Remembering Saleniño
As we deal with gray days and intermittent snow, I often think of the places I visited in the Southwest. One of my favorite birding spots is a tiny wildlife refuge on the Rio Grande river, about three hours from Corpus Christi in a little town called Salineño. Just several miles from Highway 83, it’s a tiny hispanic settlement with a garish cemetery, a big Roman Catholic church, mangy dogs that never heard of rabies shots, and some of the best birding in the Rio Grande Valley..
For decades, people have come to sit in lawn chairs to watch the wide variety of colorful birds that come to the feeders. The refuge is often called Dewind’s yard (for the owners who first welcomed birders in the 1980’s.)
Here is a sampling of photos I have taken on past visits.
Being right on the river, this little refuge has always had periodic river crossings from Mexico. Even back on my first visits, a decade ago, there were observation balloons, a border patrol presence, and paths through the woods.
There are daily reports from the site but it might be smart to check before making a long drive. Here is a recent checklist showing the range of species there this month.
Is Salineño on your bucket list?