Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP

This morning we had a pleasant 6+ mile walk through the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. The park located right along the Rio Grande is a prime stopover point for migrating birds. Because they have many “feeding stations” through out the park, there are many opportunities to see lots of birds. We saw Green Jays, a local oriole, kiskadees, chachalacas, grackles, buzzards, woodpeckers and one happy raccoon who had climbed up onto the seed feeding platform and was enjoying a long lunch. The chachalaca was a bird I have never encountered before. They are a large bird — about the size of a pheasant — and very raucous. I heard them in the trees well before I saw them.

This was a great walk — one that I would like to repeat.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)