Saturday, April 27 – Sunday, April 28
$100 per person, max. 10 people

Come explore the Rio Grande Valley in the Springtime! South Texas is home to one of the top birdwatching destinations in the country, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and World Birding Center, as well as the National Butterfly Center.

On Saturday night, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park will be hosting Travis Audubon for an Evening Critter Crawl: Explore Bentsen in search of owls, coyotes, glowing scorpions, giant toads, and more! Learn about some of the nocturnal and crepuscular critters that crawl, creep, and call in the night. One of the highlights of birding in this Texas state park is the chance to see five owl species that breed here, including the Barn Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Elf Owl and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (very rare to see)! Also a frequent night time species is the Common Pauraque.

On Sunday morning, the National Butterfly Center will be hosting us for a guided Butterfly and Bird walk: The 100-acre National Butterfly Center is the premier location in the United States to experience the beauty, drama, and emotion of wild butterflies. With more than 240 species of butterflies and almost 300 species of birds documented at the center, it has earned its status as a world-renowned destination for naturalists and nature tourists alike, who journey to Mission, Texas, for a special ‘safari’ experience on the banks of the Rio Grande River.

For those who would like to begin their trip on Saturday morning, we plan to explore either Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge or the South Padre Birding Center. We’ll be keeping an eye on eBird reports and decide a little closer to the date.

If you have questions, you can reach John Bloomfield at jm.bloomfield@outlook.com. More details will be sent to registrants about logistics and timing. Participants’ travel, hotel and meals are not included in this fee. In addition, there is a $5 state park entrance fee for those who do not have a Texas state park pass, and a $10 admission fee to the National Butterfly Center. Carpooling and shared gas expenses for those who are interested.

Learn more and register for this trip by navigating to our events calendar and selecting the event.

Can't attend but want to support this fundraiser? Use the Donate button on the righthand side of this page to make a contribution!

Birdathon is Travis Audubon’s most entertaining way to engage in our mission to protect native birds! Teams of birders compete to see as many birds during one trip as possible. All registration fees and team donations benefit Travis Audubon. All skill levels are welcome to join a trip, start a team, or compete as an individual.