A failure since I couldn't spot one rare birds there, just the usual suspects.
They should seriously invest more on signage because places like Resaca de la Palma and Anzalduas Park was SO hard to reach without GPS. And I prepared for it using google map beforehand.
Local roads, even intersections with traffic lights, don't have signage, at all.
Moreover the signs themselves are too small; considering that birders are mostly elderly, NOT a good choice, at all.
So this could be a great Festival spot where local birders can drive you in a van; NOT for solo travelers who're new to this place.
Best spots;
Santa Ana; best for Kingfishers. Good spot for Hook-billed Kite and Gray Hawk but couldn't spot them. Also Easter-Screech Owl roosting spot at Tower trail(intersection with car road), also failed to spot one, it was empty. Bird walk on 8:30am thanks to them could found 3 Common Pauraques, impossible for color blind like me to spot it on my own!
Quinta Mazatlan; great gift shop, the cheapest, too bad I didn't buy any. Paths have plenty of shades. Spotted my only Olive Sparrow there, on a short 'bridge' that traverses over the stream just before the open vista(pond area).
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC; spotted all 3 Kingfishers, but farther than Santa Ana, scope would be nice for scanning far shore of the big lakes. Great spot for Blue-headed Vireo, up close and personal. Spotted a Bobwhite scurrying across the path. Myrtle warblers prevalent.
Estero Llano Grande has bird walk on 8:30am, but as usual not for the hard of hearing; you wonder what they're looking at and when you ask them WHAT? WHAT? it's too late, that's how I missed Bronzed Cowbird. Connie Unsicker is very nice. Can spot most species here, even I spotted like 72 species, official count is 90 species on that birdwalk.
Don't bother visiting Laguna Atascosa on the weekdays, especially on adverse weather; road to Bayside is closed, which is worse. You CAN walk but that's like 2-mile one way trip to the bay itself lol, I tried but eventually turned back. This place is ideal for Festival who knows where to look, not for solo travelers.
There's ebird hotspot for TX-100 Aplomado Falcon
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3322724
Tried there twice, couldn't find it. Again, if you are with a local, great. If not, don't bother, I don't think the pin location is accurate.
All in all, spotted like 107 species after wasting considerable time(almost half a day) wandering lost, asking cop and Border Patrol agents lol(BPs don't really know). That's less than 4 days(more like 3 days), same time span as Galveston/High Island/Anahuac yet that area had vastly better signage, so could spot like 134 species in early April 2 years ago. Even spotted a Pomarine Jaeger thanks to ebird. For me THAT place is the Birding Mecca.
I'll post bird pics later
