HARLINGEN — The doors for registration for field trips for the 29th annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival are wide open.
The beginning of registration is avidly awaited by birders intending to attend the festival in order to make sure they’re on the confirmed list for specific field trips.
The festival will be held this year between Nov. 9-13 at the Harlingen Convention Center.
“One of the reasons that we continue with the field trip locations that we have had all these years is that we emphasize those 20 to 25 specialty birds that are found in the Rio Grande Valley, and those areas have proven to be the best for viewing those birds,” said Sue Griffin, who chairs the festival board.
There is a $50 registration fee for those intending to participate in the field trips, which also require a fee.
More than 40 field trips are available, ranging from the islands in the Laguna Madre to the King Ranch to the Kleberg wetlands and out west to Bentsen-RGV State Park.
“We always try to bring in something new,” Griffin said. “This year we have added Rocket Ranch, which is an area on the Rio Grande down close to Boca Chica, to our Boca Chica tour.”
“It allows people to not only see the shorebird areas but also to get back into that habitat right along the river to look over into Mexico for Mexican birds,” she added.
The Rio Grande Birding Festival has grown in popularity each year, although the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19.
It’s not surprising, since a birder in the Rio Grande Valley has a chance to view about 500 distinct species here, which is more than half the species to be found in the entire United States.
Despite the inflationary impact on the economy, Griffin stressed the festival has managed to keep fees either the same as last year, or with a minimal $5 to $10 increase per field trip compared to last year.
And a lot of the festival events are free.
“We’re having some new evening activities, and we’re trying to incorporate our local culture into our festival,” Griffin said. “So on Thursday night we will be having some entertainment by the local schoolchildren, and then we’ll also have a raptor show with a new individual who is promoting conservation and rehabilitation.”
“And they will have a display in the trade show, but he will be doing outdoor flight shows on Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 and that’s free to the public,” she added.
