Birds and Butterflies in the Rio Grande Valley Regional Event (Oct 31-Nov 3, 2024)

Leaders | Travel & lodging | What to expect | Preliminary itinerary

Registration is now open

EVENT OVERVIEW:

Join Kathy Adams Clark for an exciting trip to southern Texas to photograph birds and butterflies. This event will be based in the Rio Grande Valley, home to the Texas Butterfly Festival and the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival.  This Regional Event will occur between these two festivals so you can expect great opportunities to photograph birds and butterflies like Green Jays, Altamira Orioles, Plain Chachalaca, Mexican Bluewing, Guava Skipper and more.  During the event we will visit several different sites of the World Birding Center as well as the National Butterfly Center. Both bird and butterfly photography are subjects Kathy offers classes on, so we’re delighted that Kathy will be leading this event for NANPA – she has literally written the book on Texas Birds!

COST:
Early Bird Rate: $685 NANPA & ASMP Members/$885 Non-members by September 30, 2024

After September 30, 2024: $785 NANPA & ASMP Members/$985 Non-members

Price includes entrance fees to 3 out of 6 photo sites.

Maximum number of attendees: 10

Last Date to Register: October 17, 2024

DATES:

• • Thursday October 31, 2024 at 5 pm to Sunday November 3, 2024 at 12:00 pm
  • Wednesday October 23, 7-8 pm (Eastern Time) (optional) Preparatory Webinar for participants
  • Thursday November 21, 7-9 pm (Eastern Time) (optional) Post event Image Sharing and Feedback Webinar for participants

Registration and Meet & Greet
Thursday October 31, 2024 at 5 pm in the hotel meeting room.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The Rio Grande Valley is an ecosystem unlike anything else in the United States. This subtropical environment lies in deep south Texas. It is very humid and can be hot even in the autumn. You’ll find birds here that are usually only found from Mexico to South America.  The same holds true for butterflies.  Many of the butterflies we’ll see and photograph are found nowhere else in the United States.  We’ll photograph butterflies in gardens or edges with nectar-rich flowers.  Birds will be found in the same areas, attracted to the abundant supply of insects, nectar, and natural fruits.

LEADER:

Kathy Adams Clark–

Kathy Adams Clark has been a professional nature photographer since 1995.

Kathy’s photos have been published in hundreds of places including Family Fun, Nature’s Best, New York Times, Birder’s World, and Ranger Rick.  AAA Journey, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas Highways magazines have used Kathy’s photos on their covers.  Her photos have also appeared in numerous books and calendars including the Barnes & Noble Ireland Countryside Calendar, the cover of the Arbor Foundation Rainforest Calendar, and the Sierra Engagement Calendar.   Kathy’s photos of Houston were compiled into a calendar offered in Costco.

Her photos appear every week in the “Nature” column in the Houston Chronicle written by her husband, Gary Clark.  Kathy and Gary have worked with national publishing houses to produce ten books that combine their photography and writing skills.  Their latest books are Book of Texas Birds published by Texas A&M University Press and Backroads of Texas published by Voyageur Press.

Kathy’s photography is featured in Portrait of Houston published by Farcountry Press.  Photographing Big Bend National Park, published by Texas A&M Press, is written by Kathy and uses her photography throughout.

Kathy is Past-president of the North American Nature Photography Association.  She teaches photography and is a popular speaker at local and national events.  She leads photo tours through Strabo Tours to countries including Costa Rica, Brazil, Spain, Africa, Italy, Peru, Morocco, and Norway.

TRAVEL AND LODGING

We will be based in McAllen, Texas during this regional event.

NANPA is holding a block of hotel rooms (king bed and double queen bed) for event participants for the rate of $129 per night + tax at a hotel in McAllen, TX.

Hotel details and reservation procedure will be shared with registered participants.

Check in time 3 pm, Check out time 12 noon.

The last day to register in the NANPA room block is September 30, 2024

NEAREST AIRPORT:

Texas’ Rio Grande Valley is served by three airports.  McAllen (MFE), Harlingen (HRL), and Brownsville (BRO).  McAllen is in the central part of our area.  Harlingen and Brownsville are on the eastern side.  You might consider flying in and out of different airports.  The event begins in McAllen and ends near Brownsville.

EVENT TRANSPORTATION:

Transportation to and from the hotel and during the event is not included and is the attendees’ responsibility. Participants will meet the group at each location.  So, it’s necessary that participants have a vehicle.  A regular car is okay for all locations. There will be a considerable amount of driving to the different locations.

RIDE SHARING:  Ridesharing is encouraged to reduce the size of our vehicle presence and improve the traveling/following experience. You are welcome to either drive or ride with someone. This is also a great way to meet people and make new friends during the event!  If you are a passenger in another participant’s car it is customary to offer the driver some gas money as a courtesy.

Note that NANPA does not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assumes no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among the participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.

MEALS:

The hotel offers an extensive breakfast buffet.

Dinner on November 1^st (included) is planned for a Mexican restaurant near the hotel.

All other meals are on your own.

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS:

Your leader is familiar with the areas that you’ll be visiting, and locations will be based on what’s most photogenic at the time, wildlife activity, weather conditions, etc.

Some of the locations that we will most likely photograph include:

• Bentsen State Park
• Estero Llano State Park
• Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
• Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
• South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary
• National Butterfly Center

PARK PASS AND ENTRANCE FEES:

We will be visiting two Texas State Parks. If you have a Texas State Park pass, please bring it, otherwise be prepared to pay a $5 entrance fee to each State Park.

We will also be visiting a National Wildlife Refuge. We typically can find enough to photograph right from the parking lot without entering the refuge, but if you’d like to enter the refuge on your own you’ll need to show a Federal Recreation pass e.g. America the Beautiful Pass) or pay a $5 (Cash only) entrance fee per vehicle.

NANPA will provide tickets to other locations like Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, South Padre Island Birding Center and National Butterfly Center so long as you arrive and meet the group at the designated time. Late arrivals will need to pay for their own entrance fees.

• Edinburg Scenic Wetlands Adults $3, Seniors 55+ $2
• South Padre Island Birding Center Adults $10, Military or Seniors 65+ $8
• National Butterfly Center Adults $10

HEALTH AND FITNESS:

Please note a minimal fitness level is required.  Walks at parks and preserves may be less than a mile. The terrain is usually flat and not a lot of walking is necessary unless you’d like to explore.

WEATHER

The Rio Grande Valley can be hot or it can be cold.  It can be humid or it can be rainy.  It is always windy.

Mornings are usually in the 65-70 degree range. Daytime temperature historically are in the low 80s degree range. High temperatures are usually reached around 4:00pm

CLOTHING

Bring tropical weight clothing.  Long pants are recommended because there are thorns on many plants.  Comfortable walking shoes are fine.  A long-sleeved overshirt with t-shirt underneath is usually adequate.  Hat, sunglasses, and sun protection are needed.  Bring a windbreaker or fleece in the event a cold front blows through.

CAMERA GEAR:

Camera – DSLR or mirrorless, full frame or cropped sensor.  Also, bring the camera manual should you need to consult it. Cellphone camera as backup is better than no camera and good for snaps of your group.

• Lenses – There will likely be photo opportunities for your full range of lenses, from your favorite bird lens to a mid-range zoom like a 24-105mm for landscapes. Butterflies can be photographed with a macro lens but a close-focusing bird lens works well, too.  Your leader will be carrying a 100-500mm RF lens with a 1.4x extender.  That works for birds or butterflies.
• Extension Tubes (optional)
• Close-up diopter e.g. Canon 500D or ProOptic 500D (optional)
• Lens Cleaning Cloth and Wipes.
• Tripod – Not necessary unless you regularly use it to photograph birds or insects.
• Memory Cards for 1/2 day to full day of shooting in the field.
• Camera Battery Charger and Extra Batteries.
• Sensor Cleaning Tools
• Polarizing filter(s) if you’d like to photograph landscapes.
• Towel to cover your camera in the event of a brief shower. The towel is also good protection from the dust.
• Laptop Computer – for downloading, processing and viewing your images.
• Image Processing Software – Good choices include Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or Elements.
• Back-up device – Such as an external hard drive.
• Flash Drive – For sharing images.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

• Battery-powered Alarm Clock/Watch – In case cell phone service isn’t available. It’s better to bring your own alarm than miss a morning shoot!
• Cell Phone
• Water bottle
• Energy bars or other snacks

Preliminary itinerary

Please note schedules are fluid due to weather conditions, recent wildlife sightings and other variables. More specific details on photo shoot locations will be provided to registered participants.

Thursday October 31, 2024

• “Meet and Greet” at 5pm at the hotel meeting room
• Dinner on your own

Friday, November 1

• 8:00 am meet at morning photo shoot location
• Lunch on your own
• 2:00 pm meet at afternoon photo shoot location
• Group Dinner (included) – most likely at a Mexican restaurant near the hotel

Saturday, November 2

• 8:00 am meet at morning photo shoot location
• Lunch on your own
• 2:00 pm meet at afternoon photo shoot location
• 4:00 pm meet at 2^nd afternoon photo shoot location
• Dinner on your own

Sunday, November 3

• Check out early from the Hotel
• 8:00 am meet at morning photo shoot location
• The event wraps up at 12:00 noon

GENERAL:

This event is designed for nature photographers at all levels of experience. For the best experience, please know your camera before you arrive, and bring your manual in case we need to look up something.

Assistance will be available in the field for those who wish to improve their photographic skills. If you already have plenty of photography experience, Kathy will ensure you get to the best locations at the best times to capture those perfect shots.

Please keep in mind this NANPA Regional Event is designed to be a photo tour, not a photo workshop. In other words, there are no formal instruction sessions planned, there are no assignments, you will not be receiving any handouts or the like. That being said, your leader Kathy has extensive experience as a photography workshop leader and is available to answer questions and give you guidance. If you need help, please advocate for yourself and speak up and ask for help – Kathy is happy to help. Be aware that many of your fellow participants may also be accomplished photographers and may be able to help you too.  Part of the regional event experience is the camaraderie that comes from sharing experiences and lessons learned among participants. If you notice someone with the same or similar camera, perhaps they can help you with an issue you’ve been wondering about, and maybe you can return the favor.

Attendance and participation at NANPA Regional Events is limited to registered attendees only.  Anyone wishing to participate in any portion of, or travel with a registered attendee during the group event must contact the NANPA office and pay the full registration fee.

RESOURCES:

• World Birding Center (http://www.theworldbirdingcenter.com/)
• National Butterfly Center (https://www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/)

If you are considering extending your stay, you may want to visit additional area sites we won’t have time to visit during the event, including:

• Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
• Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center

Regional Event Cancellation and No Refund Policy:  

NANPA will not offer any refunds for registrations for this event regardless of when the cancellation is made or the reason for the cancellation. NANPA reserves the right to cancel any event or activity due to insufficient registration or any unforeseen circumstances. NANPA will offer refunds if NANPA has to cancel the event. It also has the right to substitute presenters if those originally scheduled cannot attend. Registrants may purchase event insurance as part of the registration process through NANPA’s partner, Allianz. More information on this option will be shown during the checkout process for the event registration.

NOTE:  If you do not purchase event insurance at the time that you pay for your registration, you will NOT be able to go back and purchase it with Allianz later.

If you choose to purchase travel insurance separately, you can do so with your own insurance carrier, or NANPA members can receive a special travel insurance rate through USI Affinity/Travel Insurance Services