Saturday, March 20, 2021

A Visit to Two State Parks and Time to Move North…

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Before leaving the Rio Grande Valley we took the time to visit a couple of birding hot spots. First was a visit to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. We have been to this state park before when we wintered down in Mission TX one year. Since we were fairly close we certainly wanted to revisit the park.

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We love seeing all the beautiful birds that can only be found in southern Texas. One of our very favorites is the beautiful Green Jay. These birds were once only found in the southern reaches of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas but over the years they, along with the Kiskadee Flycatcher, have been slowing expanding their range northward to near San Antonio.

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The park allowed camping in the past and as a result there is a loop now restricted to bicycles and hikers along with the occasional Border Patrol truck making rounds. It does make for a nice hike though. Within the park is a remnant oxbow (Resaca) of the Rio Grande which is home to three species of Hummingbirds. We have seen all three of them.

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The other park we visited was Estero Llano Grande State Park. While we saw many of the same birds there we enjoyed this visit as well. There were a few more feeding stations set up and we were treated to a great showing of the Buff-bellied Hummingbirds and the Altamira Orioles.

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It was nice to spend a few extra days in the RGV of Texas to not only see the birds of the valley one last time but for the chance to relax and put all our repair woes behind us. However, now it became time to move north and hit the road once again… 

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We will close out this blog and our stay this winter in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas with this parting shot of an Orange Crowned Warbler taking a bath…

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NOTE:  We are currently at Angler’s Retreat in Rockport Texas… 

10 comments:

  1. A Green Jay? Only see Blue Jays out here. So much more color in the birds of the Texas Rio Grand.
    Safe travels as you move north!

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  2. Replies
    1. Nothing like a some color to add a little brightness to our lives...

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  3. Bentsen Rio Grande is a great birding area. 300 species are spotted there every winter. We used to rv there until they closed the park to make the birding center. It was truly a good idea. Whenever we stayed there, the park was empty. Holidays and weekend people would trash the place. Glad to see what it has become.

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  4. While ya'll on the road, watch out for the spring breakers!! They are operating those cars like they have just been let out of a cage, and the secret code among them is "party--party."

    On CNN news tonight, they showed videos of the kids in Miami Beach packed so tight on the beach and in the bars that the cops had to shoot pepper balls into the crowd to break them up and then envoked a curfew of 8:00 pm. Well, that didn't go over so well!

    My granddaughter is home from college, sitting here sulking on my sofa because I won't let her borrow my car to go on spring break. After I saw those cops shoot those pepper balls, that told me Miami Beach does not want these kids. For a while, at least, I guess I'm not her favorite grandma.

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    1. Yes, being a teenager during a pandemic has to be a bummer...

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  5. Glad it all worked out but bummed we didn't get to see you two before we left the Gulf Coast. Oh well, there will be another time.

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