Photographers of all experience levels are invited to join for this thirteen-night Birdlife of Texas photography holiday in the Alamo. You will visit three fantastic photography ranches in the Rio Grande Valley & Southern Texas, one of the premier hotspots for nature photographers in the .


This trip, scheduled for 2nd - 15th April 2025, has an itinerary designed to enable you to photograph various birds, mammals & reptiles from professionally designed photo hides.

Throughout this photography holiday, David, one of our photography guides, will be on hand to guide & lead you; he will be providing assistance & advice as needed & helping you add stunning images to your portfolio.

What makes the Rio Grande Valley so unique for bird photography?


The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is renowned for birds like the , , , , , , , , , & over 20 additional species. The sub-tropical conditions provide warm year-round temperatures, which sometimes attract Mexican rarities. Therefore, the Rio Grande Valley is a top travel destination for bird photography.

The Photography Ranches of the Rio Grande Valley & Southern Texas

Photography ranches in the Rio Grande Valley & Southern Texas are fantastic for photography due to their unique combination of stunning & diverse wildlife. Nestled along the border of Mexico, these ranches offer photographers a wide array of captivating subjects to capture through their lenses. The region is home to an incredible variety of bird species, making it a haven for birdwatchers & wildlife photographers.

An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday

BirdLife of Texas Photography Holiday Itinerary

The following is the proposed itinerary for this photography holiday, it should be considered provisional & subject to change.
  • Day 1 - Assemble at Mcallen International Airport, Texas - transfer to Mcallen - overnight in Mcallen
  • Day 2 - Full-Day of photography at Martin's Refuge in South Texas - overnight in Mcallen
  • Day 3 - Transfer to Botines & 1/2 day photography at a photography ranch near Botines - overnight in Botines
  • Day 4 - Full-Day of photography at a photography ranch near Botines - overnight in Botines
  • Day 5 - Full-Day of photography at a photography ranch near Botines - overnight in Botines
  • Day 6 - 3 hr Transfer to Riviera & 1/2 day shooting at a photography ranch near Riviera - overnight in Riviera
  • Day 7 - Full-Day of photography at a photography ranch near Riviera - overnight in Riviera
  • Day 8 - Full-Day of photography at a photography ranch near Riviera - overnight in Riviera
  • Day 9 - transfer to Santa Clara Photography Ranch - overnight Santa Clara Photography Ranch
  • Day 10 - Full-Day of photography at Santa Clara Photography Ranch in South Texas - overnight in Santa Clara Photography Ranch
  • Day 11 - Full-Day of photography at Santa Clara Photography Ranch in South Texas - overnight in Santa Clara Photography Ranch
  • Day 12 - Full-Day of photography at Santa Clara Photography Ranch in South Texas - overnight in Santa Clara Photography Ranch
  • Day 13 - Full-Day of photography at Santa Clara Photography Ranch in South Texas - overnight in Santa Clara Photography Ranch
  • Day 14 - Transfer to Mcallen International Airport
An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday

BirdLife of Texas Photography Holiday Highlights

We have taken care to refine the itinerary for this wildlife photography holiday; as such, we consider the following to be amongst the highlights of this tour.
  • Take photography opportunities at 3 of the best photography ranches in the Rio Grande area
  • Spend 4-days at the Santa Clara ranch making use of their 6 photography hides
  • Spend 2 1/2 day shooting at a photography ranch near Botines
  • Spend 2 1/2 day shooting at a photography ranch near Riviera
  • Spend 1-day at Martin's Refuge making use of their photography hides
  • The Rio Grande valley is acknowledged as one of the premier hotspots for nature photographers in the USA
  • 13 nights on a half board, non-shared basis
  • Single occupancy accommodation is provided at no extra cost to you
  • Great guide to client ratio of no more than 1:5
  • Guided by David Miles for NatureLens
An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday
An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday
An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday
An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance – it is a requirement when booking on any wildlife photography holiday scheduled by NaturesLens that you have adequate travel insurance, we suggest a policy from TrailFinders or Campbell Irvine.

Camera Insurance

Insuring your camera equipment before embarking on any wildlife photographic holiday is crucial. Our trips often involve venturing into remote, & sometimes unpredictable environments where accidents & unexpected incidents occur. Insuring your camera gear provides financial protection against theft, loss, or damage, ensuring your investment is safeguarded.

Wildlife photography involves capturing unique & irreplaceable moments, & without proper insurance, any unforeseen mishap could result in significant monetary losses. By insuring your equipment, you can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you’re covered in case of any unfortunate events, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring world of wildlife & capture stunning photographs without worry.

We recommend PhotoGuard for amateur photographers or Glover Howe, who we use.

An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday
An image typical of those that you should be able to capture during our Birdlife of Texas photography holiday

All the photos shown on this page are chosen from those contributed by David Jones; he undertook the trip in 2022 & sent in plenty of fabulous images from thousands he captured during his time in Rio Grande Valley.

You are invited to join us to visit three photography ranches in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the premier hotspots for nature photographers in the United States

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday is a thirteen-night duration event, that costs £8249 & takes place in Rio Grande Valley in United States, between the dates of 2nd - 15th April 2025. It is ideal for photographing a wide selection of fabulous birds, mammals & reptiles, including Belted Kingfisher, Black Vulture, Bullock's Oriole, Crested Caracara, Curve-billed Thrasher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, Great Kiskadee, Greater Roadrunner, Green Jay, Harris Hawk, Long-billed Thrasher, Northern Bobwhite Quail, Northern Cardinal, Oriole, Painted Bunting, Summer Tanager, Turkey Vulture & Yellow Warbler, including Crested Caracara, Harris Hawks, Red Cardinals, Road Runners, Painted Buntings, Green Jays, Javelina &, if we are lucky, Bobcat, from a trio of locations. This photography holiday is led by David Miles for NaturesLens.

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday is offered on a half board, single occupancy with no single supplement payable basis.

Group size for this photography holiday is a minimum of 3 participants & a maximum of 5, plus David.

We consider this to be a photography holiday requiring easy effort or exertion, if you have any questions about your suitability for this photography holiday, please contact us before making a booking enquiry.

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday starts & ends at McAllen-Miller International Airport. Transfers are included between McAllen-Miller International Airport & Rio Grande Valley.

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday requires a deposit of £1650 to secure a place.

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday is a thirteen-night duration event, that costs £8249 & takes place in Rio Grande Valley in United States, between the dates of 2nd - 15th April 2025. It is ideal for photographing a wide selection of fabulous birds, mammals & reptiles, including Belted Kingfisher, Black Vulture, Bullock's Oriole, Crested Caracara, Curve-billed Thrasher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, Great Kiskadee, Greater Roadrunner, Green Jay, Harris Hawk, Long-billed Thrasher, Northern Bobwhite Quail, Northern Cardinal, Oriole, Painted Bunting, Summer Tanager, Turkey Vulture & Yellow Warbler, including Crested Caracara, Harris Hawks, Red Cardinals, Road Runners, Painted Buntings, Green Jays, Javelina &, if we are lucky, Bobcat, from a trio of locations. This photography holiday is led by David Miles for NaturesLens.

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday is offered on a half board, single occupancy with no single supplement payable basis.

Group size for this photography holiday is a minimum of 3 participants & a maximum of 5, plus David.

We consider this to be a photography holiday requiring easy effort or exertion, if you have any questions about your suitability for this photography holiday, please contact us before making a booking enquiry.

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday starts & ends at McAllen-Miller International Airport. Transfers are included between McAllen-Miller International Airport & Rio Grande Valley.

The Birdlife of Texas photography holiday requires a deposit of £1650 to secure a place.

NaturesLens photography holidays do not include flights unless it is explicitly stated on the event page. When it is time to book your flights, we will send you the details in plenty of time to allow for bookings at the best available price.

The photography holiday itinerary is subject to change & is to be considered provisional.

NaturesLens photography holidays require a minimum number of participants in order to be viable. If this minimum number is not met, the photography holiday may not go ahead.

In the event that the minimum number for a photography holiday to go ahead is not reached, NaturesLens reserves the right to cancel any given photography holiday. In that event 100% of monies received will be returned. However, NaturesLens is not responsible for expenses incurred by its customers.

Not all mentioned wildlife can be observed & photographed at all times of the year, thus some activities may be considered seasonal & not available.

Please note the cuisine on many of the NaturesLens photography holidays is authentic & typical of the region in which you are travelling. International or western cuisine is often NOT available. If you have any concerns over the food arrangements or have any special dietary requirements, please contact us prior to making a booking.

All personal luggage are the responsibility of the owner & we request that photography holiday participants limit their luggage to the equivalent of one suitcase, one flight bag, one camera bag & tripod. We do not wish to appear dictatorial in this matter & the request is made to ensure space & comfort for everyone in our vehicles.

NaturesLens & its agents act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel arrangements, & as such, do not assume responsibility for injury, accident, damage, loss, delay or irregularity which may occur via defect of transportation or any other cause.

NaturesLens reserves the right to substitute hotels, & other previously outlined arrangements as necessary, to either improve or equal the travel experience.

NaturesLens reserves the right to pass on to photography holiday participants any additional & unplanned expenditure incurred during a photography holiday, via events beyond the control of NaturesLens. NaturesLens reserves the right to accept or decline any person as a member of any photography holiday.

Payment of deposit by photography holiday participants or their representative constitutes their acceptance of all conditions contained herein.

All bookings are made subject to our terms & conditions.

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