LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Xochitl Mora, 

Laredo, Tx — Have you ever seen a vermillion flycatcher catch a fly?  How about the state bird of Texas, the mockingbird, in a dance to flush out insects?  Or a crested Caracara swooping down on road kill? These are just a few of the beautiful creatures that can be seen in the field trips planned February 2-5, 2011 in and around Laredo! 

 Last year the Amazon Kingfisher spelled success with birders during the brief two-week sighting of this rare tropical beauty; now the Laredo Birding Festival, set for February 2-5, 2011 is a lasting endeavor in diversifying Laredo’s tourism infrastructure.   “We welcomed birding and nature enthusiasts when they were here for the Amazon Kingfisher’s appearance last year and I am happy to welcome them back to Laredo,” stated Mayor Salinas, an avid supporter of the tourism industry.  “I know that they will relish in Laredo’s warm hospitable attitude and the matching weather to go with it!”

 The event opens with a free and public event to kick off Laredo’s third Birding event on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at this year’s host hotel, La Posada.  Attendees will experience an opening reception presentation entitled Big birds, little birds, pretty birds, sneaky birds by nature photographer Larry Ditto (www.larryditto.com).  This customized slide show will allow you to see the wide variety of birds in Texas and beyond, many of which will live in south Texas or migrate through each year.  Some of these birds have quite unique characteristics and behavior, it will surprise you.  Enjoy the images of whooping cranes, vultures, wrens, rails, kingfishers, ducks, green jays, orioles, parrots, warblers, buntings among many others

 The subsequent three days of the festival consists of a series of field trips that begin Thursday, February 3, 2011 at approximately 5:30 a.m. through Saturday, February 5, 2011 and various speakers, recognized leaders in their fields, daily.  Festival attendees will get to take in local public parks and trails such as Lake Casa Blanca State Park, Las Palmas nature trail, North Central Park and the parkland at the new Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course.  Other locations are generously being loaned by private ranchers to show off the regional assets of the area and include excursions to such locations as Pescaditos Ranch, La Perla, Peacefield, La Laja, Santa Maria, Rancho Rio Verde, Lobo Creek, La Bota and Los Lazos Ranches.  In addition to these great birding adventures, an early morning nature-photography workshop also takes place Saturday, February 5^th and will be held at Los Lazos Ranch, first-place winner of the 2010 Pro-Tour of Nature Photography Contest.  Award-winning wildlife photographer and a Pro-Tour prize recipient, Jeff Parker leads the workshop. Plus, a kayaking/birding field trip has been added on Saturday, February 5, 2011 for novices at Lake Casa Blanca to enhance and bring variety to the field trip offerings of the Festival.

 Registration is easier than ever with a complete on-line process and open for interested local birders and non-birders, beginners are welcome.  The conference is coordinated by the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) working in partnership with the Monte Mucho Audubon Society (MMAS) and the Images for Conservation Fund (ICF).  Host hotel for the event is the La Posada Hotel, 1000 Zaragoza Street, and on-site registration is in the Hibiscus Room on the second floor from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. starting Wednesday, February 2 through Friday, February 4. 

 Finally, to close out the event participants from the Laredo Birding Festival a treated to a fabulous dinner generously sponsored by AT&T that will feature a special presentation by field guide and birding expert, Greg Lasley.  The Magical Galapagos Islands will provide an inside look at the area straddling the equator, 400 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.  Lasley describes it as “one of the world’s most exciting wildlife experiences.”