We will explore the areas around the National Butterfly Center including Bensten Rio Grande Valley State Park, Bentsen Palm RV Resort, and the Retama Village Wall. The National Butterfly Center gardens is home to more than 230 species of butterflies with first U.S. records of: Tawny Mottled-Skipper, Greenish Brown-Skipper, One-spotted Prepona, Smudged Hairstreak, Broad-tipped Clearwing, and Four-spotted Sailor. First U.S. records for Bensten Rio Grande Valley State Park include: Painted White, Thick-tipped Greta, and Beautiful Beamer. 

We venture west to Falcon State Park to explore its wonderful butterfly garden and trails. The first thing one notices upon entering the gardens is that the plantings seem to be alive with butterflies, clouds of Queens to be exact. It take the untrained eye a few minutes to sort through the hoards of Queens to pick out the Theona and Elada Checkerspots, dozens of Southern Dogfaces, Coyote Cloudywings, and Sickle-winged Skippers.

This is also a great location for birds where Varied Bunting and Green Kingfisher are all possibilities.

Heading east out of Mission we will go in search of Xami Hairstreak, Definite Patch, Blue Metalmark, Pale-rayed, Boisduval’s Yellow, Walker's Metalmark, and Double-dotted Skippers at a few select locations in Cameron County. Possible stops include Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Palo Alto National Battlefield, and Laguna Atacosa National Wildlife Refuge. This will be our opportunity to finds some of the coastal butterflies that we are not likely to see anywhere else on the trip including Obscure Skipper and great Southern White. We have also had Celia’s Roadside Skipper here in the past.

Birds of note at these locations include Tropical Parula, Aplomado Falcon, and Tamaulipas Crow.

We will stick a bit closer to our home base and explore areas around Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, which boasts a butterfly checklist of nearly 300 species and 2000+ acres to explore. The refuge encompasses many habitat types allowing us the opportunity to see butterflies such as Zebra Heliconians, Julias, Malachites, Mexican Bluewings, Vesta Crescents, or Silver-banded Hairstreaks. 

If time permits before our flights home we may spend the morning back at the National Butterfly Center as it is just a short drive away from the airport.

Depart for home