As Ingrid and I prepare for our Big Year in 2024 (the Birds of the lower 48 states) we’re scouting different locations.  Having a general idea where and when regional birds are being seen goes a long way toward a successful Big Year.

We are currently halfway through our third trip to Texas since 2015 and each trip seems better than the last.

While we are looking different bird each time . . . we are always on the lookout for Green Jays.  This incredible Green and Blue bird steals the show whenever they are around.

A couple days ago we made a four hour drive to Alamo to try and see the rare Bat Falcon that has staking out a nature preserve since December.  After five hours and five miles of searching we gave up and headed east to the University of Texas at Brownsville.

There we found an equally rare Social Flycatcher which made our day.

Come to find out, the Bat Falcon showed up a few minutes after we left.