10 March 2011

RFI: Lower Rio Grande Texas Mammals

last minute RFI, but does anyone have suggestions for good mammal spots in the McAllen area of Texas?  I am heading there on a primarily birding trip this weekend, but would like to perhaps try for Nilgai, Mexican Ground Squirrel, Pocket Gophers, etc

Might also take a trip up near Corpus Christ for the grassquit if it is still around

Any info would be most appreciated

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  • 10 March 2011
    John Fox

    Morgan

    I was there in late December and talked up Mexican GS everywhere, but no luck. I suspect they are semi-hibernators as they are known at several places. The headquarters at Bentson Rio Grande SP is one, on the side away from the ponds and gardens, maybe they’ll be active now.

    I posted a report on this blog, you can find it in early Jan.

    I made a quick trip to the Corpus Christi area last weekend. If you google on Mustang Island SP, the web site lists several good rodents. I went through there midday to scope it out but couldn’t get back at night, very frustrating. The SP locks their gates at 10 pm, but the access road north of the park is drivable with a two wheel drive car and looked like good habitat; the gal at the SP didn’t recommend the access road south of the park without 4WD, but might be worth checking out until you hit deep sand.

    Aransas NWR had hundreds of Attwater’s Pocket Gopher mounds but they all appeared weathered. I suspect they are also semi-hibernators, no open burrows or critters. The sign at the visitor’s center said the auto drive opens at 6 am, but it didn’t the morning I was there. Grrr.

    The Whooping Cranes were worth the whole trip, though. They are just about equal to Black-footed Ferrets for a conservation success story and are way cool to see. And we got killer looks at the Yellow-faced Grassquit!

    Cheers

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