THE FOUR SEASONS RV RESORT in Brownsville is as welcoming place as you are likely to find anywhere. Before we could even unhooked our rig we were introduced to several “neighbors,” loaded down with free grapefruits and invited to the Saturday breakfast. Water aerobics, shuffleboard, pinochle and golf are also on the menu in this enclave of mid-Westerners in the heart of the most Mexican of border towns.
Red-crowned parrot, Brownsivlle
But Brownsville is the start of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and we are here for the birding. Connie has a list of local residents and even a few rarities that we hope to add to our list and photograph, all within 50 miles or so of the resort. Our first success was the red-crowned parrot right in the center of town. Each evening a squawking flock perches in Oliviera Park, drowning out the cheers of the soccer fans below. Tonight they were preceded by a single yellow-headed parrot, probably an escaped pet.
Green jay
Resaca de la Palma State Park is home to the beautiful green jay, dozens of them as it turns out. One minute you’ve never seen one and an hour later you are wishing them gone. We were also surprised to see the gorgeous Altimira oriole which loves the orange slices placed on the feeders.
Altimira oriole, an unexpected treat
The olive sparrow is another south Texas speciality we specifically searched out at the Audubon site at Sabal Palma, a. They are very secretive, flitting in the undergrowth, but Connie called one out with her eBird app. Not kosher, perhaps but nobody’s perfect.
Olive sparrow, call and he will come
The highlight of the area, the one we are most proud of, is the blue bunting. A native of Mexico, one (or possibly a pair) had been reported at the Frontiera Audubon Center. It’s a maze of trails bordered by dense growth with strategically placed feeding stations and a few water features. Serious birders from all over the country followed each other around like something from PacMan, armed with howitzer-sized telephoto lenses. Connie opted for staking out a small pond, figuring the bird would eventually get thirsty. Her vigilance was rewarded just before noon when the male appeared, perched on a branch then dropped to the water for a drink. Just as quickly it disappeared but not before we added another “lifer” to our list. Got photos to prove it, too!
