World Birding Centers here I come. The referenced documentation stated thatwinter it is a great time to see birds, just like the rest of the year. I saw a Chachalaca and some birds in the water. Which is saying I didn’t see many birds. Remember it was also hot hot hot. And it was windy and hot. I might not have been paying the best of attention.
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley – The first birding center in the direction that I was traveling. Also somehow very confusing for me to figure out how to park and get into the place. My navigation told me to park in the parking lot but I didn’t seem to catch on for a while. This area reminds me of Florida in that there a acres and acres of trailer parks with the housing that is on wheels and those that are permanent. And there were a multitude of people out riding their bikes. Once I figured out where to park, I luckily was able to follow someone I thought might have the same purpose as I did. Here is why it was confusing to me, the road has big barriers to block off traffic, so to me it looked like one shouldn’t go there. Well there is exactly where you are supposed to go, they blocked the road to traffic to improve the habitat by not having driving around polluting the air. Once I stumbled into the place and got a map, it was still not much improvement. I took a wrong path and ended up walking around a water channel that had nothing to do with the park. After this detour I still had to walk the 8th of a mile just to get in to the main area. Not such good planning on a hot day with 2 dogs that were also getting pretty hot by that time too. Lesson learned – Pack around a collapsible bowl. I didn’t even take a picture of the only bird that I saw here – the Chachlaca.
Estero Llano Grande – A very nice little birding center, had it not been so hot and especially windy here. I did a small trek around the Ibis and Avocet Ponds. The Ibis pond had birds, I couldn’t tell you what kind of birds they were, beyond the duck kind.
Resaca de la Palma – There are miles and miles of hiking or biking rental riding at this park. But we were already sneaking very close to 20,ooo steps for the day and doing a 5 mile hike on a hot hot and windy day was not on the agenda. There was a quarter mile trail that was very nice – it was shady 🙂 And had there been water in the Resaca it would have been even more pleasant. The park attendant said that it had a leak and could not be filled with water at this time. But the little trail was quite informative and had the most interesting bird blinds.
There was also this star gazing observatory that I could not find any additional information about its purpose.
Maybe I would need to go on line and see what I might find there…
Port Isabel Lighthouse – Note that the lighthouse is under construction (obviously). Which meant no climbing to the top. It would probably be about the same sight as when climbing to the top of lighthouses on the east and west coasts.
Port Isabel also boasts of the only town square in Texas with a lighthouse in the center. Pretty cool.
After this I visited and had the privilege to stay on South Padre Island. To get there you go over the impressively large Queen Isabel bridge. I do not have any pictures of it, one I was driving, two I never stoppped to get out and take a pic. I was tired this day and just done the next day.
Rine on the Road 