April 8, 2008: Birding South Texas (Boca Chica Beach, Laguna Atascosa NWR)

After Sabal Palms, we headed out to Boca Chica Beach. First, we stopped at a small roadside stand for Mexican Food, just past Sabal Palms on Route 4 (Boca Chica Road). It was GREAT. I don't recall its name but the location will be indicated below.

The trip out to Boca Chica Beach, and the drive down the beach, which was fun. This is a very interesting drive, through coastal plain, that was well worth it.

After that we tried the Old Port Isabel Road near Laguna Vista, for Aplomado Falcons. No luck! The day ended at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, where we took the scenic drive there for some nice views and photos.

A long drive back up the coast to Houston wrapped up this trip (with a dinner stop at Rudy's BBQ in Corpus Christi)

Boca Chica Road (Texas Route 4)

Savannah Sparrow


Above and Below: Flyover White-Tailed Hawks (lifer!)

A distant view of the condos on South Padre Island

Driving along Boca Chica Beach

Least Tern

Willet

Ruddy Turnstone

Nice scene of the beach at Boca Chica (with a plover also enjoying the scene!)

Black-Bellied Plover

Sanderling

Savannah Sparrow

Piping Plover

Royal Terns

one of the few Ring-Billed Gulls we saw

Willet

Sandwich Terns

Royal Tern

Jellyfish

A nice view looking south on the beach

Sanderling

One tern, one gull, and one pelican

Another Savannah Sparrow

The beach seemed like a strange spot for a Great Blue Heron!

Driving back along Boca Chica Beach

The White Tailed Hawk again

Savannah Sparrow

Above and Below: Prickly Pear Cactus

We got these great shots of a roadside Crested Caracara:

Driving north along Old Port Isabel Road

Northern Harrier

A flock of White Ibis

Eastern Meadowlark

Cassin's Sparrow

Laguna Atascosa NWR:

Above and Below: Green Jays at the feeder

A view of Laguna Madre from the Scenic Drive Crested Caracara on the beach

White-Tailed Hawk above and below (looks like he caught a mouse!)

LOCATION OF MEXICAN RESTARAUNT (On TX-4 Boca Chica Blvd, just east of TX-511, Indiana Hwy)

MAP OF MENTIONED AREAS (CLICK FOR INTERACTIVE)

April 8, 2008: Birding South Texas (Sabal Palms Audubon Sanctuary)

We spent the morning today at the Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary, just outside Brownsville, right on the Rio Grande River bordering Mexico. This is a really cool place! We started off the morning with a minor liftoff of resting migrating raptors! We walked most of the trails here and got some really cool photos.

This outstanding sanctuary is at risk because of the proposed US-Mexican enhanced border fence. The fence would run north of here, cutting it off from the rest of the U.S.! (Large PDF-9MB of proposed fence map). If you agree with me that this is a bad idea, write your Congressperson or Senator! (More info on the Border Fence here) (Anti border-wall site)

This Broad-Winged Hawk had roosted at the sanctuary
Black-Bellied Whistlind duck perching on a tree
Golden-Fronted Woodpecker
Green Jay
Plain Chachalaca

Olive Sparrow

Paper Flower

American Coot (big foot!)

Northern Shoveler

Mottled Ducks

Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks

Some nice Sabal Palm shots:

Blue Grosbeak

Couch's Kingbird

Below: a few photos of Chachalacas

Some shots of Green Jays at the feeders:

White-Tipped Dove

Long-Billed Thrasher

Looking across the Rio Grande at Mexico

Prickly Pear Cactus

Sabal Palm

Spanish Moss

Unidentified flower

Blue-Winged Teal

Gadwall

Red-Eared Sliders above and below

Least Grebe

Below: White-Tailed Kites

Aerial view of the Resaca at Sabal Palms, courtesy Microsoft Bird's Eye Imagery

Location of Sabal Palms (Interactive Map)