Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife
Description
One of the top birding destinations in the country, Bentsen is a treasure trove of "valley specialties," tropical birds found nowhere else in the USA. As one of the top birding destinations in the country, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in deep South Texas well deserves its status as headquarters of the World Birding Center. Birders across the nation know Bentsen as a treasure trove of "Valley specialties," tropical birds found nowhere else in the United States. The 798-acre Bentsen - Rio Grande Valley State Park, together with over 1,700 acres of adjoining U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge tracts, promises a year-round nature adventure in the richest birding area north of the Mexican border.
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RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS
facebook.comMarch Program Schedule for Bentsen!
Creature Encounters Park visitor, Wayne Alford took a great series of pics featuring two local mammal residents. A handsome Coyote heading in one direction and a very cool Bobcat in its path. I'm reminded of local domesticated dog and cat interactions in my neighborhood. How great is this?
Spring Hawk Watch Coming Soon! Spring Hawk Watch begins March 1st at Bentsen-RGV State Park and runs through the end of April. The public is welcome to join our hawk counters during this time to learn more about birds of prey and to participate in this important citizen science program. Ride our Park Tram and meet us at the Hawk Tower from 8:30am to 12:00pm. Please remember to bring your binoculars, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and drinking water. Park admission is required.
Hawk Identification Training Day at Bentsen If you're interested in learning more about birds of prey, join us during our Hawk ID Training Day, Saturday, March 3rd from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This will be a classroom focus on field identification of raptors in flight. To register or for more information contact Roy J. Rodriguez, Park Interpreter at (956) 584-9156. Park admission is required.
February Program Schedule
"Maybe I'm Amazed" Unexpected snowfall at Bentsen makes for a wonderful December day.
December Program Schedule!
"Tell Me What You See" Over 150 festival goers visited Bentsen during the 24th annual RGV Birding Festival and were treated to great views of local superstar birds.
November Program Schedule
"Beaucoups of Blues" Or in this case, Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) at Bentsen. Around 900 channel cats were released into our resaca this week by Scott Townsend with Inland Fisheries. Each year, the Inland and Coastal Fisheries divisions of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stock approximately 40 million fish in public lakes, ponds, and saltwater bays. Many of these fish are produced in the state's three saltwater and five freshwater hatcheries. https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/
"FLYING" 60,000-plus hawks break previous record! Stormy weather across our region halted some migrant hawk movement, so we anticipated large numbers moving through once skies cleared and the first cold front passed through. We were not disappointed. Eleven migrant species were observed from the Hawk Tower yesterday. Our Countmaster, John Kaye reports the following: “Activity was unbelievable!! Over 60,000 raptors passed overhead, smashing our previous high single-day count of 36,000! FINALLY we're getting the waves of raptors that I've been expecting.” This is the week to be outside for Hawk Watch. Thursday Oct 12th: Black Vulture 4 Turkey Vulture 12,135 Northern Harrier 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Cooper's Hawk 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Broad-winged Hawk 18,695 Swainson's Hawk 29,960 American Kestrel 1 Merlin 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 Total: 60,809
October Program Schedule!
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