• Peak season for spring migration in Texas
• Over 30 species of warbler possible on tour including Swainson's and Prothonotary at coastal migration hotspots like High Island and Sabine Woods
• Endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Brown-headed Nuthatches in 'piney-woods' region
• Shimmering flocks of migrating shorebirds
• Walk through marshes at Anahuac for Yellow Rail
• Three days in Edward's Plateau for endangered Black-capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler
• Millions of bats at Frio Bat Caves

Canyon Towhee

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive at Houston International Airport. If time permits, we can visit a few parks near the hotel. Spend night in Houston.

Day 2 Our first day of Texas birding begins amongst the pines in Jones State Forest, N. of Houston where many species typical of the 'piney-woods' region can be found. A plethora of woodpeckers occur in this forest park, including the showy Red-headed Woodpecker and the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker! Another southern pine specialty, the Brown-headed Nuthatch is a common resident in the pine forest here. As we stroll through the pines we will encounter a selection of eastern songbirds such as flashy Hooded Warblers, Acadian Flycatchers, Eastern Bluebirds, Tufted Titmice and glowing Summer Tanagers.

After lunch we'll head west to the San Antonio area, stopping off at the Attwater Prairie Chicken Preserve along the way. Our chances of seeing the prairie chickens are very low as they have declined significantly and prefer the less accessible portions of the refuge, but with some luck, we might see Dickcissels, White-tailed Hawks, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and a variety of wetland birds including Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Sedge Wren and Common Moorhen in this area of extensive grasslands and wetlands. If the sun is out, butterflies may be abundant. In the late afternoon we’ll reach the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country, or more specifically: The Edwards Plateau. Night in Boerne, just NW of San Antonio.

Day 3 After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and head straight to Lost Maples State Natural Area. Here we will walk along the Sabinal River Canyon where Bigtooth Maples and a variety of other deciduous tree species provide an oasis for riparian birds such as Acadian Flycatcher, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Eastern Phoebe. We will also pay close attention to the drier juniper-clad slopes where the cagey Black-capped Vireo might be spotted along with the more conspicuous Golden-cheeked Warbler. There are several feeding stations in the park where we might see Western Scrub-Jays, both Black-chinned and Ruby-throated hummingbirds, Painted, Indigo, and possibly Varied buntings, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Lesser Goldfinch, and much more. High above, we will scan through groups of Turkey and Black vultures for the uncommon Zone-tailed Hawk.

After lunch we will check into the famous Neal’s Lodges where fantastic birding is only steps away from our cabin-accommodation! An afternoon birding walk will certainly be planned, although some may want to beat the heat by soaking in the scenic Frio River—“Texas’s Favorite Swimming Hole.” After dinner we’ll head out to watch millions of Brazilian Free-tailed Bats leave their cave. If the bat spectacle wasn’t enough, we might see several hawks and owls come in to take advantage of the bounty, as well as other neat birds in the area such as Wild Turkey and Rock Wren. Night at Neal’s Lodges.

Day 4 We'll spend much of the day exploring Kickapoo Cavern State Park. This large park, W. of Uvalde contains extensive arid, scrub habitat good for a great number of birds. On previous trips we've seen Harris's Hawks, Pyrrhuloxia and Wild Turkey en route to the park. In the park we hope to see some very interesting birds like Common Ground-Dove, Gray Vireo, Black-capped Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Varied Bunting, Scott's Oriole, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Cassin's Sparrow, Olive Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Canyon Towhee and perhaps Greater Roadrunner. On our way back to Concan, we’ll stop in Uvalde to try for some Rio Grande specialties at the north end of their breeding ranges. These include Great Kiskadee, Couch’s Kingbird, and charismatic Green Jay. Night at Neal’s Lodges.

Day 5 Today is our big driving day as we wrap up birding in the Hill Country and head east to the Texas Upper Coast. After a short birding walk and one last meal at Neal’s Café, we’ll drive straight across the state to the town of Winnie, close to the Louisiana Border, and our base of operations for the next few days. If time permits we can check some flooded rice fields in the area for waterfowl and waders including some nice shorebirds like American Golden-Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and Upland Sandpiper. Night in Winnie, TX.

Day 6 Our shorebird identification skills will be tested as we bird the globally important Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary this morning. En route to Bolivar we'll pause at Yacht Basin Road for Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Graceful White-tailed Kites are regularly seen gliding over the long grasses at the Yacht Basin as well. We'll then stop at Rollover Pass where Reddish Egrets prance in the shallows, comical American Oystercatchers forage on sandy islands. At Bolivar Flats we can expect a stunning array of shorebirds all the way from the declining Red Knot to 'wickering' Willets (both eastern and western forms are possible). We should find six species of plover at Bolivar including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Piping, Snowy and Wilson's plovers and Killdeer!

In the afternoon we'll head to High Island, perhaps the USA's best-known migrant trap. Situated less than a mile from the coast, High Island is the first formidable stand of trees that tired migrants see as they descend from their trans-gulf flight. Especially after a rain, the woods at High Island can be alive with migrants. Expect Ovenbirds, Blackburnian Warblers, Northern Parulas, Scarlet Tanagers, Brown Thrashers and many more exciting migrants here. We'll visit a busy heronry at High Island where Great and Snowy egrets, Tricolored, Great Blue, Little Blue and Black-crowned Night-Herons tend to noisy young.

Day 7 We begin at Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge where we drive / walk down a gravel road through coastal marshes. We will be dazzled by waders such as brilliant Roseate Spoonbills, monstrous American White and Brown pelicans, attractive Tricolored Herons and flocks of White-faced Ibis. Clapper Rails are typically seen in good numbers here, often crossing the road right in front of us. The marshes will be peppered with birds of all sorts from lanky Great and Snowy egrets to tiny Seaside and Nelson's Sharp-tailed sparrows. Expect a nice variety of shorebirds, terns, gulls and waterfowl as well. The shrubs alongside the road are often filled with surprise migrants, tired after a lengthy journey across the Gulf of Mexico. In the past we've found Cerulean Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Orchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeak and Red-eyed Vireo here to name a few species. Both Boat-tailed and Great-tailed grackles inhabit a small area of the Upper Texas Coast and we'll have the opportunity to see both at Sabine Pass.

As the day progresses we'll retreat to Sabine Woods in hopes of a fallout of migrants. A good day at Sabine Woods often means up to 20 species of warbler, including Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Swainson's, Worm-eating and Cerulean warblers. We'll sit and watch the famous 'drip' at Sabine Woods where a host of colorful birds such as Indigo Buntings, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Kentucky Warblers and Scarlet Tanagers will amaze us. Night in Winnie.

Day 8  This morning we'll visit the famous Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. With lakes and ponds, extensive marshes, mudflats, willow groves and open fields, Anahuac is one of the premiere birding hotspots in America! Black-crowned Night-Herons, American Bitterns, Least Bitterns, Common Moorhens, Purple Gallinules and King Rails are all common residents of the wetlands. We'll scan through flocks of White-faced Ibis for Glossy Ibis, an uncommon species on the Upper Coast. Mudflats and flooded fields will be covered with shorebirds including some much sought-after species such as Buff-breasted, Upland and White-rumped sandpipers, Hudsonian Godwits and American Golden-Plovers. Graceful Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are common along the telephone wires and Dickcissels sing from the tall grass.

After lunch we'll return to either Sabine Woods or High Island in search of migrants. Night in Winnie.

Day 9 After breakfast we’ll check out of the hotel and head straight to Tyrell Park in Beaumont, TX where we might see (or more importantly—‘hear’) a Fish Crow. This southeastern specialty is right at the western edge of its breeding range in the USA. We’ll spend the rest of the day targeting specialty birds of “The Big Thicket” such as Swainson’s Warbler and Bachman’s Sparrow. After nightfall there will be an optional outing to try for Eastern Screech-Owl, Barred Owl, and Chuck-will’s-Widow. Night in Silsbee.

Day 10 There will be optional pre-breakfast birding this morning for those participants who want to experience Big Thicket at dawn. We'll return to Silsbee for breakfast and then continue our explorations of the preserve for much of the day. Migrant and resident birds will keep us busy all day long and our list of forest species will fatten with such treats as gaudy Painted Buntings, buzzing Prairie Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo and perhaps the rare Bachmann's Sparrow. We'll keep our eyes trained on the skies for migrant raptors. Large kettles of Mississippi Kites are usually seen here in mid-April, and Swallow-tailed Kites often accompany them. Before lunch we'll take a leisurely hike through cypress swamps and deciduous hardwood forests where Wood Thrushes ethereally sing and tiny Blue-gray Gnatcatchers flit through the foliage. After a picnic lunch we'll briefly visit refuge headquarters and head back out in search of delights such as the elusive Swainson's Warbler, Black-billed and Yellow-billed cuckoos and roosting Barred Owls. Late afternoon drive to Houston where we’ll spend the night and tally up our trip list!