Texas Panhandle
Bird Nerd

Why would anyone travel to Arizona in August to hike and bird? Because in the end, I saw 34 new bird species that I had never seen before. I hiked up scenic canyons along monsoon-filled creeks, ate apples that I picked straight off the tree in a bird-filled orchard, enjoyed cool mornings followed by afternoon rain showers, and was surrounded by 100's of hummingbirds sparkling like jewelry when the sun hit them.

The Galveston Gals, my women birders traveling friends, enjoyed our 2025 fall migration trip to the upper Texas Gulf coast so much that we decided to head to Port Aransas for spring migration in 2026. We again rented a large AirBnB (this time on the beach), we studied the target birds before the trip, and then we spent five days chasing warblers, vireos, shorebirds and other lifers (birds we haven't seen before).

These jewel-like birds attracted 175 participants to the biennial event held at the rustic High Frontier lodge in Fort Davis. The Trans-Pecos Birds group skillfully organized morning field trips to homes, parks and conservancies where hummingbirds and other West Texas specialty birds could be found. In the afternoons, birding experts gave presentations, and in the evenings, everyone gathered to socialize. The Panhandle Bird Club was well-represented and enjoyed the time toge