Thursday, April 24,  8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
$75 per person, max. 12 people

Join James Giroux for a beautiful day of birding at Rancho Rio Vado near Johnson City. Pam and Jeff Autrey’s place on the Pedernales offers beautiful habitat for native plants and birds, as well as a shady overlook near the river. There was a crossing point for stagecoaches and horses here with a relatively flat rock ridge that is accessible on both sides—the vado, or ford, in the name. You’ll enjoy birds in both riparian and rocky oak habitats, including chances for Painted Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Pyrrhuloxia, Summer Tanager, and copious woodpeckers. Water-loving birds like herons and ospreys could grace us at the river.

The riverfront area is mainly level but can have some rocks along the path. The upper habitat has lots of dolomite and is rough terrain—most of the property is in a natural state, so be sure to wear the right boots and consider hiking poles or a walking stick. We’ll also do some birding by car.

Be sure to bring your own water, lunch, and camping chair for a picnic by the Pedernales.

REGISTER HERE

Payment for Birdathon events is due at registration. If you change your mind about attending an event, you may be able to transfer your registration to another Birdathon 2025 event. Event registration payments are considered donations and are non-refundable. We sincerely appreciate your generous support! Events occur rain or shine. Please contact the Travis Audubon office with your questions.

The email used to register for this trip will be used to communicate any changes or cancellations due to weather or other factors. Please ALWAYS check your email inbox on the morning of the walk, prior to leaving your home, in case of last-minute changes in the trip plan. Please also check to be sure our emails do not land in your spam folder. When in doubt, please call or email your trip leader. We encourage participants to put the leader’s email address in their safe sender list. Their contact information is included in this trip description.