Texas: Harris Hawk

The Harris’s Hawk is one of South Texas’ most fascinating birds of prey — a social, intelligent hawk often seen perched on fence posts, cactus, or low trees while scanning the brush for prey. Unlike most raptors, Harris’s Hawks are highly cooperative hunters: family groups may work together to flush and capture rabbits, rodents, lizards, and birds. They were top of the food chain against the caracara and vultures - neither of which would mess with the Harris Hawk.

Texas: Vultures + Caracara

In South Texas, vultures and caracaras are often seen sharing the same skies — but they are definitely not friends. Both are scavengers, competing for the same meals, and a caracara’s bold, assertive personality often puts it at odds with the larger, more numerous vultures. Caracaras are surprisingly aggressive for a bird that looks like a raptor, and they will chase or bully vultures away from food. The result is a classic South Texas wildlife rivalry: the patient, soaring vultures versus the fearless, opportunistic caracara always looking to claim the prize.  Below are photos of them fighting. 

Texas: Rio Grande Valley Red & White stores

The historical Red & White stores in Starr County fit into a long tradition of small-town general groceries that once anchored rural communities across the U.S. These “Red & White” stores weren’t just one single shop, but part of a cooperative brand used by independently owned grocery stores, often combining groceries, hardware basics, and everyday essentials under one roof.

I spotted one - although its no longer open, it was cool to see this local-type landmark in Starr County, Texas. 

Texas: Spoonbills on South Padre Island

South Padre Island is a beach area at the absolute bottom of South Texas, bordering with Mexico.  It had beautiful flat wide beaches with beautiful water and was reasonably priced place to stay.  And newly opened a Margaritaville hotel, which are my favorite.

There's a spot - called Tortuga Flats Bay Access road, where there is a flat area that is great at sunrise for seeing all sorts of wading birds, including the spoonbills shown below.  I love the pink color of the spoonbills and their funny beaks - and have seen them many times in Florida, but I don't think ever this close before. 

Texas: Black-Throated Green Warbler

The Black-throated Green Warbler may be small, but its bright yellow face and bold black throat make it one of the more striking warblers to spot during migration. These energetic songbirds spend their summers in northern forests before traveling thousands of miles south, stopping in places like South Texas along the way. 

Texas: Laguna La Sal Del Rey

Laguna La Sal Del Rey is a remote salt lake in South Texas.   It’s a shallow, otherworldly basin where salt crusts the ground — bright, flat, and stark against the surrounding brush and ranchland. Historically, it was an important Indigenous salt source, later used by Spanish and Mexican settlers who traveled long distances to harvest and trade the salt. Today, it sits inside a protected wildlife area, with a gravel road leading to a trail thats a short-walk to the lake.