Despite being a little late migration-wise, the diversity was amazing. We encountered nearly 200 species, including 53 lifers for myself.
I thought I'd share an assortment of photos from the trip.
Scenic view at Laguna Atascosa, the largest refuge in the lower RGV
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6175/img0180x.jpg
Black-bellied whistling ducks
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9255/img0277m.jpg
Black vulture
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2984/img0208n.jpg
Olive sparrow - these guys are common, but camera shy...
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/3081/img0268o.jpg
Scissor-tailed flycatcher
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6849/img0234j.jpg
American white pelican
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6656/img0231b.jpg
Roseate spoonbill feeding
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5081/img0228n.jpg
Green jays
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7779/img0224s.jpg
Crested caracara
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6374/img0168n.jpg
Masked duck - review species in TX, vegetation made photography difficult
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/7093/img0155z.jpg
1st year White-tailed hawk
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5381/img0459z.jpg
Northern bobwhite
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8871/img0454t.jpg
Harris's Hawk
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7827/img0446q.jpg
White phase Reddish egret - stunning bird
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/5835/img0419k.jpg
Common nighthawk roosting at Bentsen SP
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1074/img0152o.jpg
Plain chachalacas - crowing roosters have nothing on these birds. LOUD.
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5559/img0144e.jpg
Least bittern - one of two openly hunting on S Padre Island
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/3298/img0121z.jpg
Purple gallinule
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/8132/img0117x.jpg
Tricolored heron
http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/1120/img0108b.jpg
Clapper rail
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5958/img0100uxh.jpg
Long-billed curlew
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6206/img0364u.jpg
Black-necked stilt
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/983/img0319f.jpg
American avocet - tons of stilts on the trip but just this one lingering avocet
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9233/img0349i.jpg
Least grebes
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5760/img0322.jpg
Common Pauraque - amazing!
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/1227/pauraque.jpg
Painted Bunting
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9817/img0332j.jpg
Altamira oriole
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4403/img0461y.jpg
Bullock's oriole
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5833/img0477l.jpg
Pyrrhuloxia
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/1006/img0464u.jpg
Cactus wren
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7958/img0466x.jpg
Greater roadrunner
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/4047/img0475h.jpg
White-winged dove
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1240/img0316r.jpg
Green parakeet
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9159/img0313k.jpg
Of course this is only what I was able to capture on camera. Other interesting birds included:
Neotropic cormorant
Common ground dove
Fulvous whistling duck
Mottled duck
Magnificent frigatebird
White-faced ibis
Little blue heron
Black/Yellow crowned night-heron
Wilson's Phalarope
American oystercatcher
Black skimmer
White-tailed kite
Grey hawk
Red-crowned parrot
Cave swallow
Groove-billed ani
White-tipped dove
Inca dove
Great kiskadee
Couch's kingbird
Buff-bellied hummingbird
Black-chinned hummingbird
Ladder-backed woodpecker
Golden-fronted woodpecker
Ringed kingfisher
Green kingfisher
Long-billed thrasher
Curve-billed thrasher
Black-headed grosbeak
Verdin
Black-throated sparrow
Cassin's sparrow
Botteri's sparrow
Lark sparrow
Loggerhead shrike
Clay-colored thrush
Brown-crested flycatcher
Bronzed cowbird
Hooded oriole
Lesser goldfinch
Great-tailed grackle
Chihuahuan raven
There's more but those are most of the highlights.
Our worst misses included Hook-billed kite, Ferruginous pygmy-owl, Audubon's oriole, Tropical parula, and white-collared seedeater...but these just give me more reason to return someday. We also searched for hours at the Brownsville dump for Tamaulipas crow despite the species having not been documented in a couple years. Just had to try
