Alaska, A Journey not a Destination
Following the letdown on the Golden-cheeked Warbler at Kickapoo Caverns State Park in Kinney County, Texas, I was ready for a birding victory. The locale that I had selected for the first stop of the West Texas Birding Two-Step was about as sure a bet as an early playoff exit for the Dallas Cowboys in an otherwise inspirational season.
Why not the West Texas Birding Waltz?
To the seasoned birder, a late spring or summer trip to the Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park is a key destination to any West Texas Birding tour. It is at this time of year and location that you can find the Colima Warbler. This little bird can only be found at high elevations in the park, specifically the Chisos Mountains.
We dropped this from our itinerary for the simple reason that our rig is too big to fit in a Chisos Basin campsite and has a longer length (45’ with truck and camper connected) than is permissible on the road to the basin. The alternative would be to camp at a different campground and add about an hour to our morning. Typically, birders start the 6-mile (plus or minus) hike on the Laguna Meadows Trail before dawn to reach the high elevation at prime birding time and to avoid the afternoon heat. For this reason, we decided to sit out the Birding Waltz and stick to the West Texas Birding Two-step.
West Texas Birding Two-step - Step One
Christmas Mountain Oasis is Ground Zero for the Lucifer Hummingbird. For decades Carolyn Ohl-Johnson has developed and nurtured her desert property in Brewster County into a year-round haven for birds. During migration times, it is a well-earned rest and rejuvenation spot for a variety of feathered travelers. This was our destination.
What’s in a Name?
How did the Lucifer Hummingbird end up with such an evil name? The question is one that is open for debate. The leading theory is that Lucifer, in Latin, means “light bringer” and that this hummingbird’s large wide gorget and iridescent body feathers give brilliant flashes of light. Early explorers noted this along with his aggressive behavior and the name stuck. Another theory is that the Lucifer Hummingbird has a forked tongue, like the devil, perhaps. Also, many hummingbirds have this feature, but the early explorers likely did not know. Whatever the origin of the name, this hummingbird name is unforgettable and makes it a prized target for many birders.
Potholes On the Trail
As we marked miles from Brackettville to Brewster County, I bubbled with joy at what was for me the real beginning of the Alaska journey. The future would be far less scripted, and I love that! We were really doing this! My fingers were crossed that my truck (no worries, it’s a Ford) and more concerningly my Black Series HQ17 camper would hold up.
I had a couple of suspension concerns with the camper. One I planned to resolve in Tucson and the other would be addressed in Nephi, Utah.
Not too long after leaving Del Rio and driving past Langtry, the small town where Judge Roy Bean (the law west of the Pecos) famously held his court, something unexpected happened. I had a massive blow-out on the front right tire of the camper. Oddly, this tire was one of the stock spares that I installed new in Oklahoma because the other tire in that position failed. Dragging my 3-ton jack out of the back of the truck so soon into my trip was not what I had in mind. The tire got replaced with the quality spare that I purchased from Discount Tire in Oklahoma. This would not happen again. After Christmas Mountain Oasis, we would stop in El Paso and throw away all the low-quality stock tires and purchase proper quality tires.
West Texas Road Art
Back on the road, we admired the iconic road art that US90 between Sanderson and Van Horn has to offer. There are the mini-Bucee’s, the mini-Prada store and the larger than life displays of James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor in character for the movie Giant. Let’s not forget the World-Famous Marfa Lights viewing area which is right off of US90. All are great photo ops.
Giant is one of the great Texas movies. Filmed, largely, at this Texas location in the mid 1950’s. It had an amazing cast of characters including Liz Taylor, James Dean, Rock Hudson, Dennis Hopper, Jane Withers, Rod Taylor, Sal Mineo, and more. The movie received 10 academy award nominations including Best Picture. George Stevens took home the award for Best Director.
The film is said to be the inspiration for the wildly popular TV show, Dallas from the 1980’s.
The movie was one of my mother’s favorites and she insisted I watched it when I finally moved back to the USA in 2008.
If you have not seen this iconic film, you need to.
Brewster County
Now, getting back to West Texas Birding. Carolyn recommended the Terlingua Ranch Resort while we were visiting. We booked two nights. It is a very interesting facility out in the desert that boasts cabins, a hotel, a swimming pool, a convenience store, a restaurant, a grass landing strip, tent sites and a few RV sites. I thought it was a bit pricey, but it was the only show in town. It also required about two miles of serious washboard road to access.
I was pleasantly surprised by the bird diversity. Especially considering no effort was made by the resort to attract them. My running checklist on the property garnered 25 birds in the bushes around my RV. Townsend’s Warblers were in abundance. I never tire of looking at these strikingly patterned little guys. Pyrrhuloxia are also in abundance.
At night, the Elf Owl started calling. I decided to track this bird down since it was on my life list as “heard only”. Thanks to his persistent call, it did not take long to find him. He was quite happy to pose for my camera.
The Elf Owl must be one of the most magical birds in North America. Imagine how cute an owl must be that is not much bigger than a House Sparrow. Totally adorable!
Visiting the Oasis
The next morning, we were off to the Christmas Mountain Oasis. It is important to plan this visit ahead of time. Google Maps will likely misguide you to the location. Carolyn will give you all the directions and guidance you need to arrive to her place without infringing on other people’s private property or just flat getting lost.
The road to the Oasis is no laughing matter. It is rough and I would personally not take a low riding sedan on that road although people apparently do. I was happy to have the high clearance truck and 4WD, which I switched into a couple of times.
Excitement on arrival was high and I was even more elated that at that moment in time I had the entire place to myself. Within seconds of walking into the first viewing area I was staring at my target bird, the Lucifer Hummingbird. Both males and females were buzzing around along with some Black-chinned Hummers.
Excellent Bird Diversity
The Oasis was loaded with birds. In all, I logged 34 species in the 6 hours we were there. My favorite sightings (obviously not counting the Lucifers) were the Scaled Quail roaming the area, the Green-tailed Towhees, the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, the lifer Gray Flycatcher which I saw twice but could not get a decent photo, and my first White-throated Swift flying overhead. I also added Pine Siskin to my Texas list.
Carolyn stopped by the Oasis to tend to some chores and talk to folks. I enjoyed spending time with her and learning about the Oasis and the birds. I think it is important to mention that she has single-handedly stabilized the Texas population of Lucifer Hummingbirds and has made the Oasis the single most reliable spot in the world to view the Lucifer Hummingbird.
On Johnson Pond
She and her husband have developed a second bird sanctuary at their home in Alpine. This sanctuary is called Johnson Ponds. We stopped there on our way to El Paso and enjoyed looking at the variety of birds. The Western Tanager was my target, and they were in abundance.
West Texas Birding Two-step - Step Two
Originally, I was not planning to stop in El Paso after leaving the Oasis, but the tire situation dictated otherwise.
I would stop at Discount Tires and buy 5 new high-quality tires for the RV to give myself a peace of mind that there would be no more blow-outs.
We could find no boondocking sites in the El Paso area, so we opted for the Franklin Mountains State Park at $10 per night on pavement but with no hook-ups. We enjoyed the area so much that we would stay there for 4 nights.
In addition to the tires, I opted to have a 30,000-mile service done on my truck and to make adjustments to the shock absorber installation due to two of them coming loose on the washboard road in Terlingua.
Birding in the state park was relaxing as the heat was not quite there yet during our mid-May visit. Trails were hiked, the camp area was walked, and the bird blind made for a good resting spot.
Other West Texas birding spots that we hit in the area were the Rio Bosque Park, which is apparently under threat of development and the Keystone Heritage Park.
In all, I added 6 new Texas birds in El Paso.
The West Texas Birding Town of El Paso
Not only did we bird in El Paso, but we also decided to see a little of the town. Local breweries are always a good watering hole. Friendly people and good vibes and beer were to be had. On Sunday, not much was open in the old downtown area but we walked a bit anyway, stopping in at the iconic Hotel Paso del Norte to enjoy a cocktail at the beautiful lobby bar.
El Paso left a warmth in our hearts for the people that we met and places that we went. A longer stay would have been easy but our business was done, and it was time to move on. We will return to explore this city in more depth and continue our West Texas birding.
Statistically speaking, I added 19 new Texas birds and 5 new World birds to my lists during the Texas leg of the journey.
So concludes the West Texas Birding Two-Step. Next, we travel to the amazing Sky Islands of SE Arizona for what I am expecting to be an unforgettable experience.
Hello Joel and Mirka, it is a special treat to wake up and see your Birding Escapes in my inbox. I was thinking about you two the other day. So glad you are on your Alaska journey. As always, your pictures are great.
Following along from Colorado,
Liz B
Thanks Liz!
I enjoyed reading about your visits to my CMO and Johnson Ponds. It’s always great to see how others view the places as my own views aren’t objective enough.
Thanks Carolyn, I was reading your blog recently. Still fighting the bears, I see!
Another great saga. It just seems to get better, despite a few setbacks along the road. But, always expect the unexpected. You are whetting my appetite seeing all those birds I never heard of. Photos are par excellence, como siempre. I never expected all those species in the extreme desert you described.
El Paso brings back memories where I did my second 8-weeks in the Army at Fort Bliss in December 1954/January 1955 before going to Germany. We trained in the desert at night crawling around cactus and rattlesnakes and listening to coyotes hauling. Scary stuff. But birds were not on my agenda then. We young soldier boys walked over the bridge to Ciudad Juarez and shopped for birds but not the kind you have in mind. This ole Florida boy saw his first snow at Ft. Bliss in the desert.
Keep these adventures coming in.
Great!!! Thanks!