Tag: World Birding Center

Park #4
January 14th, 2024
Distance: 5.77 mile hike
Weather: 75 degrees, light wind, humid

The final state park on our Rio Grande Valley visit was Resaca de la Palma State Park. My husband and I pulled into the parking lot and saw a dozen birders, pointing camera lenses and binoculars in different directions. The lot was shaded and lush, with bird feeders hanging from the trees and picnic tables strategically placed for ideal viewing. Behind the visitor center, there was a large bird blind with several feeders and a water feature. The birds are everywhere if you look.

Out of the three state parks we visited this weekend (including Estero Llano Grande and Bentsen-Rio Grande), this park had the most trail mileage, and I planned a longer hike. We showed up early-ish to start before the heat of the day. After obtaining our wristbands at the visitor center, my husband began his trail run, and I prepped for my adventure.

I started my hike on Bobcat Lane, which was a flat, overgrown jeep road with tropical surroundings. At the end, I switched to a new trail that led me through an open, sandy region. Shotgun shells littered the area, heightening my sense of danger. However, there was no need to worry. I found out at the visitor center that the state allows hunting in the park on select weekends to shoot wild hogs. Wild hogs are a menace to Texas, threatening resources and native wildlife. The employee told me they instruct the hunters to pick up their shells, but humans can have difficulty following directions.

It’s a small park, but I still managed to get lost. That takes a special kind of incompetence. I was only off the trail for 500 yards, so I retraced my steps to determine where I went astray. I discovered that I had bypassed a hidden and unmarked turn on the trail. If I hiked it again, I guarantee I would miss it again.

The farther I hiked, the dustier the trails became. The trees were shorter, and the dirt was caked and cracked, meeting my South Texas environment expectations. If it ever rained, these trails would be a muddy mess. The lake in the park was dry (current drought), so bird watching was a bust.

My husband and I met up for a moment and hiked down together to the dry lake. In front of us, a hawk swooped down from the trees, expanded its wings, and soared away. After visiting the lake and taking a few selfies, hubby continued his run, and I was on my own again.

Over the weekend, we also took a brief jaunt to visit Boca Chica, where SpaceX has its Starbase. (Is it just me, or does it sound like a toddler invented these names?) We drove down Highway 4 to the end of the line at the coast. The rockets are located right next to the highway, and you can get closer than you can at NASA. We parked the car on the beach, got out, and stared at the hugeness. At the time of our visit, the Elon Musk madness was yet to be newsworthy, but I saw plenty of Elon fans who left signs and graffiti. The enormous base reminded me that space travel is astronomically costly, and Elon must be raking in money in contracts to be able to launch rockets from this desolate area. Just know there are no gas stations, food, or even a parking lot to view the Starbase.

The weather threw us a winter storm for our trip back, icing the roads ahead of us. South Texas is not prepared for this kind of weather, and we saw the aftermath of several accidents. Two pick-up trucks overturned on a highway, one truck smashed into a barricade, and a truck jack-knifed a fifth-wheel RV into a ditch. We drove cautiously, as slow as 45 miles per hour on the freeway, and made it home safe.

Now that I’m writing this post, it’s amazing what we accomplished over the long weekend. I’m now psyched to tackle more of the parks. See you out there!

Park #3
January 13th, 2024 (same day as Estero Llano Grande)
Distance: 3.48 m hike
Weather: 75 degrees

After visiting Estero Llano Grande, my husband and I drove thirty minutes to Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park the same afternoon. This park is the headquarters of the World Birding Center, and we were greeted by a group of four wild turkeys in the parking lot. The flock strolled in the grass beside a walkway, like they were leading the way to the entrance.

To access the trails here, you walk on the road, but it’s closed to traffic. The afternoon sun warmed the air to an uncomfortable temperature, even in January. There is a tram, but it wasn’t convenient. It only runs once an hour and lacks a tracking mechanism. I would waste time waiting for the tram, so I didn’t use it. I recommend either bringing your bike or renting one to get around. There are rentals near the visitor center and ample bike parking at the trailheads.

I wanted to visit the famous hawk tower. It’s featured on the website, on brochures, and the ranger at the visitor center mentioned it as well. However, to reach the trailhead was a 4-mile round trip, and the trail was a 1.8-mile loop. Given the short winter day and our late start, I wouldn’t have made it back in daylight. I regret not renting a bike to see it.

I finished my hike before hubby returned, so I explored the visitor center and World Birding Center headquarters. Behind the center, I saw three large javelinas grazing on the grass in an open field. My husband soon arrived, eager to report everything he saw, but I shushed him and pointed to the animals. We tiptoed around the building and counted a group of seven javelinas. We found a picnic table with a full view and watched for several minutes. Our presence didn’t seem to disturb them. Eventually, three more people wandered out, sat at another table to watch, and the animals still didn’t indicate they cared. Cool experience.

I’m disappointed I skipped the hawk tower due to time constraints. On reflection, I’m likely missing incredible experiences because I want to visit all these parks to complete my challenge. The focus on quantity over quality robs me of the time to discover a park’s cool features. Many parks are so large that it’s impossible to see everything it has to offer in a single visit. It is a drawback to this kind of adventure.

Note to self for future visits: rent a bike, come earlier in the day, and bring lunch.

Here’s a video of an evening greeting from a swarm of tiny butterflies in the old campground. I love these moments. Happy hiking out there!

A trip to the Rio Grande Valley

Park #2
January 13th, 2024
Distance: 4.39 m hike
Weather: 58 degrees and light wind

For the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, my husband and I loaded the car and trekked to the Rio Grande Valley to visit three state parks, all part of the World Birding Center. These parks attract birdwatchers from around the world to glimpse some rare species that can only be seen in South Texas or Northern Mexico. We aren’t birders, but I hoped to spy some usual wildlife, and my hubby brought his super fancy camera. You can’t drive into any of these parks, so you check in at the visitor center to obtain a wristband. All three parks are small, even if the word ‘grande’ (Spanish word for big) is in the name of two of these parks.

When we pulled into the parking lot of Estero Llano Grande State Park, I was surprised to see various tropical plants and a brick path to the visitor center winding through a mini-jungle. Good first impression.

At the visitor center, we asked the ranger when the best time was to spot birds, and she replied, “It’s now, actually, but we have been in a drought. There is only water in Alligator Lake and Kiskadee Pond.” She wasn’t exaggerating. Most of the ponds were bone-dry. Bummer.

Still, we took our chances and wandered over to Alligator Lake. The trails near the visitor center are well-marked. I doubt you could get lost. We met a friendly birder who pointed out a few herons on the lake and showed us a sleeping pauraque. It took me several seconds before I spotted it; that creature was perfectly camouflaged. The birder warned that we had better “follow the rules”, which means don’t disturb a sleeping or nesting bird. She was very enthusiastic and educated us about pauraques. So much so that I think the park should hire her.

Pauraques are active at night and sleep during the day. When disturbed, they run and won’t return until the next day. I did not want to break any rules, so I kept my distance and my mouth shut. I didn’t want to be responsible for a pauraque losing sleep.

Our new birder friend was eager to continue our education, so she listed other nearby sites to see rare birds. I told her we had other plans. She paused, blinked twice, and continued listing her recommended locations. I guess her brain was in bird mode and couldn’t compute skipping a bird sighting? I decided this was a nod-and-smile-politely situation.

After taking some lovely pictures, it was time to hike or run these trails. In other words, I would hike and hubby would run. I started on a nature trail, but upon turning the first corner, I spotted five men with expensive cameras. They were pointing their lenses at a spot on the other side of the trail. I didn’t want to be a jerk and disturb their quarry, so I backed up and headed to another part of the park. I was learning how serious birding can be.

I meandered through a region labeled “tropical area” on the map, which was the old campground roads. Next, I hiked up to a levee that separates the ponds from Llano Grande Lake. Between the bird blinds and the lake, I saw green jays, pelicans, pink flamingos, and others that I couldn’t identify because I didn’t have binoculars and, as stated before, I’m not a birder. If I could spot that many birds, I wondered what it must be like when there isn’t a drought.

The location promises the park will be scorching hot in the summer. I imagine if the ponds were full and it was a still day, mosquitoes would make a meal out of you. Bring the sunscreen and bug spray!

After discussing the trip, the hubby and I determined we were both lucky and unlucky. Luckily, we got to see a pauraque and experience a mosquito-free morning. Unfortunately, we didn’t see as many amazing birds as we expected.