Schedule of Events:

Saturday, April 20, 2024

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Pre-Trip - Rio Grande Valley at South Texas Botanical Gardens

82 hours

We are pleased to again offer not one but two four-day tours to the Rio Grande Valley, home to many specialty birds that can only be found in deep South Texas.  The past two years these trips produced over 200 species and found most of the target species, along with a few rare species. Our lodging for this trip is the Alamo Inn, a birder- centric lodge in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. This lodge is a South Texas landmark hideaway for guests to enjoy beautiful sunsets, great birds and butterflies and the friendly TexMex culture where time moves slower. Your tour leader is David Sarkozi, a well-known Texas birder who started birding in high school after reading Ken Kaufman’s 1973 big year.  David has since become a fan of Big Days and Big Years.  He has served as president of the Texas Ornithological Society and worked on its executive board for 18 years.  He recently retired from the University of Houston where he worked for 35 years.

The cost of this trip includes transportation from Corpus Christi, experienced leader, entry fees, and lodging for three nights that comes with breakfast.  It does not include lunches (except one on Day 3) or dinners. The cost per person is $925. There is a minimum of five participants for this trip and a maximum of eight to make this a very birder-friendly trip. The tours will leave from the Botanical Gardens on the first day at 7:00 am.  Plan to arrive 15 minutes early for check-in and loading. Parking will be in the back parking area. The gates will be locked every night and patrolled by security.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

5:30 AM - 3:30 PM: King Ranch – Norias Division
South Texas Botanical Gardens
10 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Port Aransas Hot Spots
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Chasing Warblers and Other Migrants
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

7:30 AM - 11:30 AM: UDrive, Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve
Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve
4 hours

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: "Quirky Bird Facts – Trivia About Texas Birds" by David Sarkozi
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: “Shorebird Identification” by Cameron Cox
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour 30 minutes

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Opening Reception - Happy Hour Cash Bar
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Texas BBQ Dinner
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour 30 minutes

Thursday , April 25, 2024

5:30 AM - 3:30 PM: BIG DAY - Full Day Trip
South Texas Botanical Gardens
10 hours

6:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Barnhart Q5 Ranch and Nature Retreat
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours 30 minutes

6:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours 30 minutes

6:30 AM - 3:30 PM: King Ranch - North Division
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Shorebirds of the Coastal Bend
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Port Aransas Hot Spots
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

7:30 AM - 11:30 AM: UDrive, Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve
Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve
4 hours

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Guided Bird Walk @ The South Texas Botanical Gardens
South Texas Botanical Gardens
3 hours

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM: "Intro to Birding" By Steve Cook
South Texas Botanical Gardens
2 hours

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: "Birding 201" by Cameron Cox
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour 30 minutes

1:30 PM - 3:15 PM: Sightseeing Historical Tour
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour 45 minutes

1:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Private Tour of the Welder Wildlife Foundation
South Texas Botanical Gardens
4 hours

1:45 PM - 5:45 PM: Chasing Warblers and Other Migrants
South Texas Botanical Gardens
4 hours

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM: ”iNaturalist, A Way to Enjoy Nature More” by Sara Jose
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

Friday, April 26, 2024

5:30 AM - 3:30 PM: King Ranch - Norias Division
South Texas Botanical Gardens
10 hours

6:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Lake Choke Canyon State Park
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours 30 minutes

6:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours 30 minutes

6:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Knolle Jersey Farm and Ranch
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours 30 minutes

6:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Joe Fulton Corridor and Hilltop
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours 30 minutes

6:30 AM - 3:30 PM: Rockport Birding Hot Spots
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Chasing Warblers and Other Migrants
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

7:30 AM - 11:30 AM: UDrive, Fennessey Ranch
Fennessey Ranch
4 hours

7:30 AM - 11:30 AM: UDrive, Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve
Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve
4 hours

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM: UDrive Skimmer Boat Trip - Fulton Harbor
Fulton Harbor
4 hours

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM: "Macro Photography on the Cheap" by Patty Beasley
South Texas Botanical Gardens
2 hours

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Guided Bird Walk
South Texas Botanical Gardens
3 hours

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: “Hummingbirds- Their Amazing Lives” by Brent Ortego
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Sightseeing Cemetery Tour
South Texas Botanical Gardens
2 hours

1:45 PM - 5:45 PM: Chasing Warblers and Other Migrants
South Texas Botanical Gardens
4 hours

1:45 PM - 5:45 PM: Port Aransas Hot Spots
South Texas Botanical Gardens
4 hours

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: “Hawk Watching 101” with Libby Even
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour 30 minutes

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM: Reception with light hors d’oeuvre @ Asbury United Methodist Church
Asbury United Methodist Church
30 minutes

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Keynote Presentation: "The Beauty of Terns" by Cameron Cox
Asbury United Methodist Church
1 hour

Saturday, April 27, 2024

6:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Barnhart Q5 Ranch and Nature Retreat
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours 30 minutes

6:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours 30 minutes

6:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Knolle Jersey Farm and Ranch
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours 30 minutes

6:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Hazel Bazemore Country Park and PollyWog Pond
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours 30 minutes

6:30 AM - 3:30 PM: King Ranch- North Division
South Texas Botanical Gardens
9 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Shorebirds of the Coastal Bend
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM: UDrive Skimmer Boat Trip - Fulton Harbor
Fulton Harbor
4 hours

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Guided Bird Walk
South Texas Botanical Gardens
3 hours

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: "Birding Texas' Ecoregions" by Liam Wolff
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

1:30 PM - 5:45 PM: "Really! You Want to Photograph Birds?" by Anthony Clements and David Sikes
South Texas Botanical Gardens
4 hours 15 minutes

1:45 PM - 5:45 PM: Chasing Warblers and Other Migrants
South Texas Botanical Gardens
4 hours

1:45 PM - 5:45 PM: Texas Scramble
South Texas Botanical Gardens
4 hours

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: "Finding Birds 101" by Ben Horstmann
South Texas Botanical Gardens
1 hour

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM: The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood
South Texas Botanical Gardens
45 minutes

Sunday, April 28, 2024

6:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Joe Fulton Corridor and Hilltop
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

6:30 AM - 3:30 PM: Post Trip - Texas Hill Country
South Texas Botanical Gardens
81 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Chasing Warblers and Other Migrants
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Texas Scramble
South Texas Botanical Gardens
5 hours

7:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Guided Bird Walk
South Texas Botanical Gardens

Monday, April 29, 2024

7:00 AM - 3:30 PM: Post Trip - Rio Grande Valley

South Texas Botanical Gardens

80 hours 30 minutes

The lodging for both trips will be the Alamo Inn, a birder-centric lodge in the heart of the richest birding area in the United States. This lodge is a South Texas landmark hide-away for guests to enjoy beautiful sunsets, great birds, butterflies, and the friendly Tex-Mex culture where time
moves slower.

The cost of the trip is inclusive of transportation, an experienced leader, entry fees and lodging (with breakfast) for three nights. It does NOT include lunches or dinners. There is a minimum of four for this trip to make and a maximum of eight.

Date: April 24-28, 2024

Location: Various Venue in Corpus Christi, TX

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