Senator Barack Obama had a rally scheduled at the university campus in Edinburg this morning at 9:30am. Had I known about this yesterday, I could have scouted the campus for a decent parking space like I didn in Brownsville. With two hours to work with in work traffic, I sadly opted not to see Obama. After last night's debate, though, I see him as the invincible front runner for the Democrats. He truly inspires.
The area south of McAllen is one farmland after the other, and traffic is a combination of slo-moving freight trucks and medicated Seniors. It's frustrating to meander around the traffic. I was glad to get out of the van and stretch my legs.
I made it to McAllen's Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center at 7:30am even though the park doesn't open till 8am. I walked around the trails outside the park, watching various birds I've seen all week: orioles, doves and the annoying chachalacas that seemed to control this little patch of flora. A cat meowed in distress and when I found the source, it was a young grey tabby in a trap. A park worker told me they have had problems with the strays and that animal control would take the kitten away (and most likely distroy it, knowing Texas animal control laws) "We have a big cat around here too we are trying to trap" said the park worker, and made a sign with his hands as if he were talking about a bobcat. "These cats eat birds" said the woker.
The poor hapless kitten had a bloody nose and was shaking in fear. It didn't seem too feral as it came up to sniff my finger, rather than hiss and try to fight. Too bad I couldn't take the kitten away with me, but I knew that freeing it would be trespassing and I don't need any trouble with the law.
Still, the sight and sound of that little kitten in that small cage bothered me. All these World Birding centers that are popping up all over South Texas to attract birders (= more tourist money) are so focused on birds and ignorant of all other life. The workers place buckets of seeds around the park every day to feed all the birds, which keep the birds local but also attracts rodents at night. These cats will also feed on the rodents.
I let the kitten's fate bother me, and when a group of 20 birders attacked the park at 8:20am and then the chachalacas invaded the feeding centers and the top of trees with their loud territorial cry, it was time to leave. I had had it with pretentious people and their annoying habits.
I made it to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP by 10:30am but the first impression of the road there left me almost panicked: the road was flanked on one side with nothing but RV parks and everyone I saw was at least 70 years old. Had I entered a retirement community?
The poor hapless kitten had a bloody nose and was shaking in fear. It didn't seem too feral as it came up to sniff my finger, rather than hiss and try to fight. Too bad I couldn't take the kitten away with me, but I knew that freeing it would be trespassing and I don't need any trouble with the law.
Still, the sight and sound of that little kitten in that small cage bothered me. All these World Birding centers that are popping up all over South Texas to attract birders (= more tourist money) are so focused on birds and ignorant of all other life. The workers place buckets of seeds around the park every day to feed all the birds, which keep the birds local but also attracts rodents at night. These cats will also feed on the rodents.
I let the kitten's fate bother me, and when a group of 20 birders attacked the park at 8:20am and then the chachalacas invaded the feeding centers and the top of trees with their loud territorial cry, it was time to leave. I had had it with pretentious people and their annoying habits.
I made it to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP by 10:30am but the first impression of the road there left me almost panicked: the road was flanked on one side with nothing but RV parks and everyone I saw was at least 70 years old. Had I entered a retirement community?
I was exhausted from the start but wanted to get some hiking in. I completed the Resaca Vieja Trail at the start of the park loop, a 1.5-mile trail with local thornbrush and blooming honey mesquites, then I walked down the paved park trail to the Rio Grande Trail, a two-mile loop that takes hikers down to the river with a view of a house/farm on the other side. A speedboat sped past but otherwise all was quiet. It was, however, hot. The days in the Central Lower Rio Grande Valley are already in the 80s now and more is expected all week. Outside of birding, what do people down in the Valley do? Especially in the summer when it reaches triple digits here?
I stopped at the Hawk Tower on my way back, didn't see any hawks but did come across a group of French Canadians. One older, fit man walked up near me in jeans shorts and black socks up to his knees, which is a tell-tale sign the person isn't American. Only Europeans wear black socks with their sandals. The group ignored me and continued their conversation in their (to me) broken French. I walked off, my peace broken by their chatter.
I didn't bring any water thinking I would be OK, which I was, but I was clearly dehydrated by the time I got back to the park HQ at 2pm, after taking a tram. I stopped inside the cafe area to write this, drink a two-quart bottle of water, and chat with the park volunteer, May Snider from Ontario. She's been coming down every winter for the past five years. "I love this place" and clearly knows her birds and butterflies.
I am on schedule with my travel plans. Tomorrow I hit Falcon State Park which will be at the edge of the World Birding Center's birding sites before I enter the desert plains and drive through nothing. The full moon came out last night, so tonight should be a pleasant evening...although I sweated all night long in the sweltering temperatures here.
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