It all started back when I was a little boy and looked up through the clouds one day and saw the sun being bitten by the moon. I knew it was an eclipse because we learned about it in school. I also remember that we weren’t supposed to look at it because it could burn our eyes out. But hey, it was cloudy and I only looked for a moment, and I didn’t have any of those funky glasses, and I was just a kid.

Then along comes the Great Solar Eclipse of 2017. Once again Toronto is in line for a partial eclipse. I booked that Monday off work in order to photograph it, but again the sky didn’t really co-operate. This time I was able to get some photos, but for some reason I wanted more.

Eventually my mind started to wonder about when the next one was coming. After checking the almighty Interwebs I found out… well by now we all know April 8 2024.

Where and when would Totality happen? Hey, it just so happens that it cuts the USA in half, hits parts of Ontario, but of course Toronto misses out on the Big Show (always a bridesmaid, never the bride). Over time I started looking at weather patterns and guess what, Ontario in April traditionally is wet or overcast, soooo, Nope not Ontario. Hmmm, what about Texas? Ooooh this looks good.

This time, things will be different (especially now that I am older and retired). I’m gonna go where the viewing is perfect (I hope).

So My Lady and I start throwing around the idea of going to Texas to finally get to see a proper Total Eclipse. Now I have to explain that My Lady isn’t really all that interested in all this space stuff, and can’t quite understand why I like looking at the stars so much, but she is willing to let me have my “thing”. I talk to her about nebulae and galaxies, and I show her some of the photos, but still it means little to her. However, when we were in Dawson City in the Yukon, she did enjoy seeing the Aurora, and when we see shooting stars, she likes that, but to spend hours outside looking at a blur in the sky, not her thing.

Eventually it is decided that we will go to Texas, and we mentioned it to a couple of our friends who thought it would be a good idea to do some birding down there during that time, so eventually 4 of us planned on spending a couple of weeks there. Jeremy would drive his car as he was also going to hit some of the Western USA beforehand, Gord would fly and meet up down there, and My Lady and I would take a few days to drive down in our own car. Logistically that made the best sense for us.

I did some reading on photographing the eclipse and tried to practice what I could. Solar Filters for our cameras were purchased, I bought a 25 pack of those cardboard Eclipse Glasses and gave out a few to friends and family before we left, the route was planned, hotels were booked and at the end of March we were on our way.

As we were crossing the border at Detroit we had a funny conversation with the border guard. When we told him what we were going to Texas for, he thought we were crazy. He told us the world was going to go to Hell after the eclipse, so we had to let him know that we’ll try to be careful. We all had a good laugh and he let us carry on our way.

First stop was at my favourite store – Costco. Since we are not allowed to bring certain things across the border, we needed to pick up some supplies for the next few days.

I have to tell you, even though you can get some things different at stores in the USA, right now with the Canadian dollar being low, and the pricing of some goods being the same, it’s not always best to buy stuff over there. But when you are going to be in the USA for a couple of weeks, you gotta do what you gotta do, you know?

From Costco it’s on our way to St. Louis Missouri. Estimated time about 8.5 hours. Pretty well straight driving all the way, with a couple of short stops for bathroom breaks, and a small diversion due to Google Maps not giving me enough notification to stay in the proper lane, we arrived at our hotel around suppertime.

Up the next morning and begin our next leg of the journey as we head to Oklahoma City. Google maps has it as about 7.5 hours. Driving along the highway we start noticing signs for Meramec Caverns and Fantastic Caverns. We decided that we would stop at Meramec on our way back, but we could hit the Fantastic Caverns enroute that day.

So off we go to the Fantastic Caverns and spend about an hour being driven on a little tram car through stunning caverns, learning about the history of how the cave was formed, found, and used throughout history. If you are ever in the area southwest of St. Louis Missouri, this is a really nice place to stop.

Eventually we are finished at the Caverns and continue on our way to Oklahoma City. Once again we arrive about suppertime and eventually fall asleep after dropping the Cavern photos onto the computer.

Next morning – Oh look, there’s a Costco not (too) far away. Maybe we should go there and get some supplies and gas. My Lady thinks I’m addicted to Costco. Who am I to argue?

Ok, all fuelled up and ready for the next leg. Next stop Van Horn Texas, south of Guadalupe Mountains in Western Texas. Google Maps says about 9 hours.

As we entered the State we stopped at the Visitor Centre and saw our first Texas bird – the Great Tailed Grackle. We then chatted with the lady there about birding nearby and she said that they often get birds right behind the building along the river. We went out back and quickly found our first Ladder Backed Woodpecker and Black Bellied Whistling Duck.

Eventually we carried on our way and looked forward to another 7 hours or so as we cut across the Northern portion of Texas.

Like many who are reading this, we have all driven through windstorms, and some of us have endured driving through snowstorms, and just last year My Lady and I went through a heck of a dust storm in Iceland, but part way into Texas we experienced a prolonged dust storm that rivalled all of the above. You know that feeling when you are driving and you are so tensed up that your butt is clenched tighter than your teeth, and your hands are glued to the steering wheel so tight your fingers look like claws when you finally let go? Ok, that last part is an exaggeration, but not too far off the mark.

The photos can’t really show what it was like because it’s just something you need to experience. At one time there was a gentleman in a vehicle beside us laughing because My Lady was taking photographs. Perhaps it’s just another day on the road for him, but for us it was a hell of a welcome to Texas.

Finally we arrived in Van Horn and ventured out for a short walk. The winds were still pretty high, and being in the desert, the dust was getting blown around, and quite frankly, it was pretty chilly. We went back to the hotel and had a meal before going to bed.

Destination – Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Now that we are here we weren’t about to hang around all day waiting for our friends to arrive in the afternoon. Off we go to Guadalupe Mountains to see what we can see. Fortunately it was only an hour drive, so after 3 loooong days of driving it really didn’t seem too bad. When we arrived we asked at the Visitor Centre about the best place for birding and they advised that we try a spot just further up the road.

Sure enough, when we arrived at the suggested spot we were greeted with the sound of a woodpecker drumming. Following the sound we finally found what we were looking for. The beautiful Acorn Woodpecker. This small group gave us a real challenge as they often stayed in the shadows or on the top of the branches, which in both cases made it difficult to get good photos. We decided to carry on along the path to see if we can find anything at the spring where a pond should bring in the thirsty birds.

A couple of Ruby Crowned Kinglets flitted through the trees, calling to each other and at one point even let me get a proper photo of them showing off the ruby crown.

As we walked further along the trail we noticed a different bird sitting atop of a prickly plant. After getting a few photos and having Merlin (a free birding app that helps identify what you see or hear) take a look at it, we learned it was a Black Throated Sparrow. OMG we were so happy.

When we had first pulled up we heard a strange call that we couldn’t pick up again until later, and then we heard it constantly after we returned to the homestead where we first saw the Acorn Woodpeckers. Eventually we were able to locate the very noisy Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay that had eluded us earlier.

Our friends eventually arrived in the later part of the afternoon and we all hung around the area where My Lady and I had spent much of the day. Fortunately one of our friends had been birding in Texas before and had knowledge of the birds in the area. He was able to point out a few of the birds that I had photographed, such as the Rufous-Crowned Sparrow and the Spotted Towhee, and even made sure I photographed something that I could have sworn was a female Northern Cardinal – but wasn’t. It was a Pyrrhuloxia sitting on a fence post.

While we were all watching the Acorn Woodpeckers actually sitting in the sunlight, I happened to see what I thought was a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker sitting in a tree. When I mentioned it to everyone we were all very happy to learn that it was actually a Red Naped Woodpecker, something that is not often found.

After a full day My Lady and I were pretty tired and headed back to the hotel, leaving our friends to explore a bit more until it got dark.

Destination – Davis Mountain

When you are out birding be prepared that going from point A to point B may often take a few tangents along the way. Such is the point with today.

The drive from Van Horn to Davis Mountains is clocked on Google maps at about 1 hour or so. If we had gone straight there we would have missed so much.

We would have missed the Chihuahuan Ravens, Loggerhead Shrikes, Western Meadowlark, a tiny little yellow headed Verdin, a group of about 80 Pelicans, a close enough encounter with a Swainson’s Hawk, a Texan Red Tailed Hawk, and an odd little place in the middle of nowhere, Prada Marfa.

We arrived at Davis Mountain sometime in the afternoon, and staked out a couple of the bird blinds that they have set up there. So here I have to say about full disclosure – Some of the places that we visited and took photos at have bird blinds. The blinds are there so that people can see the birds without disturbing them. The blinds are set up in a way that provides water and safety for the wildlife and food is usually placed there in order to bring the birds in. Without the blinds many people may never have an opportunity to observe these creatures in a natural setting.

Having said all that, what did we end up seeing?

One of the more prevalent birds was the White Winged Dove. We also were able to get close-ups of Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Canyon Towhee, Rufous Crowned Sparrow, Ladder Backed Woodpecker, a really vibrant Northern Cardinal, Audubon’s Yellow Rumped Warbler, Lucifer Hummingbirds, Pink Sided Junco, a good number of House Finch, Rock Wrens, the Black Crested Titmouse, and a Pyrrhuloxia giving a spikey Mohawk display.

We stuck around for a late afternoon visit because we had been advised that the Montezuma Quail had been coming out later in the day, and they are one of the main reasons for having the blinds. They only have a tiny range in Texas but are found more through Mexico, so they are a special bird for this park.

There were 2 blinds that we were visiting and when we came back to the first blind we all crept up quietly, when all of a sudden our friend (who left his camera in the car) became quite excited and mouthed that they are there, and as he turned to go back to his car his feet made a noise on the gravel and the birds scattered. I got off a few shots but only 1 turned out. Damn they are fast runners.

We made our way over to the other blind and learned that a good sized group of Montezuma Quail were making their way back and forth along the trails. Quietly we waited until finally they came out and gave everyone a show. Cameras were clicking, everyone was smiling and eventually we all left quite happy.

As we were heading to the hotel we stopped at the side of the road to observe some deer in the fields  and a Red Tailed Hawk that kept a close eye on us.

As evening fell we made our way into Presidio, and as we came down out of the mountain we saw all the lights of town spread out before us. Quite pretty. However, when we all arrived at the hotel our friend pointed out that the lights were actually on the Mexican side of the border as Presidio is a very small town.

Destination – Big Bend Ranch State Park

We woke up a bit early so I went outside to try to get some photos of the sunrise. Then soon after I was able to see the mountains and town on the other side of the border.

After meeting up with our friends we stopped at a local market for some food for the road and headed out to see what we could see.

Driving along one dusty road just at the edge of town our lead car stopped and I saw the camera come out from the driver’s side so I looked to my left and immediately saw a pair of Burrowing Owls.

My Lady is usually never at a loss for words. However when I whispered “Owls” and I looked over at her, I saw her mouth moving but nothing was coming out. Let’s just say she was very excited.

These little owls were so cute, I know I took far too many photos but thank goodness for large capacity cards.

From there we made our way to Fort Leaton just a few minutes down the road, where we were very fortunate to meet up with someone there who knew where some of the local birds hang around, such as the Gold Fronted Woodpecker and Gambel’s Quail. We also saw a Roadrunner, a Black Vulture and a visit from a Rock Squirrel.

We wandered over to a wetlands nearby and finally got to see a Vermillion Flycatcher and Cinnamon Teal. We had a Desert Coyote trying to go across the path to visit some sprinklers, but when it saw us it decided to wait a bit and stayed far enough away. Overhead a handful of White Throated Swifts buzzed around catching bugs.

Although Big Bend Ranch State Park is huge, we pretty well hugged the bottom portion of it and drove right beside the Rio Grande River. The scenery was amazing and we made a number of stops to enjoy it. It didn’t take too long before I noticed on the map that Mexico was literally just on the other side of the river. Along here the river was not very wide at all.

At one point we spotted cows coming down to the river on the other side, and we watched a family of wild pigs scurrying into the brush as we pulled off to the side of the road.

After leaving Big Bend State Park we made a quick stop to see the Mayor of Lajitas, the Honorable Clay Henry and his spouse. The nice thing about this was that you didn’t even need an appointment, and he was quite interested in hearing what you were saying, not that he really could give a damn. If anything he would probably just say that it was just too Baaaad. Or if it was actually interesting he might have just screamed (for a good laugh check out Screaming Goats on the internet)

From there our next stop was at a golf resort where an Ash Throated Flycatcher came to check us out. All of a sudden we heard “Zone Tail” and looked over as it flew over the buildings. Jeremy explained that these birds are difficult to find until too late because they fly and look very much like Turkey Vultures, until you get to see their tail. Fortunately this brief moment became a real show as it flew back and forth getting closer and closer, until it flew low and close enough to get a few great photos. As we headed back to the cars we were entertained by a cute Cactus Wren.

In the late evening we were making our way to the hotel in Alpine, but decided to take a side trip to see if we could hear the Elf Owls at Christmas Mountain. We knew that we weren’t going to see much but if we could hear them it would be an achievement.

Sadly, a slight error in following Google Maps took us off the main road and along a very dry dusty road, past all kinds of off grid homes, and I am sure I heard a very distinct banjo tune that gave me the willies. Finally we pulled onto the proper “road” that would bring us up to the bird conservatory. Notice that I put quotes around “road”. Let’s just say that you really need a car that would enjoy the very rough terrain and is able to handle the multiple bumps, twists, holes and whatnots, as well as a driver crazy enough to attempt the mile or so trek once you get off the main road. And then try coming back down in the dark!

Thank goodness for a Subaru Outback that still had winter tires on, and a driver who just didn’t know any better beforehand. To be honest, we were warned but I guess the road had decayed since our friend last visited.

We got to the top and I slowly unclenched my sphincter and we all took a look around. It was already almost dark and it was difficult to know if there were any birds around, but then… just off in the distance came the sound we were hoping for. Then a replying call somewhere ahead of us. There was no chance of finding these little owls about the size of a sparrow, but just hearing them and knowing that they were somewhere nearby was a thrill.

Soon we were fed up of having the bugs enjoying a meal on our bodies, and we bravely made the way back down, and finding the proper road outbound when we got to the bottom.

We were once again on our way into Alpine, but not before passing through a Border Patrol station on the way. Apparently there are a few Border checkpoints on northbound routes near the southern end of Texas. Slightly different questions from crossing the border from Canada, but necessary I guess.

Destination – Wait, We’re Going Back Up There???

I guess in the light of day it shouldn’t be quite as hair raising, but let’s take the proper road in this time please? I still have the music from Deliverance lurking in the back of my mind (if you don’t know the movie, look it up).

But before we go back to Christmas Mountain, we stopped at a little park along the way that surprisingly is a good spot for migrating birds. However, it was a little slow for us, except for a great opportunity to see the Vermillion Flycatcher, and a very brief sighting of the Green Tailed Towhee.

While we were at the park we had an interesting experience with a helicopter that flew in low towards us and circled around a couple of times, and then suddenly we heard gunshots from it before it flew off towards a ranch. Although being startled into thinking we were being shot at, it most likely was a case of ranchers shooting at some wild boars or pigs that shouldn’t have been on the land.

We finally make our way back to Christmas Mountain, and getting to the rough road was so much easier this time, now that we know where to turn off the main highway. However, it was still a sketchy drive up the mountain now that we could see what was just over the edge beyond some very thin fence wiring, and the road really didn’t get any better overnight. One surprising thing was that we had to pull over at one point to allow a truck coming down the mountain, to pass by.

Safely at the top we gathered all our gear and went over to the viewing area. Pretty good set up with probably the only available water source for quite a distance.

The birds quickly got used to us and started doing what birds do, flying, eating, chasing each other from the food… you know, bird stuff. All of this activity made up for the lack of it last night, and we settled in to watching and photographing.

I don’t know what kind they were, but there were some really BIG yellow wasps floating on top of the water. Fortunately they weren’t flying around but they were frightening to look at anyway.

So once again we were able to get some nice photos of Pyrrhuloxia, Black Throated Sparrows, House Finches, Verdin, and Ladder Backed Woodpeckers.

New birds on our list are Scaled Quail, Lucifer Hummingbirds, Phainopepla, Curve Billed Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, and at one point when everything suddenly went quiet, I spotted a Peregrine Falcon making a hunting run overhead.

Then as if the Peregrine was a precursor, we heard a distinctively non bird sound overhead and we scrambled out of the blind just in time to see a Fighter Jet (Tom?) cruise along the mountains, with a second following shortly after.

After a few hours up in the mountain we felt we were ready to move on to Big Bend National Park. This meant of course driving back down the hill. Although the photos give an impression of what the road was like, they were taken at about the only area I felt comfortable stopping at to get a couple of quick shots off. These were the not so rough parts of the road.

Finally arriving at Big Bend National Park

At Big Bend National Park we made a stop at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center where a lot of trails start out from. What a pleasant surprise upon arrival, we had a couple of very active Roadrunners chasing down and catching bugs for supper.

We hopped onto one of the trails and found a spot where some Mexican Scrub Jays were making a bit of noise, so we waited for one to pose nicely for us.

The trails there provided some wonderful views of the landscape, but sadly we didn’t have a whole lot of time to explore. With this being a National Park there was no bird blind to visit, so we had to rely on luck.

We stopped at a roadside diner for supper and as we were heading out it was already getting dark. I happened to look at the lit up gas sign and noticed a Night Hawk flying around. Try as I might I was unable to get a photo. So back up the main highway we go, pass through the Border station and finally back to the hotel. Geez, these late nights were wearing me down.

Destination – Back to Davis Mountain and onwards to Junction

Did you know you could enjoy the whole State of Texas for breakfast? Yup, with syrup if you like.

Enough of that foolishness, this is important business here.

Oddly enough we have been driving quite a bit over the past few days, but managing to stay in the same general area. Maybe Texas really is that big. Actually we were just hitting a few of the many spots in the west that had the best opportunities. So today we headed back to Davis Mountain before we moved onto Junction.

We didn’t spend a whole bunch of time, but once again had some really great views of Acorn Woodpeckers, Scott’s Oriole, Bewick’s Wren, Pine Siskin, the Rufous Crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow and Black Crested Titmouse.

Leaving Davis Mountain behind us we moved onwards to Lake Balmorhea. Our stop here was originally unplanned, but after speaking with some other birders who suggested it, we figured it would be worthwhile.

Don’t know exactly what happened, but by the time we got there the winds were blowing up some big waves on such a small lake. We were still able to see a few Yellow Legs and a number of Pelicans, but the highlight came from seeing a Clark’s Grebe. Would have been nice if it hadn’t kept diving when we tried to photograph it, but we did the best we could in the tough conditions. As we were leaving we had a visit from a couple of female Great Tailed Grackle who didn’t seem to mind the winds.

From there it was a few hours on the highway to Junction for an overnight.

Destination – South Llano River State Park

I think we all needed a little extra rest so we made plans to start out a bit later. Hanging out around the hotel we had a visit from a pretty Lark Sparrow, and a cat that was snoozing by the pool.

Eventually we headed out to South Llano State Park and arrived there about 10 minutes later. Hardly long enough to feel like we even started.

This is another park that has a few bird blinds, and we made use of them quite well. But today the highlight wasn’t even a bird. But we’ll get to that soon.

We found a different Hummingbird here, both a male and female Black Chinned Hummingbird paid visits to the feeders, a Carolina Chickadee was having fun in the bathtub, while a Spotted Towhee and White Crowned Sparrow hopped around a bit. A Lincoln’s Sparrow gave me a bit of trouble identifying so I had to get a second opinion. Just looked a bit odd.

We went for a walk along one of the trails and found a very special bird, the Black Capped Vireo, although previously endangered it has recovered sufficiently to be removed from the endangered list in 2018. Further along we found a bird that we have been chasing around at Point Pelee ever since we first heard of it. Finally we have a Yellow Breasted Chat (but would still like to find one in Essex County).

Surprisingly we were also very lucky to get fleeting glimpses of the very secretive Olive Sparrow. Extremely difficult to get a photo of but this is probably the best I was going to get as it disappeared right after.

Returning to one of the bird blinds we settled in and continued waiting for visits from the birds.

While a group of us were sitting there we heard a noise outside. One of the people said “Locust” and I jokingly said “Rattler”. A moment later we heard someone outside yell “Rattlesnake!”. BOOM, the place exploded with everyone rushing outside and searching for the snake that was just off to the side of the trail. Everyone stayed a very respectful distance but we all jockeyed for position to get the best photos. The shots I have here are only very slightly cropped but trust me, I was far enough away and was not about to get any closer. After a while the snake decided it was time to move on and chose a path that took it away from all the prying eyes.

From South Llano we had a few hours’ drive south for our overnight in Cotulla. Ok, so here’s the scoop, this is now the night before the great eclipse but Cotulla is not in line for Totality, which is one of my main reasons for going to Texas. However, all of the hotels within the path of Totality were out to make a killing, with rooms being priced “to the moon” so to speak. Cotulla was close enough and remained reasonable.

Destination – Totality – A Total Eclipse For My Heart

It’s only about an hour and change from Cotulla to Uvalde, but the eclipse wasn’t going to start until about noon, so we had some time for birding, which is a good thing because it didn’t look like the sky was going to cooperate with the large number of people from all over North America, who came to Texas for this very special event.

So while we were heading to Uvalde we took some of the back roads and found a few really good birds.

Started out with a Bullock’s Oriole, then we stirred up a Crested Caracara that frantically climbed up a fence before hopping back down to continue having a meal. Shortly after we spotted a Yellow Headed Blackbird hanging out with some cows, and a cooperative Scissor Tailed Flycatcher sitting on a fence. At a pond we found a little flock of Black Bellied Whistling Ducks and another Yellowlegs. And finally a Lark Sparrow let us have a decent enough look before it flew off to the trees.

All this time we kept looking at the sky and became disheartened because all we could see was the cloud cover. It was even difficult to tell just where the sun was. Checking the weather showed that the clouds covered most of the path of Totality all through Texas.

Still we had to keep a bit of hope. We figured even if we can’t see the eclipse itself at least we can experience the sudden change to nighttime as it happened.

We found a spot away from the crowds and pulled over onto the side of the road. It was just the 4 of us in our own little spot.

As we got out of the car and started pulling out our cameras and scopes, My Lady glances upwards and yells out “I can see it!”. We all look up and sure enough through the clouds we are able to see our first sight of the sun all day, and the eclipse is already started. It took only a moment for me to put the filter onto the camera, adjust my settings and get my first photo.

“I Can See It”

Slowly the moon continued its course and the sun would peek out from the clouds. Click click click our cameras would go and on then off our eclipse glasses would go.

As it got closer to Totality we noticed that the light was changing around us and gradually all the sounds of wildlife dwindled down.

Finally it got dark and we were able to see the moment we had been waiting for, albeit a bit fuzzy. As we watched and waited it suddenly became clear, as if a hole had been punched through the wall of clouds. As we watched in awe I mentioned to everyone else to stop and listen. Absolute silence. No wind, no cameras, no talking, and most of all, no birdsong. Not even the Angelic Choir heralding such a momentous occasion (or does that only happen in the movies?).

The clouds returned just as the sun was about to peek out again, but we continued on and off for the next while until the rain came and put an end to our experience of a lifetime.

My Lady told me she was so happy to have seen it and has a better idea of why I wanted to see it. Even our friend, who initially wasn’t too interested, found it to be a wonderful experience and was happy to have been there with all of us.

Interestingly I noted that my first photo was at 12:24 and my last photo was at 2:24, and yet the 2 hours flew by far too quickly. Also of note – the world did not come to an end during or after the eclipse. I wonder if the Border Guard was working that day?

Destination – Corpus Christi

The drive from Uvalde to Corpus Christi took us a while and we arrived in Corpus during rush hour. We reached our hotel and arranged to meet up at a local restaurant for supper to discuss our plans for the next day. It was suggested that we go to a nearby park right after supper, to see if we could hear some owls, and that tomorrow we would go back there and visit the wetlands, and the bird blinds.

So in the morning after seeing a couple of Laughing Gulls on the hotel roof, we wandered back over to the nearby park where we were greeted by the odd sound of wires humming and noticed that one of the hydro lines was on fire. Fortunately the sound of a fire truck getting near gave us a bit of ease.and stopped by the wetlands to see what might be there.

Pulling up to the wetland area we found a group of American Avocets feeding close by, and some Black Necked Stilt entertained us by flying around and landing. Various other shorebirds filled out the visit as they went about just doing their own thing, not appearing to be concerned about the humans with cameras.

Next stop was the Hawk Watch Platform, which is an impressive structure looking over a beautiful landscape with wide open views for anything flying by in the distance. Just below is the bird blind so you can either stay on the platform and look down, or go downstairs and view everything from a little closer.

Here we found some really cool birds, Brown Crested Flycatcher, Bronzed Cowbird, Brown Headed Cowbird, Long Billed Thrasher, vibrant Northern Cardinals, Golden Fronted Woodpecker, White Winged Dove, Aztec Dove, what appeared to be an angry Great Tailed Grackle, Eurasian Collared Dove, and surprisingly a visit from a couple of Deer looking for a bit of easy food.

We went for lunch at a nearby BBQ place to have some authentic Texan BBQ and to say goodbye to Jeremy and Gord after spending so much time with them and seeing so many exciting things, My Lady mentioned that she still hasn’t seen a Green Jay, so we all decided to head back to the park to see if anything shows up.

As soon as we arrived and started up the stairs to the Hawk Watch Platform, a blur of colour flew by and landed on a branch. It was the Green Jay! We made sure to stick around a little longer and watch as it came and went a few times, and even enjoyed a comfortable bath.

It was during this time that a White Tipped Dove chose to fly in for a bit of an afternoon snack.

Corpus Christi is on the East coast by the Gulf of Mexico, which is a hell of a lot more humid than where we have been spending our last week or so. The heat and humidity started to affect everything, including the Fox Squirrels that chose to spread out on the ground or across the water drip hose in an attempt to cool down.

Although we had seen a Great Kiskadee at the wetlands, it was fairly far away, so we were very happy to have one come into the bird bath so that we could get a good look at it.

So came the time that our brains started to melt in the heat and My Lady and I decided it was time to take our leave and head out to San Antonio in order to start our long journey back home.

Destination – San Antonio

Wake up in the morning and plan out our route to the Alamo, just a half hour walk down the road. Of course we had to make a short stop at the San Fernando Cathedral where the bones of the Heroes of the Alamo are entombed. We didn’t stay very long as it seemed that people were gathering for a funeral at the time.

After an hour or so at the Alamo we wandered over for a boat ride on the nearest portion of the Riverwalk, one of the prettiest tours in San Antonio, and then hopped onto the Old Town Trolley for a city tour with various stops to get out and see what the city has to offer. We visited the Japanese Tea Gardens, then as we were getting close to the finish we passed a place that we absolutely had to come back to… Voodoo Doughnut. More entertaining than Tim Hortons for sure.

As we were walking back to the hotel we watched a helicopter come in to land on the roof of the Children’s Hospital.

Destination – Oklahoma City

We were on our way to our overnight in Oklahoma City but saw a sign for the Natural Bridge Caverns and since it was really close to San Antonio we figured, why not?

Boy was it worth the stop. Amazing. Huge caverns with amazing formations. Very different than the Fantastic Caverns as we actually had to walk through them which gave us time to really enjoy what we were seeing. You can actually see how big the space was as you look at some of the photos and look at the handrails and even some of the people along the walkways.

Destination – St. Louis

Once again on the road and passing all the signs for Fantastic Caverns, but since we already stopped here we carried on Meramec Caverns. These caverns are the largest cave west of the Mississippi and were the hideout for Jesse James as he hid a stash of gold from a train robbery. There has been a lot of history within these caverns, but if you are interested you can google it up. How about I show you some photos to peak your interest of this absolutely gorgeous, no wait, Stunning Stunning Stunning place.

Finally made it to the hotel and slept well for the night.

In the morning we were up and ready to move on, but first we went into the city centre to check out a closer look at the Gateway Arch. We didn’t take the tram up to the top, but instead enjoyed seeing the whole thing from the ground. It was only  a short visit, and after originally missing the road back onto the highway, we were finally on our way.

Destination – Cincinnati

We ended up having an extra day that was unexpected, so instead of driving straight from St. Louis to home we  spent a night in Cincinnati and the next morning we hit the Purple People Bridge. Just beside the Great American Ball Park where the Cincinnati Reds call home, this pedestrian bridge allows people to walk from Ohio to Kentucky (or Kentucky to Ohio) over the Ohio River. You can even rent the bridge for weddings or private events. There is even a portion that allows people to put a lock on, as a symbol of undying love or lifelong commitment.

Ok, enough fun, let’s go home. But of course first we have to stop at Costco before we cross the border.

So here we are at the end of a very long trip, with some wonderful memories enjoyed with good friends, and an abundance of wildlife that we may never have seen if we had gone on our own.

A little over 8000 kilometers driven in total over 2 weeks, about 75 species of birds that My Lady and I can call as “Lifers”, and that many again that we have already seen, a Rattlesnake in the wild, 3 new Caves / Caverns that we can add to our list (I’ve lost track of some others), and a few thousand photos to go through.

Of course I can’t forget what could be for me at least, the most important thing that has taken me a lifetime of dreaming about, a Total Solar Eclipse.

I wonder if I start planning now maybe we can get to see the next big one in Egypt in August 2027?

Sorry for this one being so long, there was a lot to see and we hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for staying with us.

Till next time.