Vehicles are no longer allowed inside Bentsen State Park, transportation instead being provided by the open-air trailers shown above. They leave from the visitor's center at frequent intervals, and stop at the various feeding stations set up by the park service throughout the facility. One can walk or ride part or all of the route.

A scant 5 hours or so south of Brownsville, Texas lies the "tip of the Neotropical avifaunal iceberg". Here in the Sierra Madre mountains of Tamiliapas, Mexico is found the northernmost cloudforest habitat in the Americas. Here the icy tentacles of winter never reach, and the trees are festooned with bromeliads. Here the birdlife has a distinctly tropical flavor, and numerous species widespread in the tropics find their nothernmost outposts. Each year for the past four or five, an easy, turn-key tour organized out of McAllen, Texas has been held to promote birding and butterflying tourism in the area. Billed as the "2008 El Cielo Bird and Butterfly Festival", 48 participants boarded two busses at the Texas border for a long weekend of field trips. Headquaters were at the Hotel Mante, in Mante, Tamiliapas, Mexico. Field trips were centered around the premier nature destination in these parts, the "El Cielo biosphere reserve". This gallery summarizes some of the birds, butterflies and other activities the visitors experienced. Additional details, along with a complete bird and butterfly list of species encountered can be found on the festival's website. Just search for "El Cielo Nature festival".

The event participants were divided into two groups; one seeking out birds and butterflies, and one focused solely on birds.

Included here also a a few shots from a couple of South Texas stops made enroute to the festival.

The vast majority of these shots are decidedly marginal in quality, but will serve to illustrate what species can be found, and hopefully bring back some pleasant memories for the participants!

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mtns2molhilz > View of pond and picnic area trails, Kelberg park, Kingsville, Texas. For birders wishing to overnight before the McAllen/Brownsville area, Kingsville is a good place. Kleberg park offers the pictured fresh-water habitat, as well as Mesquite scrub upland areas with good trails. The park offers a foretaste of the birdlife further south, and can be especially good in spring migration.

mtns2molhilz > Pier and walkway, Kleberg park, Kingsville. Opposite shore has a loop trail that can be productive early in the morning. This large pond can add to one's Valley list with ducks, grebes and some shorebirds, if a visit to coastal habitats further south is not planned.

mtns2molhilz > Green Jay, Kleberg park, Kingsville. The loop road allows close approach to a number of nice habitat where photos can be taken from inside a vehicle.

mtns2molhilz > Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Kleberg Park, Kingsville.

mtns2molhilz > The visitor's center at Bentsen includes a great butterfly garden, gift shop and simple eatery inside. A large parking lot is across the street.

mtns2molhilz > Black-crested Titmouse, Bentsen State Park.

mtns2molhilz > Vehicles are no longer allowed inside Bentsen State Park, transportation instead being provided by the open-air trailers shown above. They leave from the visitor's center at frequent intervals, and stop at the various feeding stations set up by the park service throughout the facility. One can walk or ride part or all of the route.

mtns2molhilz > White-tipped Dove, Photo Blind, Bentsen State Park. A very nice photo blind is located near the large resaca at Bentsen. White-tipped doves are notoriously difficult to spot, much less photograph, but are easy and out in the open here.

mtns2molhilz > Yellow-rumped Warber, Audubon's form, Bentsen State Park, nonbreeding plumage. In winter these birds show up sporadically in the east, and can usually be distinguished from the Myrtle form by the presence of yellow in the throat.

Vehicles are no longer allowed inside Bentsen State Park, transportation instead being provided by the open-air trailers shown above. They leave from the visitor's center at frequent intervals, and stop at the various feeding stations set up by the park service throughout the facility. One can walk or ride part or all of the route.