We’re just connecting the dots
Volume 11 • Issue 20 March 18, 2026
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WINTER TEXAN SPI Birding, Nature Center Prepares for Spring Birding Migration
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And just like that, we’re nearing the end of another season. Every year it seems to pass a little faster…a blur of events, activities, great meals, and even better company. What makes this time of year so special isn’t just everything that happens on the calendar but the friendships that grow along the way. We hope many of you have already made your reservations for next season and are planning your return to South Texas. If you haven’t, there’s still time. And while you’re back home this summer, help us spread the word. Tell your friends and neighbors that South Texas is the place to be when winter rolls around. Next season will mark our 20th year, a milestone that is hard to believe when we think about how it all began. We’re looking forward to celebrating with you and making it a season to remember. Over the coming months we’ll be busy behind the scenes planning new adventures, tours, and experiences we can share together. As you head north for the summer, travel safely and enjoy time with family and friends. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can stay connected and hear about what’s coming next. And for those of you who have become “Converted Texans,” don’t forget about our Summer Supper Club. Stay in touch through our website or newsletter, and we’ll see you in the fall!
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SEASON SPONSORS 2025-2026
A blue heron stalks the wetlands at the birding center. Story by Eryn Reddell Wingert Photos by Eryn Reddell Wingert and courtesy of Robert Prichard
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here are nights during the spring when millions of birds are flying over the Rio Grande Valley. Thirty to forty million, according to Javier Gonzalez, naturalist educator at the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary. Gonzalez says migrating birds-–
including warblers, tanagers, orioles, buntings, hawks, and hummingbirds-travel up to South Texas from Central and South America. Vying for the best nesting spots up north, they will attempt a risky shortcut: pausing at the Yucatan Peninsula to wait for a strong wind to launch them across the Gulf. After a 600-mile journey, South Padre Island is their first sign of land. “It’s like a Buc-ee’s,” Gonzalez says, where they can rest, feed, and reenergize before continuing north.
Prichard at the Center’s Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo with fellow volunteers and a Caracara, his favorite bird.
Birding Center volunteer Robert Prichard knows a little something about long-distance travel. He’s been driving CONTINUED ON PAGE 2