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This story starts by backtracking briefly to Port Isabel. I neglected to mention in our last post that Lance and I ran cross a noisy group of Great Kiskadees there. We were riding our bikes around town and heard this raucous chatter.

Since Port Isabel is so close to the Mexican border and is rather tropical my first thought was, “Cool, a troop of monkeys!” I was hoping… instead it was a large group of Kiskadees. Not only are they gregarious and noisy (they really do sound like monkeys) but they are rather showy too. It just goes to show that there is something interesting around every corner.

This next completely off-the-topic item involves etymology not ornithology. Lance’s parents are translators, my mom peruses the dictionary for fun, we’re both avid readers and Lance is probably the “Word Nerds” podcast’s number one fan. Suffice it to say, we love words and learning about them. Which is why I have to tell you about the word hidalgo. You might be familiar with the word because it was the title of a recent Viggo Mortensen movie but this has nothing to do with that. Hidalgo is a contraction of hijos de algo (or hijo d’algo) which is Spanish for literally: “sons of something.”

It was a complimentary title bestowed upon persons of note by the crown which elevated them to minor nobility. This was a fairly common practice during the time that Spain was exploring the New World. Many of the hijos d’algo became large landowners and were very influential during the development of New Spain. Over the years the phrase was shortened to Hidalgo and became a common surname. Today, a Texas town, county, and a whole state in Mexico bear the name Hidalgo. Now, on with the rest of the story…

It was at the tail end of a rainy week that we drove to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR). The 45,000 acre-plus Refuge encompasses Laguna Atascosa (Spanish for muddy lake) and borders the Laguna Madre. The Refuge was about 20 miles from Port Isabel but the drive took a while since the road was narrow and in horrific shape. The potholes were large enough to swallow our RV and there were so many we could only see pieces of pavement in between them. It was a bone jarring drive but worth every stiff muscle.

Once we entered the Refuge the roads were in much better shape. There were very few other people visiting which is fine with us because we relish the peace and quiet. Although it did seem a shame that so many others missed out on the beauty of the Refuge. LANWR is a diverse mix of habitats from desert to subtropical to coastal to temperate. Just about any animal could find a place to call home there and many do. As the southernmost stop on the Central Flyway, LANWR is at least a temporary home for over 430 species of birds.

LANWR’s close proximity to Mexico also boosts its animal count. In addition to many of the creatures typically found in the desert southwest (bobcat, javelina, coyote, white-tailed deer) the Refuge is home to several threatened species. Ocelots are of special interest at the Refuge since about a third of the entire U.S. population (which is estimated at 100 individuals) live there. Other animals that are dwindling in numbers in Texas are the American Alligator and the Texas Tortoise. We kept our eyes peeled all day, hoping to see these elusive creatures but to no avail.

However, we did see: coyotes, javelinas, white-tailed deer, rabbits, a bobcat, the usual assortment of shore birds, and some birds new to us. We added the Long-billed Thrasher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Plain Chachalaca, Green Jay, Cedar Waxwing, and White-tipped Dove to our “Seen in Texas Bird List.”

Exploring LANWR took all day and we still ran out of time to hike some of the trails. The creatures that live in the Refuge are extremely lucky, it is the largest protected area of natural habitat left in the lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The only reason the area was undeveloped is that it served as a gunnery range during World War II. In 1946 the Refuge was established to help boost dwindling migratory bird populations.

To accomplish its mission LANWR actively monitors water levels in its ponds, lakes and resacas (remnants of old oxbows of the Rio Grande) adding water when needed. The Refuge also plants milo (a grain sorghum), wheat and peas to feed overwintering geese and sandhill cranes. On other old farmland the Refuge is restoring the native thorny brush habitat that provides a safe haven for so many species.

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the poorest areas in the U.S. and as in other low-economic regions the landscape shows the scars. Outside the Refuge the land has been overgrazed, over-farmed and over-chemicaled for close to 300 years. The resources of the Refuge often are “borrowed” by the locals. During our visit the biggest problem was yucca blossom theft. Apparently the blossoms aren’t just edible but they are quite tasty and they are stolen at an alarming rate. Chopping off the bloom does not kill or hurt the yucca but it does negatively impact the animals that rely on that food source and of course, limits yucca regeneration.

We were reluctant to leave the Refuge, there was so much to see and who knows what was around the next bend. We certainly enjoyed our day there and it was a great way to say goodbye to South Texas. Next stop, Texas Hill Country!

Photos: View our photos from Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

Notes: We visited Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on 02/11/2007.