208 South Great Road ▲ Lincoln, Massachusetts 01773 Phone:800.289.9504 ▲ 781.259.2165 ▲ [email protected]
Birding in Big Bend National Park
April 21 – 28, 2010 With Carol Decker and Scott Santino
Big Bend by B. Speare
Big Bend National Park, encompassing an area of more than 1,100 square miles, is a bold
landscape of constantly changing views: the rugged Chisos Mountains, rolling hills, deep river
canyons, and long desert vistas. Perhaps its greatest attraction is the tremendous diversity of
plant and animal species, including some that are found nowhere else in the world. In March and
April, the wildflowers bloom in profusion. Big Bend is one of the best birding localities in the
United States and boasts some 425 species recorded to date, with new entries being made
continually. Join us for this ever-popular trip!
Birding in Big Bend National Park: April 21 – 28, 2010
ABOUT OUR NATURALIST GUIDES _______ Carol Decker is Director of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest Mass Audubon
sanctuary, located in Topsfield. She and her staff deal with a broad range of wildlife
management challenges, and she is interested in bringing awareness of
birds along with local flora and fauna to trip participants. She has over
twenty years’ experience as a field naturalist and educator, teaches
workshops on a broad range of topics, and enjoys connecting people to
the natural world and its diverse bird life. She has led tours throughout
the US, including New England, Alaska, Arizona, Texas, Hawaii, New
Jersey’s Brigantine and Cape May areas, as well as international tours
to Arctic Norway, Atlantic Canada, the Caribbean, Panama and the Amazon.
Scott Santino is a Teacher-Naturalist for Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in
Topsfield, where he designs and leads nature programs for adults, families, and schools. Since
2001, he has coordinated Ipswich River’s volunteer docent program which enriches adults who
teach sanctuary programs and special events. Scott had led programs throughout New England
covering a number of topics including amphibians, birds, reptiles, tracking and wildflowers.
ACCOMMODATIONS INDIAN LODGE – DAVIS MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
Indian Lodge is a unique inn located northwest of Fort Davis within the bounds of Davis Mountains State
Park. Built in the 1930s, it was opened to the public in 1939. It features the original interiors and
furnishings. In 1967, a major construction project was completed, including renovation of the original
structure, which has eighteen-inch adobe walls, hand-carved cedar furniture, and ceilings of pine viga and
latilla. It resembles a Southwestern Native-American-style, multilevel pueblo village.
The lodge is a full-service hotel and a total non-smoking facility. There are thirty-nine guest rooms, a
swimming pool for registered lodge guests, and the Texas State Park Store. The full-service restaurant is
open year round. The rooms feature central heat/air-conditioning, color cable television, carpeting, a
telephone, and full maid service. Pets are not allowed. There are foot-trails into the mountains and scenic
trails to Fort Davis National Historic Site. The trails cross Davis Mountains State Park.
CHISOS MOUNTAIN LODGE
Big Bend National Park encompasses over 800,000 acres of breathtaking landscape. Located right in the
middle of it all is Chisos Mountain Lodge, the only lodging in the park. Chisos Mountain Lodge is
located at 5400 ft. elevation in the scenic Chisos Mountains and offers comfortable overnight lodging. A
laid-back atmosphere allows guests to enjoy life at a slower pace while enjoying the beauty around them.
BIG BEND RESORT – TERLINGUA
Big Bend Motor Inn is located only 3 miles from the west entrance of Big Bend National Park. They have
84 rooms, smoking or non-smoking, with satellite TV and telephone. A full service establishment with
restaurant, convenience store, RV park, and laundromat. Big Bend Motor Inn is convenient to Big Bend
National Park, local shopping, and dining. This is the perfect location for our exploration of the park!
HOTEL LIMPIA - FORT DAVIS
The Hotel Limpia is a historic, restored hotel built in 1912 located in the Davis Mountains of southwest
Texas in mile-high Fort Davis. Guest rooms, each with private baths, provide a peaceful and comfortable
hideaway from the busy outside world. The courtyard garden, fragrant with roses and herbs, the glassed-
in verandah with its flourishing plants, and the porches with their rocking chairs are favorite places for
guests to relax and enjoy the tranquility of a by-gone era of Texas.
208 South Great Road ▲ Lincoln, Massachusetts 01773 Phone:800.289.9504 ▲ 781.259.2165 ▲ [email protected]
DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY April 21 HOME - EL PASO
Arrive in El Paso, Texas. Drive through the scenic Davis Mountains, to settle in at our pueblo-
style lodge. Indian Lodge is built high in Limpia Creek Valley and backed by the rugged
foothills of Davis Mountains State Park. Since we will probably arrive late, we will have a
picnic style dinner and possibly an optional evening walk to listen for the calls of Common
Poorwills and owls. Indian Lodge, Fort Davis
April 22 DAVIS MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
Following an early breakfast, depart for Davis Mountains State Park for some morning birding.
Here see “typical” western species such as Cassin’s Kingbird, Scrub Jay, Ladder-backed
Woodpecker, Say’s Phoebe, and Rock Wren. This is one of the best places to see and hear
Montezuma Quail. Lunch will be at the Madera Canyon picnic grounds, where we will search
for Acorn Woodpecker, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Hepatic Tanager. This afternoon, we'll
bird along Limpia Creek and look for Common Black-Hawk, which traditionally nests here. If
time allows, we will stop at Fort Davis National Historical Site (1854-91) en route back to the
lodge. While most remember Jefferson Davis as the President of the Confederacy, locally he is
remembered for his prior post as U.S. Secretary of War when he established this fort and brought
camels to West Texas. The museum has interesting artifacts, which dramatize the life of the
frontier soldiers who in the 1880’s protected the routes of the Butterfield Overland Stage.
Dinner at a local restaurant. Indian Lodge, Fort Davis (B, L, D)
April 23 BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
This morning’s destination is Big Bend National Park, established in 1944 and nearly three
quarters of a million acres. We should see pronghorn on our drive along with beautiful desert
vistas. We will picnic along the way, arriving at the park’s
Visitor Center for an orientation to the magnificent scenery and
fascinating flora and fauna of the Chihuahua Desert. We will
travel up through Green Gulch to the Basin, at 5,400 feet of
elevation. A leisurely afternoon of birding should produce such
species as Gray-breasted Jay, Canyon Towhee, Cactus Wren,
Scott’s Oriole, Black-chinned Hummingbird, and Rufous-
crowned Sparrow. Following dinner at Chisos Mountain
Lodge, we will listen for Western Screech Owl and watch the
sun disappear through the “window” in the Chisos Basin.
Chisos Mountain Lodge (B, L, D)
April 24 BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
After an early breakfast, quickly depart for the Rio Grande for some morning birding, stopping at
Dugout Wells along the way. At this little oasis, we will search for Bell’s Vireo, and other
migrants. At Rio Grande Village Campground, we enter a floodplain community where we will
scan the tall cottonwoods and the shrubbery for Vermilion Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Golden-
fronted Woodpecker, Hooded Oriole, Summer Tanager , Greater Roadrunner, along with Inca,
White-winged, and Common Ground Doves. This is also a good area for nesters such as Yellow-
breasted Chat, Bell’s Vireo, along with Blue Bunting and Painted Bunting. We’ll picnic here and
keep an eye skyward for Zone-tailed Hawk. Following lunch we will visit nearby Boquillas
Canyon, one of three canyons cut by the Rio Grande in what is now Big Bend National Park.
This magnificent canyon is an excellent place to see and hear Canyon Wren and White-throated
Birding in Big Bend National Park: April 21 – 28, 2010
Swift, as well as to wonder at the forces that created this chasm. This evening we picnic at
Dugout Wells, then search for Elf Owl and enjoy the night desert. We may see mammals such as
coyote, gray fox, ringtail and collared peccaries. Chisos Mountain Lodge (B, L, D)
April 25 BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
Today we explore Blue Creek, a beautiful canyon with red rock spires, which can be good for
Lucifer’s Hummingbird, Crissal’s Thrasher and Varied Bunting. We will also look for desert
plants in flower such as ocotillo and chollo.
We will lunch at Cottonwood Campgrounds in the Santa Elena Canyon area and look for Gray
Hawk which has nested here in the past. This evening enjoy a group dinner at the Starlight
Theatre Restaurant in an area of Terlingua known as “Ghost Town.” Big Bend Resort,
Terlingua. (B, L, D)
April 26 BIG BEND
Today hike up into the heart of the Chisos Mountains. We'll begin before dawn and have
breakfast on the trail. Our destination is the cooler oak-maple environment in Boot Canyon, one
of very few places in the United States where the Colima Warbler nests. (For those not wishing
to make the entire 11-mile roundtrip hike, the warblers are often seen at the halfway point.) Boot
Canyon, named after a boot shaped volcanic spire, is well-wooded and attracts many birds,
including Acorn Woodpecker, Broad-tailed and Blue-throated Hummingbirds, Mexican Jay,
Gray-breasted Jay, Hutton’s Vireo, Painted Redstart, and Hepatic Tanager. Along the way, look
for Ash-throated Flycatcher, Gray Vireo, and Black-chinned Sparrow. The vistas are spectacular
and great opportunities for photographs. Dinner on your own in one of the local restaurants. Big
Bend Resort, Terlingua. (B, L,)
April 27 RIO GRANDE VALLEY / FORT DAVIS
Today , following morning birding, we leave the Chisos Mountains and travel back to the cooler
temps of the Davis Mountains. Our destination is Lake Balmorhea, a 500-acre impoundment and
one of the best areas for shorebirds and waterbirds. Nesting species include Snowy Plover and
Black-necked Stilt, while passerines are present during spring migration. Eared,Western and
Clark’s Grebe, Black-necked Stilt, Franklin’s Gull, Neotropical Cormorant, White-faced Ibis
may all be sighted here. Limpa Hotel, Fort Davis (B, L, D)
We would breakfast at the café, get a box lunch and have a farewell dinner at the Limpia Hotel
April 28 FORT DAVIS/EL PASO/HOME
This morning drive to El Paso to catch individual flights home.
April 28 – flights home
208 South Great Road ▲ Lincoln, Massachusetts 01773 Phone:800.289.9504 ▲ 781.259.2165 ▲ [email protected]
TERMS & CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL
Tour Price: $2,200 per person/double occupancy; Single supplement: $500
WHAT’S INCLUDED: NOT INCLUDED:
• Services of 2 qualified Massachusetts Audubon
Society naturalists.
• Round-trip travel to El Paso, Texas
• All scheduled land transport.
• All sightseeing and entrance fees as outlined in the
itinerary.
• Items of a personal nature (alcoholic drinks, laundry,
phone calls, etc.)
• All accommodations and meals as indicated in the
itinerary (all meals but one dinner).
• All transfers with luggage handling at the hotels for
those traveling with the group. All Tips.
• Airport departure taxes, passport fees, or other fees not
listed in program.
.
GROUP SIZE: A minimum of 10 participants is required. The group size will be limited to
approximately 14 people.
APPLICATIONS, RESERVATIONS, DEPOSITS: Early applications are strongly encouraged. Trip rosters
usually must be finalized 4 months before departure! All applications must be accompanied by a completed
reservation form and $500 deposit. Deposits can be by check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard). We reserve the
right to decline your application. In the case of questionable health, we reserve the right to require a physician’s
certification to affirm you are capable of the activities. Final payment is due 95 days before the departure date.
Final payment must be by check.
RATES: All tour prices are based on double occupancy. If you would like us to find you a roommate, we will do
our best, but cannot guarantee a share (except on certain cruises). If we cannot find a share, you will need to pay the
single supplement. All forms and fares are accurate at the time of publication October 2009 but are subject to
change at any time prior to departure. Rarely, a price increase may be called for if the group falls below the
minimum of 8. The maximum number of participants is approximately 14
FLIGHTS: You the traveler are responsible for booking and paying for your own flights to and from El
Paso, Texas. Once your deposit and reservation form have been sent to us, we will send you suggested flight
information. Please be aware that most tickets are non-refundable, therefore you should not book your flight
arrangements until you have checked with us to be sure the tour has the minimum number of participants for the trip
to go. The Travel Station can be reached at 781-259-1200.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: If you need to change your booking, you must inform us immediate.
All cancellations must be done in writing and are effective upon receipt in the Massachusetts Audubon Travel
Office. Cancellations received up to 121 days prior to departure will be refunded deposits less a $300 per person fee.
For cancellations between 120 and 90 days prior to departure, all deposits will not be refunded. There are no refunds
for cancellations 90 days or less from departure. We strongly urge all travelers to purchase trip cancellation
insurance. You will be sent information from the Massachusetts Audubon Society upon receipt of your deposit.
Birding in Big Bend National Park: April 21 – 28, 2010
208 South Great Road ▲ Lincoln, Massachusetts 01773 Phone:800.289.9504 ▲ 781.259.2165 ▲ [email protected]
Reservation Form
Mr./Mrs./Ms.
Passenger Name (1) – as shown as passport
Mr./Mrs./Ms.
Passenger Name (2) – as shown as passport
Address
City State Zip
Phone: Day Evening
Email address
Please check:
I/We are non-smoker(s) ___ or I/we are smoker(s) ___ but fully understand that smoking is limited to
outdoors and non group spaces and not allowable at all at Indian Lodge
The two of us above are sharing a room and would like a room with ___ ONE or ___TWO beds
__I request single accommodations where available and will pay the single supplement.
__I would like to be assigned a roommate. If one is not available, I will pay the single supplement.
__I certify that I have not recently been treated for, nor am I aware of any physical or other conditions
that would create a hazard to me of other members of this tour.
Deposit: Please find my enclosed check ____________ or please charge __________ my credit card for
the deposit: ($500 per person)
VISA___MC___ Card #___________________________________________Exp.______________
Checks should be made payable to “Massachusetts Audubon Society”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Signature
Birding in Big Bend National Park: April 21 – 28, 2010
Your Responsibility: Although every precaution is taken to safeguard you and your belongings, group travel trips
by their nature involve a certain amount of risk. Trip participants should understand that the domestic and
international trips sponsored/operated by Massachusetts Audubon Society (Mass Audubon Tours) - hereafter
collectively “M.A.S.” - involve known and unknown risks. M.A.S. assumes no responsibility for injuries, death,
financial losses or damage to clients’ property caused by or occurring during participation in any of the travel trips
sponsored/operated by M.A.S. Trip participants must assume responsibility for having sufficient skill and fitness to
participate in the trips and activities offered or sponsored by M.A.S. Trip participants must also certify that they
have no medical, mental or physical conditions which could interfere with their abilities to participate in the
activities and/or trips they are participating in and they must assume and bear the cost of all risks that may be
created, directly or indirectly, by any such condition. It is the responsibility of trip participants to have in place
adequate insurance to cover any injury, damage or emergency transportation costs related to their travel and/or
participation in trip activities and/or to bear the costs of such injury, damage or emergency transportation costs.
Because of the risks associated with the travel trips sponsored by M.A.S. we urge all trip participants to supplement
their own insurance with travel or vacation or emergency response types of insurance. M.A.S. requires that all trip
participants acknowledge and assume these risks by reading and signing an M.A.S. Release and Waiver and
Assumption of Risk contract prior to departure.
CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL: Travelers will be provided with an itinerary and trip preparation information. It is
expected that travelers will read this information prior to trip departure. Travelers will be responsible for completing
an application reservation form, a personal information form, and a release of liability form. Travelers will be
expected to abide by the terms set for in the invoice. During the tour, travelers are asked to respect and follow the
directions of their guide and leader.