Wildlife

Wildlife viewing in parks, wildlife refuges and other areas.

West Lake Trail at Cayo Atascoso

Three benefits of off-road cycling

Leave a Comment / Birds, Blog, Cycling, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife /

The benefits of off-road cycling are great, especially in wildlife refuges, state parks, or other natural settings. Simply to be away from traffic, electronics and propaganda frees us to experience life out of doors. The benefits of off-road cycling are physical, emotional, and spiritual. On a bicycle, one covers more ground than walking, which allows for added opportunities to notice what we often do not see. I am not a birder, per se, but I always carry binoculars and a camera on my rides. I take my bike out as often as possible.

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Red-Shouldered Hawk perched near Arroyo Trail at Hugh Ramsey Nature Park

A Walk in the Splendid Hugh Ramsey Nature Park

2 Comments / Birds, Blog, Walking, Wildlife /

I walked the nearly two miles of trails at the 54-acre Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, a World Birding Center site, in Harlingen, Texas on a clear, cool Sunday morning in January 2024. The nature park is maintained by volunteers from Arroyo Colorado Audubon Society and the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists. The City of Harlingen removes trash, keeps trails clear, and provides effluent to the four ponds in the park.

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Reddish Egret

Finding a New Route for Bike the Bahia

Leave a Comment / Blog, Cycling, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife /

Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge sponsor bicycle tours (Bike the Bahia) of the Bahia Grande Unit of the Refuge each month. They begin at an entrance on State Highway 48 near Port Isabel, Texas, and run northward on a caliche road to State Highway 100 near Laguna Vista, about 15 miles round-trip.

Bahia Grande is the largest wetlands restoration project in Texas. Construction of the Brownsville Ship Channel cut off tidal flow to the area a century ago. Over the past two decades, flow has been restored allowing the estuary to thrive. The Bahia Grande Unit encompasses about 25,000 acres. The Unit is generally closed to the public.

At State Highway 100, the group of cyclists stops briefly and then rides back southward to the starting point at State Highway 48. There are no facilities along the way. Near the turn-around point is the South Texas Ecotourism Center (STEC), which would be a better turn-around point as it offers a shaded area and restrooms.

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White-tailed Hawk

A Cycling Excursion at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

Leave a Comment / Birds, Blog, Cycling, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife /

On this chilly, overcast morning with little wind, I rode out of the Santa Ana NWR parking lot and pedaled south over the levee and into the heart of the refuge. At about a half mile an observation tower rises above the canopy of trees. Beside it is suspended a rope suspension foot bridge between two towers accessible by spiral staircases.

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Northern Cardinal

Great Cycling and Wildlife Viewing at Bentsen State Park, Mission

1 Comment / Birds, Blog, Cycling, Wildlife /

Bentsen State Park, part of the World Birding Center, spreads over almost 800 acres in Mission, Texas. About seven miles of trails wind through the park, three and a half of which are paved. One trail leads to a Hawk Observation Tower. The paved area is open for cycling. A tram runs along the paved road every hour during the day, November through April.

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The Best Place to Ride a Bicycle in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (continued)

Leave a Comment / Birds, Blog, Cycling, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife /

My bicycle at the north end of Horse Island Turkey Vultures on County Road The trail on Horse Island A view to the east from Horse Island The best place to cycle (off the pavement, that is) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley is Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR). There are many trails to

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