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USA - Texas: Winter: Whooping Cranes and the Lower Rio Grande

© Hook-billed Kite by Dusan Brinkhuizen
USA - Texas: Winter: Whooping Cranes and the Lower Rio Grande

USD3,800 NO SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Local Leader

Wait List

Tour Price (Per person): USD3,800 (GBP2,925 * EUR3,335 * AUD5,865)

Pricing notes : Please see BirdingDirect link for spaces and updated pricing.

For enquiries & bookings, please following this link:  Birding Direct - United States

This tour is operated by High Lonesome BirdTours in partnership with BirdingDirect.
These are large group tours (up to 16 guests with multiple tour leaders), and will have guests from both Highlonesome as well as BirdingDirect.

South Texas is a birder's paradise at any time of the year, but especially during late winter when the spectacular array of resident birds in south Texas are joined by an abundance of wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. This 9day tour begins and ends in Corpus Christi with a leisurely swing through the birding hot spots of the lower Rio Grande Valley.

 

Top Birds

Whooping Crane; Roseate Spoonbill; Mottled Duck, Masked Duck (rare); Plain Chachalaca; Least Grebe; White-tipped Dove; Buff-bellied Hummingbird; Ringed & Green Kingfishers; Hook-billed Kite; Grey & Harris’s Hawks; Great Kiskadee; Tropical & Couch’s Kingbirds; Scissor-tailed Flycatcher; Green & Brown Jays; Clay-colored Thrush; Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow; Altamira & Audubon’s Orioles, many others including rare vagrants in the winter.

Top Mammals

Ocelot (rare), Eastern Cottontail, Eastern Fox Squirrel, White-tailed Deer​

Habitats Covered

Sub-tropical, seaside, marsh, lagood, desert

Expected Climate

Moderate to hot

Max Group Size

14 with 2 Tour Leaders

Tour Pace & Walking

Our days will begin anywhere from 5:00 to 7:00, depending upon the destination.

Accommodation

Very comfortable hotels & excellent Texas restaurants

Ease of Birding

mostly easy

Number of Species Expected

185

Photographic Opportunities

outstanding

What our clients say about us

Stephan Lorenz
KS, Alaska 2021

It really was a great trip with some difficult developments handled well. Flights out of Barrow were cancelled due to fog and Leader Stephan Lorenz and Claudia worked hours to get booked on a replacement charter flight by Alaska air. While doing so Stephan also added birding drives which were productive. As usual on tours led by Stephan he persisted to track down every possible bird. I have done two tours with Stephan and Claudia and have been extremely pleased with there professionalism and dedication to providing a satisfying experience.

Forrest Rowland
PJ, Montana

By selecting the northern part of the NP, we avoided most of the huge traffic jams and could focus on the wildlife; also well-planned were the days outside of the NP. Forrest Rowland is extraordinary: total mastery of the area from the daily routes to the trails and what is where when, to substantive knowledge about the ecology, public policies governing land and water use, all of which is seamlessly integrated throughout the course of the day and week. He's able to handle difficult situations, such as the approach of a bear, to tour members who could be distracting. Days were planned, integrating sufficient down time, and flexible to utilize unique opportunities that arose with the appearance of target species. Each day proved enjoyable, filled with cumulative knowledge gained through good views of species and time to absorb the environmental context.

Forrest Rowland
SR - Montana 2021

This tour exceeded our expectations. Forrest Rowland is an exceptional guide. His intimate knowledge of Yellowstone Park and the general area and the species of animals and birds that inhabit the area are invaluable to the experience, but more than that his unbridled enthusiasm, superior patience, and ability to adjust to circumstances ensured the success of this trip. The area was hit with a very unusual early snowstorm that closed large parts of the park and many roads, but Forrest was able to pivot and ensure that we got to see animals, birds, and geothermal sites despite the difficult conditions. He organized excellent field lunches and great dinners in town and always had several backup plans in mind in case the weather turned either worse or better. The accommodation was located perfectly for easy and quick access to the park, and we found the hotel very comfortable with friendly staff. Forrest also organized a talk for our group with a wolf and bird expert from the Yellowstone Park staff, and this was certainly a highlight of the trip as it provided even more context and background for what we saw every day. I would travel with Forrest again regardless of the destination because he is a guide who will make sure that no matter where we travel the experience will be superior.

Stephan Lorenz
WW, Texas 2021

Stephan Lorenz is a fantastic leader. This is my second trip with him and the reason I booked this trip. His attention to details and relentless searching for sought after birds makes any trip with him well worth the time. He and his wife, Claudia work well together as a dynamic team solving any problem that arise. We missed our connections and were late for the first day and efforts were made and resolved for us to join the group quickly. Despite the stormy weather we were able to see the target birds. This trip was selected because of the shorter amount of days making it easier to fit into our schedule. During this pandemic we felt safe traveling with this group and with the conditions of lodging and take out meal dining. I look forward to my next trip with Stephan.

Stephan Lorenz
CC - USA 2021

This was my first birding tour, not only with Rockjumper, but any tour company. Being a first for me, I was a bit anxious, but am happy to say the tour met and exceeded my expectations. The lodging, meals and other tour participants were all great. Best of all was our tour guide, Stephan Lorenz. His knowledge, kindness and willingness to accommodate each member of the tour were phenomenal. I am also happy to say I picked up 94 life birds!

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