The glowing orange sun slowly rises over the Lower Rio Grande Valley as the sound of songbirds greets me with the morning dew. I steady my camera and telephoto lens as a green jay, one of the specialty birds of the area, lands on a nearby branch. As I focus in, I see his brilliant blue and black crown and yellow throat illuminated by the warm morning light. After a few great shots, I wait along with the others for the next example of nature’s splendor to wander into my view.

Such are the sights in McAllen, Texas, part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, one of the most popular birding and butterflying destinations in the United States and home to over 500 recorded bird species, 39 of which are only found here.

What makes this area so special for bird lovers is that it is on one of the primary migratory flyways in the Western Hemisphere. There are eight wildlife watching festivals held each year and nine world birding centers, making McAllen and the surrounding areas popular destinations for tourists and snowbirds (known as winter Texans in these parts). Over 125,000 visitors come here each year and those numbers are expected to top 200,000 by 2006.

The Rio Grande Valley is the southernmost region of the continental US and is as far south as Miami, Florida. There are over one million people on the US side within a 60-mile radius with the Rio Grande River as the dividing line from Mexico.

One of the highlights of the trip was canoeing down the Rio Grande in the area of the Santa Ana Natural Wildlife Reserve. This was a fun and leisurely affair with plenty of sunshine and photo ops. Kingfishers were the most abundant on this particular day as they darted in and out of the foliage that lined both banks. It was an amazing experience to look to the right and see the farms of Mexico only a few feet away and the US on the left.

As popular as birding is, we were told that the next big thing will be butterflying. This could be due to the relative ease involved in locating butterflies as well as the vast numbers available (15,000-20,000 species). Whatever the reason, you will find an abundance of these insects in the Rio Grande Valley.

The North American Butterfly Association International Butterfly Park in Mission, Texas is one example of attempts to attract butterflies for all to enjoy. Even though this facility is in the early stages of development, there are already quite a few plant beds and colorful flowers that are bringing in hordes of colorful butterflies. The entry fee is only $2.50.