Guide to South Texas Bird Photography

Where is the BEST place to photograph birds at (BLANK) location?

Whether it's SE Arizona, South Texas or the Florida Keys, the one thing all bird photographers want to know is where is the best place, (or places) to go and take Audubon-cover quality bird images. For South Texas bird photography the answer is; "It depends."

As all bird photographers know, seeing a target bird is no where near the same as getting a decent photograph of it. Some of the best birding locations aren't actually the best bird photography locations. Some locations have photography assets like water features, bird blinds and feeding stations that draw the birds in to a predictable spot that allows the photographer to setup in the best light. Some locations have nice boardwalks and observation decks where there is perhaps more foot traffic, but the birds are also more accustomed to having humans nearby and are less skittish. If you are after Morelet's Seedeater, you're going to need to visit Starr County near Zapata. If you want a Tropical Parula, Santa Ana NWR in Hidalgo County is a good place to find it. If you're after an Aplomado Falcon, Cameron County's Laguna Atascosa NWR is your target area. It all depends what you're after...

PURPOSE OF THIS WEBSITE

The purpose of this website is to provide bird photographers with information to assist in the selection of 22 shooting locations in South Texas.

Each site page is organized in a similar pattern with the following topics:

About the Area - includes a brief description about the natural history and layout of the area.
Photography Assets - describes the assets available to photographers such as bird blinds, feeding stations, water features and board walks.

Access Information, Amenities and Accessibility - information such as Google map direction links, parking and restroom information, fees and accessibility for birders with wheelchairs or walkers.
Habitats - which natural vegetation is available to attract birds (Refer to the Habitats page for detailed plant lists).
eBird Hotspot Links - quick access to the nearby eBird hotspot pages.
Best for... - given the conditions at that location this will be a list of the more easily photographed species.

LOCATIONS COVERED

Currently this website covers the best public bird photography spots in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The locations are listed by county starting from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico to Falcon Lake.

More locations will be added later.