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Lake Casa Blanca International State Park

 Laredo, Texas.  Strange for a state park.  It’s right in the middle of the city.  Nice enough though.  Big lake.  Big campground. White-collared seedeaters are the primary reason we’re here.  Had a little trouble finding the seedeater spot in Laredo.  Didn’t even get there until 5pm.  It’s right along Zacate Creek, where it meets the Rio Grande.  Not in a neighborhood anyone would expect to be birding.  In fact we found the spot early on, couldn’t believe that was really the place and didn’t even get out of the car.  Met a border patrol guy later on, described where we were, and he confirmed, yes that is the place for the bird. We went back.  Didn’t get the bird today.  He was probably already asleep.  We’ll try again tomorrow morning.  
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Road Trip!

 It has been cold and rainy here for a few days.  I’ve stayed inside the whole time.  As it starts to clear and warm, we decided to not only get out of the house, but to really get out of the house.  We’re going to fire up the bus and drive to Laredo.  It’s supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny there tomorrow.  
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Watching our ebird national ranking

 ….slide. A few new birds here and there has held it in the top 200 though; it’s currently at #172.  Any serious effort to improve that would involve some traveling.  But, I discover, there is more!  One more button to select on eBird; one more sort.  We now have a World Ranking!  It’s not high, but it’s something.  You must surely be impressed to learn you are corresponding with the number 405th eBirders on the Planet!  
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Sabal Palm Sanctuary

  It’s still in the U.S.  It’s on this side of the Rio Grande, but it’s on the other side of the border fence. The border fence doesn’t always follow the border.  It’s always on this side of the Rio Grande, but as the river winds, sometimes the fence just goes straight across, cutting off large segments of land.  Gaps are left in the fence (and monitored by the border patrol) so people that need to get through, can. Sometimes farmers and ranchers have to get to their land.  In this case, a whole wildlife sanctuary was left on the other side of the fence. Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary has the most tropical feel of all the places we go.  Coincidentally, it’s the farthest south as well. It’s got birds, of course, like Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, White-tipped Dove, and Olive Sparrow.    Remember the old abandoned mansion pictures I sent out a few years ago?  Well, the refuge has taken possession of it and refurbished it as their new visitor’s center now.   Nicely done.