Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

Beaumont Pre-Trip

Join the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau for the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival pre-trip birding tour November 2-5, 2019. Explore the Southeast Texas pineywoods and coastal marshes. Start your tour in Beaumont at Cattail Marsh Scenic Wetlands located inside Tyrrell Park. Both Tyrrell Park and Cattail Marsh Scenic Wetlands offer prime hotspots for resident, wintering, and migrating birds. Tyrrell Park operates as a city park with a golf course and botanical gardens. Within Tyrrell Park, lies Cattail Marsh, constructed as the final stage of the city’s wastewater treatment facility. The 900-acres of wetlands has grown into a birding hotspot with 12 miles of trails throughout the facility. The 250 species of birds recorded here is an amazing record and it is a birder’s haven. The boardwalk features two covered platforms, jutting more than 500 feet out over the water, to afford delightful looks at the abundant wildlife. Take in a bird's eye view from the platform at  the Cattail Marsh Wetlands Education Center overlooking the boardwalk.

During our trip, we will sort out the American Crow from the Fish Crow, a great opportunity to see both species in the same day. Same with Boat-tailed vs. Great-tailed Grackle. We will look for the beautiful but overdressed Wood Duck, the stunning Cinnamon Teal (uncommon), the elegant Anhinga, the elusive King Rail, the Pileated Woodpecker (the largest woodpecker in North America), and hopefully, the swamp-loving Barred Owl. The stunning Red-headed Woodpecker and the Great Horned Owl are found here, as well as many more winter migrant species. 

From Beaumont, you will venture to Sabine Woords, a sanctuary owned by the Texas Ornithological Society (TOS), where you will see wintering warblers, thrushes and other songbirds throughout the oak motte, as well as Live Oak Trees, Hackberry, Mulberry and more. Sea Rim State Park will be the next stop, offering beachfront access to the Gulf of Mexico. Fin swallows, gulls, terns, pelicans and more. Round out the trip at the McFaddin Wildlife Refuge that consists of the coastal marsh, salt marsh and bayous, showcasing a habitat of a variety of birds.

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