Day 1: Arrive at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) before 2 pm. After meeting everyone at the airport, we head west to Uvalde which will be our base for the next six days. The drive to Uvalde is about an hour and a half from San Antonio and crosses the northern end of the Tamaulipan thorn scrub habitat. If time allows, we may visit a local spot in Uvalde for some birding before our orientation meeting and welcome dinner. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 2: Cook’s Slough Nature Park, Uvalde National Fish Hatchery, and Frio Bat Cave. We spend the day birding the brush country in the Uvalde area, primarily the Cook’s Slough Nature Park. The park’s habitat is home to some of the best birding in the region. The arid habitat in areas of the park provide opportunities to see Ash-throated Flycatcher, Scaled Quail, Verdin, Pyrrhuloxia, Greater Roadrunner, Cactus Wren, and Black-throated Sparrow among others. In addition, some of the wetland areas and bordering riparian areas may harbor Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Audubon’s Oriole. We also visit the Uvalde National Fish Hatchery which consists of 93 acres of ponds, woodlands and open fields. This is a great place to see species such as Bullock’s Oriole, Bell’s Vireo and any late migrant shorebirds. After enjoying an early dinner, we drive north to Concan to visit the Frio Bat Cave between 7 pm and 9 pm to witness the evening flight of millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats leaving the cave for their feeding grounds. Also, at the bat viewing area we will possibly see Cave Swallows, Rock and Canyon Wrens and raptors hunting bats as they exit the cave. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 3: Kickapoo Cavern State Park and Fort Clark Springs. Today we drive northwest out of the South Texas brush country and up into the Edward’s Plateau to visit Kickapoo Cavern State Park. The park has one of the state’s eastern most stands of Piñon Pines and is also one of the best places to see both the Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo as well as Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Varied Bunting, Painted Bunting and Zone-tailed Hawk. This is also a great place to see additional species including Gray Vireo, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Bushtit and Canyon Towhee. We spend the afternoon at Fort Clark Springs which is an old frontier fort located in Brackettville. The lush riparian areas of oaks and pecan trees along Las Moras Creek provide habitat for Green Kingfisher, Olive Sparrow, Lesser Goldfinch, Hooded Oriole and Green Jay. If time allows, we may visit a few sites around Brackettville before returning to Uvalde. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 4: Lost Maples State Natural Area. We drive north to Lost Maples State Natural Area to bird the park’s rugged canyons and along the serene Sabinal River. Although the park is well known for its stand of Uvalde bigtooth maples and colorful fall foliage, the park’s scenic beauty can be enjoyed year-round. Here we have the opportunity to see Golden-cheeked Warbler, Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Yellow-throated Warbler, Green Kingfisher, Scott’s Oriole and Common Raven. This is one of the few places where the ranges of Carolina and Canyon Wrens overlap; hearing them sing simultaneously offers a unique experience. Tropical Parula has also become somewhat regular in this area in recent years. Depending on bird activity, we may depart Lost Maples in the early afternoon and bird some additional sites as we work our way back to Uvalde. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 5: Vega Verde Road, Lake Amistad Dam, and Del Rio. We drive west to the border town of Del Rio to bird along Vega Verde Road. This road passes through rural areas along the Rio Grande River offering a variety of habitats including mesquite woodlands, South Texas brush country, river cane thickets, and the riverfront. This area has been a fairly reliable location to spot Morelet’s Seedeater. Other species we may encounter here include Mexican Duck, Couch’s Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, Bronzed Cowbird and other species typically found in South Texas. We continue upriver to Lake Amistad Dam. The lake is a large reservoir located between the border of the United States and Mexico. Some of the birds we may observe below the dam include Ringed Kingfisher, Cliff Swallow, Chihuahuan Raven and Black Phoebe. We may also have the opportunity to see some overwintering duck species and migrant shorebirds. If time allows, we will visit a few birding hotspots in the Brackettville area to look for any birds we may have missed earlier in the week before returning to Uvalde. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 6: Tour Conclusion & Departures. We may get in an hour or two of birding before our drive back to San Antonio. Airport drop-off by no later than 11 am. Participants may arrange departing flights from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) after 1 pm.
