
begin our tour at the famous
Hazel Bazemore State Park
in Corpus Christi, home
to a wide variety of habitats
and South Texas specialties
including Vermilion Flycatcher,
Tropical and Couch's Kingbirds,
Sedge Wren, raptors and
water birds.
Next,
we'll search
out
one of North America’s
rarest bird species: Whooping
Crane.
The coastal marshes
and pastures of Rockport
support these iconic
cranes and a host of
other coastal species
including shorebirds,
gulls, terns, waders,
and land birds. Other
highlights here may
include such beauties
as Black-bellied Whistling
Duck, Roseate
Spoonbill,
Reddish Egret, Gull-billed
Tern, and loads of Black
Skimmer.
Other possibilities
include the flashy Pyrrhuloxia
, noisy Great Kiskadee,
and gaudy Green Jay.
We’ll
also be on the lookout
for any Aplomado Falcons
reported
locally.
In
the late afternoon,
we’ll
journey south to Harlingen.
On our way, we’ll
keep our eyes open for
raptors. We may well find
a White-tailed Hawk perched
atop a yucca or other southern
specialties such as Harris’s
Hawk and Crested Caracara.
Other local specialties
we hope to see during
the
day
may
include Golden-fronted
Woodpecker,
White-winged
and Inca Doves, Loggerhead
Shrike, Brewer’s
Blackbird, Bewick’s
Wren, and Black-crested
Titmouse.
Night
Harlingen.
Day
3: Laguna Atascosa NWR /
South Padre Island
Heading
east from our base in
Harlingen to the famous
Laguna Atascosa National
Wildlife Refuge, we’ll cross coastal prairies that support both White-tailed Hawk and Crested Caracara; our focus today is on finding a real beauty, the rare Aplomado Falcon. Although this stunning falcon ranges from the southern tip of South America all the way to the U.S., it can only reliably found in the U.S., at a handful of spots in the very southernmost tip of Texas. Happily, it has also recently been elevated to countable status by the ABA.
The
wealth of waterfowl at Laguna
Atascosa
and nearby South Padre Island,
includes thousands of Redheads
and other ducks, notable
numbers of waders including
Reddish Egret and White-faced
Ibis, and wintering shorebird
goodies such as Marbled Godwit,
Long-billed Curlew, and Stilt
Sandpiper. Gull-billed and
Sandwich Terns are also possible.
Land
birds
we
may encounter in the area
include Couch’s
and Tropical Kingbird, Sedge
Wren, Curve-billed and Long-billed
Thrashers, and Cassin’s
Sparrow. Dryer areas can
hold the likes of Verdin
and Cactus Wren. With a
little luck, we might uncover
a Sprague’s
Pipit or a Groove-billed
Ani.
Harlingen and Weslaco are known for hosting communal roosts of parrots and blackbirds. Tonight, we will end our evening enjoying the amazing spectacle of both parrots (mainly Green Parakeets and possibly Red-crowned Parrot) and blackbirds (mainly Great-tailed Grackles and Bronzed Cowbirds) as they come into town to roost. The cacophony is something to behold and the spectacle is an integral part of any tour to this part of the world.
Every day in the Rio Grande Valley holds the possibility for something rare and exciting to show up, so we will be keeping our ear to the ground for something like Blue Bunting, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Rose-throated Becard, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, or who knows what else to throw an exciting wrench into our day’s plans! Night Weslaco.
Day 4: Santa Ana NWR / Weslaco Area
We
have two full days to explore
the McAllen/Weslaco Area.
Here we’ll
visit such renowned places
as Santa Ana NWR, home to
species like Ringed and
Green Kingfishers, Black-bellied and
Fulvous Whistling Ducks,
Plain Chachalacas, and
Green Jays. In addition,
a host of Mexican rarities
have seen here over the
years. We’ll
also visit exciting newer
sites, such as the beautiful
and birdy Estero Llano
Grande and Frontera Audubon
Centers, as well as some
of the smaller off the beaten
path spots that make Rio
Grande Valley birding so
rewarding. At these lovely
oasis’s,
we hope to sweep up specialties
such as Buff-bellied Hummingbird,
Common Pauraque, Neotropic
Cormorant, Least Grebe,
Green Kingfisher, White-tailed
Kite, Black Phoebe, White-tipped
Dove, Vermillion Flycatcher,
and many others.
The
impoundments at Estero Llano
Grande are known for attracting
waders, shorebirds, and waterfowl,
including Black-bellied and
Fulvous Whistling Ducks,
Cinnamon Teal, Tri-colored
Heron, White-faced Ibis,
and a many of other species.
Sora and Virginia Rails are
seen here regularly, as are
American Avocet, Black-necked
Stilt, and Wilson’s
Snipe. The park’s
thickets have produced
Clay-colored
Thrush, the rare White-throated
Thrush, Tropical Parula,
and Western Tanager, as
well as other rarities.
This small
park’s
bird list tops 345 species!
Frontera Audubon’s thickets and ponds are always a joy to explore and anything is possible here. Rarities seen include Blue Bunting, Tropical Parula, and Crimson-collared Grosbeak.
One
of our goals will be to scan
the skies from the hawk-watch
platform at Santa Ana NWR
along the Rio Grande for
more tropical raptor species,
such as Gray and Zone-tailed
Hawks. We will also keep
our eyes peeled and fingers
crossed
for a sighting of the rarest
of Southern Texas raptors:
the Hook-billed Kite. Other
local
specialties here include
Ringed and Green Kingfisher,
Great Kiskadee, Long-billed
Thrasher,
and Clay-colored Thrush.
Santa
Ana’s
many ponds and the Rio Grande
River
itself support a variety
of waterfowl, including
both
Whistling Duck species The
refuge’s
bustling feeders often attract
such goodies as Altamira
Oriole, Green Jay, White-tipped
and Inca Doves, Black-crested
Titmouse, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet,
and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers.
This is a great place to
enjoy the often raucous
antics of the Plain Chachalaca
flocks.
Santa Ana’s
bird list tops 400 species
and the rarities seen include
some whoppers, such as
Blue Mockingbird, Roadside
Hawk, Slate-throated Redstart,
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush,
and Blue Bunting. Night
McAllen.
Day 5: Bentsen RGV State Park and Anzalduas County Park
Bentsen-Rio
Grande Valley State Park and
Anzalduas County Park offer
more opportunities for us to
find additional prized Valley
specialties. First, we’ll
visit the hallowed grounds
of Bentsen RGV State Park.
The site has been blessed
with myriads of incredible
rarities including Roadside
Hawk, Amazon Kingfisher, and
Stygian Owl!!! Feeders here
attract a nice mix of specialties
including Plain Chachalaca,
the incredible Green Jay,
Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole,
Inca and White-tipped Dove,
even the occasional Blue Bunting.
We’ll
explore the grounds mixed-species
flocks
which can include a variety
of warblers and such goodies
as Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet.
Groove-billed Ani has occurred
here in winter, so we’ll
keep our eyes and ears open.
As
the morning warms up and
raptors become active, we’ll
head to Anzalduas County
Park to
focus
on finding raptors. We’ll
search for Gray and Zone-tailed
Hawks and hope to spy a
Hook-billed
Kite.
The park may also provide
us with sightings of such
lovelies as Vermilion Flycatcher,
Black Phoebe, Verdin, and
Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
Who knows what may show
up in the mixed flocks of
warblers, but previous years
have provided some interesting
species. Anzalduas is a
renowned site for wintering
Sprague’s
and American Pipits, Western
and Eastern Meadowlarks,
Cave Swallows, Tropical
Kingbird,
Loggerhead Shrike, and
also
provides river access to
scan for kingfishers and
ducks. Night McAllen.
Day 6: McAllen / Zapata
Today,
we will make an early start
and wing our way northwest
along the Rio Grande to the
tiny town of Salineño
nestled on the river’s
banks. Scanning from the
river overlook gives us
our best chance to find
wild Muscovy Ducks and
Red-billed Pigeons and with
great good fortune, perhaps
a Black Hawk, Brown Jay,
or Morelet's Seedeater.
The
famous feeding station
here offers opportunities
for looks at Audubon’s
Oriole, and a wide array
of species, including
Altamira
and Hooded Orioles, Scaled
Quail, Golden-fronted
Woodpecker,
and Blue Grosbeak.
As
we leave Salineño
and head further northwestwards,
we’ll
start to encounter drier
and more desert-like habitats.
At places like Falcon Dam
State Park and Starr County
Park, we’ll
search for species such
as Black-throated Sparrow,
Pyrrhuloxia, Vermillion
Flycatcher, Scaled Quail,
Greater Roadrunner, and
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.
Other exciting South Texas
specialties to be found
include Audubon’s
Oriole, and both Red-billed
Pigeon, and Morelet's
Seedeater. Night Zapata.
Day 7: Zapata / McAllen
The towns of Zapata and nearby San Ygnacio are the most reliable spots in the US to find the little White-collared Seedeater. We’ll spend the early morning in search of these diminutive seedeaters before slowly working our way back south along the Rio Grande towards McAllen. We’ll concentrate on finding any birds that we may have missed: whether dry habitat species or the more tropical species we encounter further south. We will also be keeping a close eye on reports of rare birds that we might chase. Night McAllen.
Day 8: McAllen Area / Corpus Christi
We
will start our morning following
up leads and exploring a couple
of the smaller sites in McAllen.
Depending on what’s
needed, we may visit parks
such as the Edinburg Scenic
Wetlands which attract a wide
array of water birds, or Quinta
Mazatlan World Birding Center,
another world-class birding
site with a nice mix of habitats
and species. If time allows,
we’ll
stop at the wonderful NABA
Butterfly Center, where one
can witness an incredible
array of multicolored Lepidoptera
that are often found in few
other places in the US. Edge
habitat here can be productive
for woodland birds and the
park's fields provide good
habitat
for sparrows and other open-country
species. The center's feeders
are known for attracting
such goodies as Audubon's
Oriole and Clay-colored Thrush.
After
chasing
down anything that we may
have missed, we’ll
head north out of the valley
back toward Corpus Christi.
After
we depart the Rio Grande
Valley, stops are planned
at a famed rest area to look
for Tropical Parula and other
warblers, and we will keep
our eyes peeled raptors including
specialties such as White-tailed
Hawk, Harris’s
Hawk, and Crested Caracara.
Depending on our chosen
route
back to Corpus Christi,
we
may have a chance to visit
a sod farm to search for
Mountain
Plover and/or to look for
scrub-loving birds such
as Cassin's Sparrow or the
elusive Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl.
It's
then on to Corpus Christi
where we will have time to
freshen up before heading
for a celebratory dinner.
Night Corpus Christi.
Day
9: Departures
from Corpus Christi, Texas
LEADER: Frank Gallo Questions? Contact [email protected]
SOUTH TEXAS
February
11 - 19, 2023
Registration
Form>
Contact [email protected] to
reserve your space!
TOUR
PRICE: $TBA
per person
based on double
occupancy
from Corpus
Christi,
Texas
(Airport code: CRP).
Price
is based on 6
passengers. A
small group surcharge
$150.00 will
be
assessed for
a
group of 4-5.
Single
supplement: $TBA
per person,
subject to availability.
DEPOSIT:
$750.00 per
person.
Tour
deposits can
be paid
by check or
credit
card via
PayPal. Use
this link to
make your
credit card
payment. Please
advise [email protected]
when you
have made
payment.
Included
in
cost: Accommodation
in
/double
twin
rooms,
all
meals
from
dinner
on
Day
1
through
breakfast
on
Day
9,
group
airport/hotel
transfers, ground
transport
throughout, all
taxes,
entrance
fees
as
mentioned
in
the
itinerary.
Not
included: Flight
to
and
from
Corpus
Christi,
insurance,
drinks,
laundry,
tips,
and
items
of
a
personal
nature. Also,
any
and
all
costs
arising
from
pandemic
or
Covid-19
related
issues
are
not
included
in
the
tour
cost
and
are
the
sole
responsibility
of
the
traveler.
These
include,
among
others,
the
costs
of
Covid
treatment,
hospitalization,
medical
fees,
transport,
meals
and
accommodation
in
case
of
illness
or
quarantine,
and
the
costs
of
any
Covid
tests
needed
before,
during
and
after
the
tour.
Final
payment is due December
11, 2022. Check
or bank transfer are preferred
but credit card payments
are possible (surcharges of
up to 5% are added depending
on amount to cover credit
card
company fees). To make credit
card payment arrangements,
contact [email protected]
Tour
Code: This
is a standard
birding
tour
with all-day
birding.
To see a
good
amount of
specialties
you need
to
be prepared
for some
walking
and for full
days.
We will
generally
start early
and
either
have an
early
breakfast
or return
for
breakfast.
Lunches
will
be either
picnic
or fast
food places
(we try
for
local eateries)
depending
on our schedule.
We
can
expect
all
types
of
weather
from warm
and hot
to
cool and
showery.
Please
be
prepared
for
this.
Please
note: Tour prices are based on quoted costs from ground operators (in their local currency), estimated fuel costs, and the rate of exchange the time of itinerary publication. The erratic nature to global financial markets makes it difficult to predict changes in costs and foreign currency exchange rates over the long term. Since tours are priced well in advance of the actual operation of the tour, tour costs, fuel costs and exchange rates can change, sometimes drastically. Depending on the extent of such changes, it may be necessary to implement a surcharge on this tour. If a surcharge is necessary, every effort will be made to minimize the amount.
Cancellations
and Refunds:
Please
review our Terms
and Conditions
of Booking (pdf
download)> prior
to registering
for this tour. All
cancellations
must be made
in writing. Please
ensure that you
take out adequate
insurance to
cover this and
any other eventuality
as early as possible.
You may have
the opportunity
to transfer your
booking to another
tour or another
person, provided
you are unavoidably
prevented from
coming on the
tour. In this
case, you will
bear any extra
costs that such
changes may incur.
There
are no refunds once the trip
is confirmed to go ahead and
no refunds will be made for
unused meals, accommodations,
or other trip features. Sunrise
Birding, LLC cannot accept liability
for airline cancellations or
delays or penalties incurred
by the purchase of non-refundable
airline tickets or other expenses
incurred by tour participants
in preparing for this tour.
TRIP
INSURANCE:
Sunrise
Birding LLC strongly recommends
that you consider purchasing a
travel protection plan to protect
you and your travel investment
against the unexpected in case
of delay, injury or illness prior
to or during a tour. Travel
protection plans can include coverage
for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption,
Emergency Medical and Emergency
Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip
Delay, Baggage Loss and Delay,
Emergency Medical Transportation,
Pre-existing Conditions, and more.
There
are many trip insurers.
Here are two options
to consider:
CSA
TRAVEL
PROTECTION>
CSA
offers coverage for pre-existing
conditions if you purchase
your policy before making
your final payment for
a tour.
Please
be sure to use
Sunrise Birding's
producer code:
20201123
when
purchasing your policy. |
INSURE
MY TRIP>
Insure
My Trip is a web site that
allows you
to compare trip
insurance plans
to
find the right plan for
you. |
PLEASE
NOTE:
- Insurance
policy requirements
vary and the timing
of your purchase
can affect coverage.
Some insurance
providers require
that for coverage
of pre-existing
conditions, a
policy must be
purchased within
7-14 days of booking.
Others, like CSA,
offer policies
that cover pre-existing
conditions as
long as the policy
is purchased prior
to making your
final payment
for the tour.
- Trip
insurance policy
premiums may be
non-refundable,
but they may be
able to be amended
or transferred.
Check with your
insurer. It is
important to be
sure that the
tour is sufficiently
subscribed to
operate before
you purchase trip
insurance.
- Pay
attention to coverages
provided by your
policy. Be aware
of the requirements
of country or
destination can
change, so check
often. Some policies
are now offering
Covid related
coverages so check
with your insurer.
- US
medical insurance
plans (including
Medicare) often
do not provide
coverage outside
the US. The US
State Department
strongly advises
Americans to consult
with their medical
insurance company
prior to traveling
abroad to confirm
whether their
policy applies
overseas and if
it will cover
emergency expenses
such as a medical
evacuation. Consult
with your insurer
prior to your
trip to ascertain
whether payment
will be made to
the overseas healthcare
provider directly
or whether you
will be reimbursed
later for expenses
that you incur.
Be sure to get
and keep all documentation
of any expenses
incurred.
Questions?
Contact Gina
Nichol at [email protected].com
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