I had never been to Big Bend area in south Texas and went on a scouting trip this last weekend. It was absolutely filled with wildflowers-Texas Bluebonnets, daisys, and many many others. (I'm not a flower buff but as anyone would enjoy their beauty.) The flowers were worth the trip.
I found quite a few of new birds but my list is just starting. The best time is later in the spring. The park was full of visitors and finding a camping spot was hard. I will definitely go later. My best bird was a Golden Fronted Woodpecker who started working on the tree next to our campsite as we were putting up the tent. He was a regular and quite abundant in the campgrounds.
Big Bend is supposed to be great to bird and camp; we were driving through Texas and we drove through as a whirlwind tour. Sounds like it's worth spending time. Thanks for your post! Golden-Fronted Woodpeckers are pretty; we have Red-Bellied Woodpeckers in the East that look quite similar (same Genus). Good luck on your list! Keep us posted.
They had sightings of a Gray Hawk's nest at Cottonwood Springs campground and it had been sighted every morning sitting on the telephone pole at the entrance to the campground. Well I was up in time but he failed to show. The black-chinned hummingbirds were just starting to arrive in the mountains but I only had 2 hours there. Hutton's Warbler and Black capped vireos are also residents that I missed. These are all good reasons to go back.
Here is what I was able to find in the two days I was there. Dates March 11 and 12, 2005. Pied Billed Grebe, Blue Winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, American Kestrel, Wild Turkey, Sora, Spotted Sandpiper, White winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Roadrunner, Western Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl, Lesser Nighthawk,White throated Swift, Golden FrontedWoodpecker, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ash throated Flycatcher, Rough winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Common Raven, Bushtit, Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Norther Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Rumped Warbler, Norther Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Brewer's Sparrow, Blackthroated Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Brewer's Balckbird, Great-tailed Grackle and a house finch.