Snapshot:
The Zuberbueler family has graciously partnered with Birding with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and increased their bird management practices on their historic ranch in Val Verde County while allowing birders the opportunity to experience birding in the Chihuahua Desert ecoregion. They raise Rambouillet sheep and Angora goats, producing some very fine and high-quality fleeces. During our Birding the Border program participants can bird on the Zuberbueler ranch and not only learn about the birds of this dry desert habitat but also enjoy spending the afternoon eating lunch in the shearing barn hosted by the Zuberbueler Family!
Trip Dates:
Friday, April 28 (beginner track)
Saturday, April 29
Departure Time: 6:15 AM
Trip Fee: $150
Guides:
Bill Sain (Friday, April 28 – beginner track)
Katy Smith (Saturday, April 29)
Birding Buddies: Connie Hoke (Friday, April 28 – beginner track) Patty Leslie Pasztor (Saturday, April 29)
Travel and Facilities:
Target Birds:
Curve-billed thrasher, cactus wren, black-tailed gnatcatcher, black-throated sparrow, pyrrhuloxia
Bryan’s Birdy Bulletin
While most of the other trips during Birding the Border tip-toe around the arid desert-scrub that dominates Val Verde County, the trip to the Zuberbueler Ranch dives right into it! That means this trip will surely be your best chance to see many species particularly adapted to this harsh environment like black-tailed gnatcatchers, pyrrhuloxias, and thrashers. This, in addition to the supplemental water and food provided specifically for the birds by the Zuberbuelers, should make for a very different mix of birds than any other trip during the festival.
The Beginner Track at Birding the Border is a unique opportunity for 10 beginner birders to get a unique experience with Bill and our amazing Birding Buddy Connie Hoke in a pre-planned schedule to bird in all 3 ecoregions and see a wide variety of birds at a special price! We choose to include the Zuberbueler Ranch in the beginner track because this westernmost birding trip will give participants the best opportunity to see birds that enjoy the brushy habitat unique to the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion.