Join David in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the premier areas in North America, to view & capture images of the wildlife. The format of this 9 night trip will be to make use of three of the best ranches in the Rio Grande area to enable you to get some stunning images of mammals, raptors & other birds that can be photographed from the hides.
As a bonus, for at least two of the days, we will be guided by Hector D. Astorga, who will be on hand to ensure that we make the best use of the photographic opportunities available.
The Rio Grande Valley is a well known hot spot for many bird species, some of which are unique to this area.

The three ranches which we will make use of are:
Laguna Seca Ranch with their collection of elevated & ground level hides for photographing songbirds & raptors. The ranch comprises 700 acres of pristine brushland with hides that have been designed with photographers & their needs in mind. All the hides are located near water holes or areas where there are no trees within at least 100 feet, thereby ensuring perfect backgrounds.
Martin Refuge is located in 300-acre thick South Texan brush, rich with tremendous biodiversity of birds, mammals & reptiles. The hides have been professionally designed & are set back from small water holes, close to feeding areas to allow you to capture the wildlife as they wander in for refreshments. Some of the hides here have been sunk into the ground, which gives you a perfect eye-level view of your subject, which, of course, is key to a great wildlife image. The Martin Refuge boasts some of the best raptor photography experiences, especially if you hope to add images of Crested Caracara & Harris Hawk to your portfolio.

Santa Clara Ranch is a 300-acre parcel of native South Texan brush where the wildlife roams freely, thanks to a conservation easement that prevents hunting & ensures that the native brush will remain untouched in perpetuity at the ranch. Water features & feeding stations have been placed throughout the property to attract wildlife which can be photographed from low-level & elevated hides positioned to optimise morning & afternoon light. The elevated hides are dedicated to raptor photography & in the past, they have exceeded expectations with numerous raptors coming to perch just 35-40 feet away!
The price includes all ground transportation within Texas, comfortable accommodation on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis, all photography activities at the ranches, with the split being 3 days at Santa Clara Ranch, 2 at Laguna Seca Ranch, & 2 at Martin Refuge, plus guidance from our local guide, who is himself an accomplished & recognised Texan wildlife photographer.
Photographable Species: american kestrel, black vulture, cooper's hawk, crested caracara, golden-fronted woodpecker, great horned owl, green jay, harris hawk, indigo snake, leopard frog, oriole, painted bunting, red-tailed hawk, texas tortoise, thrasher, turkey vulture, western diamondback rattlesnake, white-tailed hawk [tec_event_itinerary_title][itinerary_element tagline="day 1"]flight to mcallen international airport, texas from home location, transfer to edinburg[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 2"]full day of photography at martin's refuge[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 3"]full day of photography at martin's refuge[/itinerary_element][itinerary_element tagline="day 4"]full day of photography at santa clara ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 5"]full day of photography at santa clara ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 6"]full day of photography at santa clara ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 7"]full day of photography at laguna seca ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 8"]full day of photography at laguna seca ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 9"]full day of photography at laguna seca ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 10"]transfer to mcallen international airport, flight to home location[/itinerary_element]

Join David in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the premier areas in North America to view & capture images of the wildlife. The format of this 9 night trip will be to make use of three of the best ranches in the Rio Grande area, to enable you to get some stunning images of mammals, raptors & other birds that can be photographed from the hides.
The Rio Grande Valley is a well known hot spot for a large variety of bird species, some of which are unique to this area.

The three ranches which we will make use of are:
Laguna Seca Ranch with their collection of elevated & ground level hides for photographing songbirds & raptors. The ranch is comprised of 700 acres of pristine brushland with hides that have been designed with photographers & their needs in mind. All the hides are located near water holes or areas where there are no trees within at least 100 feet, thereby ensuring perfect backgrounds.
Martin Refuge is located in 300-acre thick South Texan brush, rich with tremendous biodiversity of birds, mammals & reptiles. The hides have been professionally designed & are set back from small water holes, close to feeding areas to allow you to capture the wildlife as they wander in for refreshments. Some of the hides here have been sunk into the ground which gives you a perfect eye-level view of your subject, which, of course, is key to a great wildlife image. The Martin Refuge boasts some of the best raptor photography experiences, especially if you are hoping to add images of Crested Caracara & Harris Hawk to your portfolio.

Santa Clara Ranch is a 300-acre parcel of native South Texan brush where the wildlife roams freely, thanks to a conservation easement which prevents hunting & ensures that the native brush will remain untouched in perpetuity at the ranch. Water features & feeding stations have been placed throughout the property to attract wildlife which can be photographed from low-level & elevated hides positioned to optimise morning & afternoon light. The elevated hides are dedicated to raptor photography & in the past, have exceeded expectations with numerous raptors coming to perch just 35-40 feet away!
The price includes all ground transportation within Texas, comfortable accommodation on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis, all photography activities at the ranches, with the split being 3 days at Santa Clara Ranch, 3 at Laguna Seca Ranch, & 2 at Martin Refuge.
Photographable Species: american kestrel, black vulture, cooper's hawk, crested caracara, golden-fronted woodpecker, great horned owl, green jay, harris hawk, indigo snake, leopard frog, oriole, painted bunting, red-tailed hawk, texas tortoise, thrasher, turkey vulture, western diamondback rattlesnake, white-tailed hawk [tec_event_itinerary_title][itinerary_element tagline="day 1"]flight to mcallen international airport, texas from home location, transfer to edinburg[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 2"]full day of photography at martin's refuge[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 2"]full day of photography at martin's refuge[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 4"]full day of photography at santa clara ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 5"]full day of photography at santa clara ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 6"]full day of photography at santa clara ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 7"]full day of photography at laguna seca ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 8"]full day of photography at laguna seca ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 89"]full day of photography at laguna seca ranch[/itinerary_element] [itinerary_element tagline="day 10"]transfer to mcallen international airport, flight to home location[/itinerary_element]