TEXAS HILL COUNTRYGolden-cheeked Warbler, Tropical Parula, and Black-capped and Gray vireos head the list of enticing birds to be sought on the wildflower wonderland of the Edwards Plateau.
$1695 (2009 fee). 6 days See our triplist for 2007 or 2006 or 2005.
The Hill Country is famous among birders as the most reliable place to see two endangered species. The jewel-like Golden-cheeked Warbler nests in moist canyons of the Edwards Plateau and nowhere else. The red-eyed Black-capped Vireo, the snappiest of a subtly plumaged group, plays hide-and-seek in the scrubby thickets on dry slopes and rocky uplands. And if present trend continues, the southwestern corner of the Plateau may come to be known as the most reliable nesting locale in North America for Tropical Parula, a Neotropical species extremely scarce and local north of the border. There is always the chance of something unusual: a Rufous-capped Warbler our first year; a Hutton’s Vireo on our second tour and each successive year since, including a territory in each of three counties! Typically we encounter seven species of breeding vireos, including a handful of Grays, and often four species of buntings. We’ll spend four full days in this lovely ecotone where Balconian, Chihuahuan, and Tamaulipan biotic provinces overlap, dividing our time between two bird-rich sites. Historic Neal’s Lodges, perched above the cypress-lined Rio Frio in Uvalde County, will host us for the remainder of our tour. A handful of Golden-cheeked Warblers singing atop Ashe Junipers will complement several million bats emerging at dusk from the Frio Bat Cave (one of the most astonishing mammalian phenomena to be encountered in North America) for a Texan’s version of the beautiful and the sublime.
Contact our office by e-mail in Austin, Texas at fieldguides@fieldguides.com.
Field Guides Incorporated, 9433 Bee Cave Road, Building 1, Suite 150, Austin, TX 78733 Copyright © 2008 Field Guides Incorporated Field Guides is a registered trademark of Field Guides Incorporated. cat09 |
