In a message dated 10/22/2000 2:08:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
AfriKid16 at aol.com writes:

<< For this coming Spring Vacation, I'm trying to get my parents to take me
Texas. I've never been there, and know nothing more than a few names of
good
places for birding. I would greatly appreciate it if anybody could lend me
some advice on where will be the most productive place during my vacation,
which would be about April 7-14. Any ideas?
>>
Tyler, Texas is huge. You cannot possibly do the whole state in one week,
although you are going at a great time of year. When you go, be sure to take
both your Eastern bird guide as well as the Western one, and maybe one
covering Mexican and C. American species, because you're going to see birds
from all three 'regions'.

Right off the bat, I'd say, head for Corpus Christi, where Aransas NWR is
located. You'll see whooping cranes, lots of waterfowl, and passerines, too.
But there's just so much to see......If you are interested in desert species
as well as hummingbirds, head for Big Bend National Park (on the western side
of the state.)
If you just want passerines, Austin has the Hill Country, where you might see
such rarities as Black-Capped Vireos and Golden-Cheeked Warblers. Believe it
or not, my lifelist White Pelican was seen at a reservoir in Austin, Texas,
hundreds of miles from the Gulf. There were hundreds of them. In the middle
of Texas!
No matter where you go in Texas, you're going to see birds. (I've lived there
for about three years.)
One time I had a Northern Cardinal, a Pyrrhuloxia, a Painted Bunting and a
Indigo Bunting, all in my feeder at the same time. I thought I had died and
gone to Birder's Heaven.
Good luck and have a great time!
Michelle
MBlanchrd at aol.com
Oly, WA