Going Big for Birds

A warm breeze rustled the fronds of sabal palm trees as Tiffany Kersten pulled into the parking lot of Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco. A spirited symphony of birdsong filled the tropical summer air as the rising sun brightened a vibrant yellow Couch’s kingbird perched on a utility wire. From the hatchback of her Chevy Spark, Kersten retrieved a telescope, daypack, and binoculars. Setting off on the park’s trail, I joined Kersten for an excursion among the park’s wetlands and prairies. In just two hours, we spotted 36 species, including South Texas natives like the Altamira oriole and the plain chachalaca.

“I came to the [Rio Grande] Valley because of the birds,” notes Kersten, who grew up in Wisconsin. After studying wildlife ecology in college, Kersten worked a series of wildlife survey and park jobs before landing