Devils River runs for about 60 miles and empties in to Lake Amistad just north of Del Rio, Tx. I had an overnight on a private ranch discussing conservation practices and programs in the region. I was able to steal away for about an hour (once in the morning and once in the afternoon) to see what I could see.
In about a total of 1.5 hours I was able to see 21 species and photograph many of them. The most outstanding birds I saw were: Zone Tailed Hawk (two pair were nesting near the river), Gold Fronted Woodpecker, Least Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Vermillion Flycatcher (m & f), Tropical Parula (m & f), and Hooded Oriole.
This is a spectacular stretch of the purest water in the state. Unfortunately much of it runs through private land, but there is a State Park on part of it which requires a bit of rough road driving to reach. It's worth it.
Great shots! Also sounds like a lovely part of the state.
Do any of the local property owners welcome paying birders?
Unfortunately, I know of no property owners who allow paying guests. The place I went to was 17,000 acres and the owner only used it for the pleasure of friends and family. He was also seriously in to conservation. As a matter of fact, we had a healthy discussion about the conflicts between some conservation and preservation measures and public access. We were hosted by The Nature Conservancy, and we posed that issue to them as well.
Go to Devils River on Google and you'll get info on the Devils River State Park.