Snapshot:
From the road, you can bird through the fence and see wonderful birds at what locals call “The Duck Pond,” but we are excited to take you “behind the scenes” at Las Ciénegas! What many people do not know is that the property spans 280 acres of lush vegetation fed by Ciénegas Creek, which runs the length of the ranch and creates 5 stock tanks. The largest of these tanks is over 8 acres.
Trip Dates:
Saturday, May 4 (Beginner Track)
Sunday, May 5
Departure Time: 6:30 AM
Trip Fee: $125
Guide:
Stephanie Bilodeau (Saturday, May 4 – Beginner Track)
Stephan Falick (Sunday, May 5)
Birding Buddies:
TBD (Saturday, May 4 – Beginner Track)
TBD (Sunday, May 5)
Travel and Facilities:
Target Birds:
White-faced ibis, common gallinule, ringed kingfisher, long-billed thrasher, indigo bunting
Bryan’s Birdy Bulletin
The habitats maintained by the Lopez family at this property are bursting with diversity and the potential to find rare and interesting birds. A series of vegetated ponds are surrounded by pockets of dense, wet understory beneath towering hackberries, mulberries, and other large trees favored by many birds. Ciénegas Creek, which connects each pond, is also flanked by dense riparian tracts. This watery oasis provides for a very different set of birds than what you can expect to find in the Tamaulipan thornscrub that dominates the Del Rio area and surrounding Val Verde County.
Behind the Scenes at the Duck Pond is also part of the Beginner Track! The Beginner Track at Birding the Border is a unique opportunity for 10 beginner birders to learn from our amazing bird guide and birding buddy in a pre-planned schedule to bird in all 3 ecoregions and see a wide variety of birds at a special price! The Duck Pond represents the Del Rio area, which falls in the Southern Texas Plains ecoregion but is influenced strongly by the nearby Rio Grande and several springs.
Previous eBird Checklists:
2023
Saturday
Sunday
2021
Saturday
Sunday
2020