• Look for Pineywood specialties such as the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Prairie Warbler, Bachman’s Sparrow and others at WG Jones State Forest and the Big Thicket. • Marvel at the variety of breeding plumaged neotropical migrants including warblers, vireos, thrushes, buntings and orioles at High Island and Sabine Woods. • Observe hundreds of breeding colonial wading birds including Roseate Spoonbills, Tricolored Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets at Smith Oaks. • Visit one of the most important migratory shorebird resting and feeding spots in the country at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. • Spot a variety of raptor and shorebird species at Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge and the Bolivar Peninsula.

The package includes all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7, ground transportation during the tour, entrance fees to parks/preserves, accommodations as stated in the itinerary, and guided services provided by the tour leader(s). It does not include travel expenses including but not limited to airfare to and from the tour destination, travel insurance, extended stays (before and/or after the tour), alcoholic beverages, gratuities, and items/expenses of personal nature.

OSCAR CARMONA https://static.wixstatic.com/media/deca88_a91f22b0948d4bd084b41640aa4b7edb~mv2.jpg

Moderate (2-3 miles of daily walking). Field time each day is typically between 7-10 hours (weather permitting). Most of the birding is done on trails, boardwalks, beaches and along the road as we drive to various birding locations. Walking on uneven, soggy terrain, or in the rain is possible. Days start with breakfast at the hotel and departure for the field between 6:30 to 7:00 am. We bird throughout the morning, take a break for lunch and resume birding until 5:00 pm followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

While we cannot guarantee sightings of the birds listed below, we believe that encountering these species is quite likely during this tour - along with a possibility of viewing 20+ species of warblers. • Red-cockaded Woodpecker • Brown-headed Nuthatch • Bachman's Sparrow • Prairie Warbler • Fulvous Whistling-Duck • Reddish Egret • Roseate Spoonbill • White-tailed Kite • Crested Caracara • Wilson's Plover • Scarlet Tanager

Day 1: Arrive at Houston at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) before 2 pm. Participants will transfer to the hotel where a room will be reserved in their name. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service from the airport. We will meet in the hotel lobby at 5:00 p.m. for a brief orientation and welcome dinner. Overnight: SpringHill Suites Houston Intercontinental Airport, Houston. Day 2: WG Jones State Forest & Big Thicket. Depart early and head to the nearby WG Jones State Forest in search of Pineywood specialties including the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-headed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Pine Warbler and other species. Around mid- morning, we head east towards the Big Thicket region, stopping along the way for brief birding stops. We spend time birding along the road in the Big Thicket area looking for Prairie Warbler in the scrubby second growth forests. We may also encounter other warbler species as well as Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Vireo and others. After an afternoon of Big Thicket birding, we drive to Jasper which will be our destination for overnight stay. Overnight: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Jasper. Day 3: Big Thicket and High Island. Today we drive north of Jasper to visit some locations along the shores of Sam Rayburn Reservoir to look for Bachman’s Sparrow, which is a very localized species. We may even see Bald Eagle and Broad-winged Hawk while on our search for Bachman’s Sparrow. Around mid-morning, we leave the Jasper area and continue our journey south towards the coast working our way through the coastal prairies and turf farms to look for migratory shorebirds including Upland and Buff-breasted Sandpipers. On the way to High Island, we pass by flooded fields and marshes which are brimming with bird life. We spend most of the afternoon birding Boy Scout Woods managed by the Houston Audubon Society. The boardwalks and viewing areas of the preserve allow for easy and relaxing opportunities to see many bird species without much effort. If we are lucky, and depending on weather conditions, we may see 20+ species of warblers. Overnight: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Winnie. Day 4: Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge and High Island. We visit the nearby Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge which provides an opportunity to see a variety of shorebirds in the agricultural fields and wading birds in the marshes. The Shoveler Pond Loop is a great driving loop offering opportunities to see species such as Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Purple Gallinule, Least Bittern, several shorebirds and significant numbers of American Alligators. The nature trail near the headquarters is a great spot to look for migrant passerines feeding in the mulberry trees. In the afternoon we return to High Island to visit the Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary managed by the Houston Audubon Society. The rookery is a great place to see Roseate Spoonbill, Anhinga, Tricolored Heron and Cattle, Snowy and Great Egrets, among others. We walk the trails and canopy boardwalk in search of migrant passerines and also explore some of the nearby coastal prairies and beaches for gulls, terns, raptors and shorebirds. Overnight: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Winnie. Day 5: Bolivar Peninsula & High Island. We visit the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary which is a highly important sanctuary to view all the shorebirds and waders that congregate in this area, including Wilson’s, Snowy, Semipalmated and Piping Plovers. It is possible to see thousands of American Avocets here which makes for a memorable experience. Stops at Yacht Basin Road and Tuna Road may yield Seaside and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows. In the afternoon we stop at Rollover Pass in search of terns, gulls, Black Skimmers, and Reddish Egrets. We spend the rest of the afternoon in High Island to see what new species may have shown up in the preserves, including a stop at Hooks Woods Bird Sanctuary. Overnight: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Winnie. Day 6: Tyrrell Park, Sabine Woods, and Sea Rim State Park. We drive east toward Sabine Woods Bird Sanctuary and stop at Tyrrell Park in Beaumont to look for Fish Crow, Boat-tailed Grackle and a variety of marsh birds including Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Sora, Purple Gallinule, Least Bittern and King Rail. Our second stop is Sabine Woods Sanctuary, managed by the Texas Ornithological Society, where our focus will be to search for neotropical migrants. The varied habitats of the sanctuary provide the opportunity to see many species of birds, especially if weather conditions are conducive to a fallout. We end the day at Sea Rim State Park, where we spend time birding the saltwater marshes and the gulf beach. Overnight: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Winnie. Day 7: Tour Conclusion & Departures. If time allows, we will stop at a few locations along the way back to Houston. Airport drop-off by no later than 11 am. Participants may arrange departing flights from Houston, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) after 1 pm.