Trip Program

Thursday November 20th, 2008
People purchasing the ALL INCLUSIVE "Victoria Birding & Butterfly Festival" package will board the bus at 7:00 AM in McAllen, Texas; Exact boarding Location to be announced.
We will stop for lunch at Salto del Tigre in Santa Engracia, located only 50 km (30 miles) north of Ciudad Victoria, this river is the northernmost Neotropical River. Birding in the area you will most likely find Plain Chachalaca, Squirrel Cuckoo, Elegant Trogon, Brown Jay, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Golden-crowned Warbler, Rufous-capped Warbler and Flame-colored Tanager. If you like butterflies this is a great place to find Black & White Mottlemark.
In the afternoon we will check in at our hotel.
7:00- 8:30 PM. Welcome Dinner. This will be the inaugural event for all activities. This is an excellent opportunity to mingle and get to know other participants

Friday November 21st, 2008
6:00 - 6:45 AM Ride to Jaumave
6:45 AM - 5:00 PM. We will have breakfast at Jaumave´s plaza, while we wait for the flocks of Military Macaws to come around and feed on the pecan trees. We will continue to Los Nogales Park, which constitutes the northern border of El Cielo Biosphere Reserve. Both the town itself and Los Nogales Park are good birding areas where you can find other bird species like Squirrel Cuckoo, White-eared Hummingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Couch's Kingbird, Tropical Parula, Crimson-collared Grosbeak and Yellow-throated Euphonia
5:45 PM - 7:00 PM. Rest time. You can rest, mingle or roam around Ciudad Victoria and do some shopping. Dinner on your own
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Time to share and ID photos in a group setting.

Saturday November 22nd, 2008
6:00 - 7:00 AM Breakfast
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Finding Butterflies at Novillo Canyon. Starting at 400 meters above sea level (1,300 ft ASL) Species that we will most likely find include: Brown Jay, Tamaulipas Crow, Clay-colored Robin, Pyrrhuloxia, Melodious Blackbird, Audubon's Oriole and Hooded Grosbeak. Some interesting butterflies include Pale-spotted Swallowtail, Three-tailed Swallowtail, Torquatus Swallowtail and Variable Swallowtail. We will have lunch on site.
5:45 PM - 7:00 PM. Rest time. You can rest, mingle or roam around Ciudad Victoria and do some shopping. Dinner on your own
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Time to share and ID photos in a group setting.

Sunday November 23rd, 2008
6:00 - 7:00 AM Breakfast. Your luggage should be ready since we will be returning to McAllen Today
7:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Looking for birds & butterflies at Troncones.. Bird species in the area include Lucifer Hummingbird, Bronze-winged Woodpecker, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Tropical Parula, Painted Redstart and Scrub Euphonia. Butterfly lovers might find Regal Hairstreak and Carousing Jewelmark or Metalmark. Lunch on site.
1:00 PM Departure for Texas, approximate arrival time in McAllen 6:30 PM

ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Transportation from McAllen, Texas to Cd. Victoria and back, 3 nights lodging, Welcome Dinner, all breakfasts and lunches, plenty of bottled water and snacks, bird & butterfly watching tours to Salto del Tigre, Jaumave, Los Nogales, Novillo and Troncones Canyon.

(If you are a US or Canadian Citizen please bring your passport.)

Notes:

Remember: If you are a US or Canadian Citizen You must bring with you either:
1) A valid passport, or
2) Voter´s registration card accompanied by Driver´s license, or
3) Original Birth Certificate acompanied by Driver´s license.

Some of you might want to review photos and do Ids. Make sure you bring cables to hook up you cameras to a TV and/or laptop.

We recommend you bring close focusing binoculars

We recommend Kim Garwood & Richard Lehman's Butterflies of Northeastern Mexico Field Guide. If you don't already have it you can purchase it online at:

Purchase Garwood & Lehman

Jeff Grasberg's Butterflies of Mexico is also a good field guide for the area. This can be purchased online at:

Puchase Glassberg´s

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