Mottled Duck

2024-04-17 South Padre Island
2024-04-17 South Padre Island

I took a little over 1000 pics on my Wednesday visit. The morning was underwhelming, but It turned out to be a pretty good afternoon. At the Convention Centre, I…

2022-09-18 SPI Farewell
2022-09-18 SPI Farewell

I ended my visit to South Padre Island on Sunday. I spent the day touring the SPI Birding and Nature Center, and it yielded a few close encounters with the…

2022-09-03 Saturday at the SPIBNC
2022-09-03 Saturday at the SPIBNC

I spent the day soloing at the SPI Birding and Nature Center (BNC), and had a lovely time with the birds and with the people there with me, enjoying the…

2021-05-02 SPI On A Sunday
2021-05-02 SPI On A Sunday

I spent Sunday at South Padre Island (Texas) and couldn’t resist shooting flycatchers. For most of us interested in learning to identify birds, small flycatchers are among the most difficult…

2021-04-22 SPI On A Slow Thursday
2021-04-22 SPI On A Slow Thursday

My stay at the Convention Centre was relatively brief this Thursday. There was a lull in the migration, but even on a slow day, good things can occur here. In…

2021-04-18 SPI Sunday Bird Fallout, Round Two
2021-04-18 SPI Sunday Bird Fallout, Round Two

Gone were the dense clouds and drizzling rain that plagued me early Saturday. The wind and the birds remained. There seemed to be even more birds on the island than…

2021-04-08 SPI Birding & Nature Center
2021-04-08 SPI Birding & Nature Center

I’ve made it no secret. My mission is to experience as much of the vernal migration through South Texas as I can. South Padre Island is the best place I…

2021-04-04 Continuing the SPI Saga
2021-04-04 Continuing the SPI Saga

The early spring migration season on South Padre Island has been exciting for me. I’m finding one or more new bird species with each visit. The privilege of witnessing so…

2021-03-30 SPI Convention Centre
2021-03-30 SPI Convention Centre

In the coming weeks, I intend to spend as much of my time on South Padre Island as I can. Spring migrant birds could begin trickling into Texas any time.…

2021-02-08 South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center
2021-02-08 South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center

South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center is part of a network of birding meccas in south Texas, collectively called the “World Birding Center”. It sits next door to the…

2021-01-22 A Day at Estero Llano
2021-01-22 A Day at Estero Llano

Friday morning I launched out of my campsite on a mission to explore one of the crown jewels of birding in South Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park, south of…

2021-01-19 A Day on South Padre Island
2021-01-19 A Day on South Padre Island

A visit to the Lower Rio Grande Valley without spending time on South Padre Island would be silly. Tuesday I paid the island my respects. It came as no surprise…