We headed out from Montana April 23 on our way to south-central Texas north of San Antonio and to our final destination, the birding mecca of High Island, Texas. What’s a “birding mecca” you say? Read on.

Our first stop was Santa Rosa Lake SP in New Mexico. So dry. Bone dry. And devoid of bird life. The cholla cactus were drooped and bedraggled. Burned out yucca and agave crackled under our feet. A lone Western Kingbird uttered a raspy chortle atop a scraggly juniper. Thirsty, I’m sure.

Passing through New Mexico and into West Texas…I’ve never been to the moon but picture a vast, barren landscape dotted by strange sci-fi type structures moving slooowly…some not moving at all. Nodding donkeys. Tilting windmills. Miles upon miles of flattop fields covered with oil pumps and wind turbines. Nothing grows here except trust funds and stubborn cotton.

But once you leave the moonscape behind you enter some of the prettiest country on God’s green earth…the Texas Hill Country. It’s a beauty. We checked in at Pecan Valley RV Park near Junction, Texas. Not only is it a hidden gem, but it sits right near a birding highlight: South Llano River State Park. The park is closed to camping due to renovations but open to birding…some really fine birding. We saw Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-throated Vireo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Black-capped Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat and so many others. They have walking trails and two very cool bird blinds. On our last day at Pecan Valley RV, we spotted a Great-crested Flycatcher perched and singing in a pecan tree directly above the Bigfoot (our bedroom on wheels). Life bird! Check.

On to Guadalupe River State Park. They survived a horrendous flood on July 4, 2025. Camping was pleasant…birding was better.

Just off the parking lot near the banks of the Guadalupe sits the Woodland Blind, featuring feeders and a water drip. It was here that the elusive Golden-cheeked Warbler finally came in for a bath followed by the Yellow-throated Warbler. Life Bird Exacta! From base camp here, we took side trips to Warbler Woods in suburban San Antonio and Crescent Bend Nature Park near Randolph Air Force Base. We saw Blue-headed Vireo, Barred Owl, juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk and an Eastern Phoebe nesting in the outhouse! We enjoyed our time in the Hill Country but the best was yet to come.

We had heard of “bird surges, migration bird bombs, songbird fallout.” Whispers of warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks and vireos by the thousands blackening the sky. Hogwash, balderdash, irrational birders gone wild? Hard to believe. These diminutive birds have to make the long trip north from the Yucatan, Brazil, Central America, crossing the vast span of open saltwater that is the Gulf of Mexico. Thirsty, hungry and exhausted, if they hit a cold front with the usual stiff north wind, they need a break, a rest, a breather. Enter High Island, Texas. A smallish, tree-lined hump of ground along the beach just east of Galveston, High Island offers shelter from the storm and the birds know it. They “pile in”, they say. Just another bird rumor we suspect. Never thought we’d see it, let alone get right in the middle.

Our first night we sat in the bleachers watching the water feature at Boy Scout Woods, one of Houston Audubon’s many fine facilities in the High Island area. We saw Ovenbird, Waterthrush, Tennessee Warbler, Wood Thrush, American Redstart and others. Not bad. It was approaching sundown and the wind had shifted straight out of the north with a bite. A front was approaching fast. A murmur and a buzz wafted through the crowd. Someone said the birds were “falling out” at Smith Oaks.

The Smith Oaks Sanctuary is another Houston Audubon sponsored bird site and features an intricate elevated walking ramp that rises into the midst of the pecan, oak, cedar elm and black willow trees. Sometimes called the “Canopy Walkway,” it leads eventually to stunning views of “The Rookery” featuring dozens of breeding Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Tricolor Herons and many other species. Purple Gallinules, a Life Bird for many, pick their way along the shoreline unconcerned. Not wanting to suffer from FOMOOB (Fear Of Missing Out On Birds), we sashayed over to the walking ramp. A small crowd was gathered craning their necks, binos and zoom lenses pointed skyward into a nearby pecan tree. One guy, an experienced birder from New York, was calling the game like a sports announcer. “Blackburnian two o’clock, Chestnut-sided high noon pecking catkins, pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks perched on the bare branch.” The entire pecan tree was alive with birds…all shapes sizes and colors. The crowd grew.

In swoops a Yellow-billed Cuckoo to supervise. A Blackpoll Warbler flits, a Northern Parula flutters, an Indigo Bunting perches stoically on a high branch swaying in the breeze. Birds kept piling in and out. They were everywhere. The front was fast approaching. They had made it to safe haven.

Rain was in the forecast and the morning brought threatening skies. We got in a couple of hours of birding and the rain got heavier. It started at 8AM and rained for sixteen hours straight.

Saturday morning broke clear and sunny. Once again the bird blizzard was in full swing at Smith Oaks. We spent the morning in awe, gathering lifers. An afternoon side trip north found us at Jocelyn Nungaray NWR. Formerly called Anahuac NWR, the refuge is spacious and full of bird life. A good start is the Visitor Center, where the resident Barn Owls nest yearly in the pavilion. Or wander over to the Butterfly Garden area to see Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Orchard Orioles feasting in the mulberry tree. We drove around Shoveler Pond and caught Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Sora, Black Tern, Roseate Spoonbill, King Rail, Black-necked Stilt and gators-o-plenty. And we stopped by the Woodlot viewing area to see Green Heron, White-eyed Vireo, Tennessee Warbler and Veery. Back at base camp in the evening at High Island RV, we scoped out the beach at Bolivar Flats and found Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Royal Tern and a juvenile Hooded Warbler staggering about the sand in a daze.

The entire High Island area is a birding treasure. We didn’t have time to visit all the good spots…maybe next year.

But it was time to turn the Bigfoot around and head North and West back to Montana. At the end, the trip odometer read 4400 miles. A long grind but so well worth it!

Walk The Earth.

BIRD PHOTOS BY JANET DOCHNAHL

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