Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Is Birder’s Paradise
By Kathy Olivarez
The sounds of a joyous celebration rocked the trees of the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on the day after a much needed rain dropped several inches of rain on the refuge, flooding trails, and providing water for the many plants found there. The many different birds who make the refuge their home permanently or for a few days each year sang their songs of appreciation for the water that will help the plants in their habitat grow.

For Winter Texans who love the outdoors, one of the best places to see nature at its finest in South Texas is the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. Located south of Alamo on the Military Highway, Santa Ana has 2,088 acres of diverse ecosystems that have been home to 484 species of North America’s 510 known species of birds at different times during the year. Of the 300 species of butterflies found in North America, 287 species have been spotted in the refuge. There are even endangered reptiles such as the indigo snake and mammals like the endangered ocelot. Over 700 species of vertebrates have been identified at one time or another. In addition there are over 1,100 different species of plants known to be found in the refuge.

The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1943, protecting some habitats and ecosystems that had almost vanished from the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It is at a location where subtropical, Gulf Coast, Great Plains and Chihuahuan Desert ecosystems meet. As a result the refuge is home to a great diversity of wildlife.

Patty Alexander, Public Outreach Officer for the SANWR, says it is on the route of the Central and Mississippi flyways where thousands of migratory birds funnel through the area on their way to and from Central and South America. Many birds go no further north than the Rio Grande Valley while other birds that migrate from the north stop in this area for the winter. The ability to see Green jays, Altamira Orioles, and groove-billed Ani attracts many dedicated birders to the Rio Grande Valley.

Because SANWR offers such a diversity, Alexander says that up to 150,000 visitors come to the refuge each year. Many are Winter Texans who enjoy nature and feel the refuge is the best place to find it. Others may be birders, who fly in from various locations around North America, when the word goes out that a rare bird has been found in the refuge. Nature lovers from other countries around the world also make SANWR a destination when looking for birds and butterflies they may not be able to see in their homelands.

Alexander said that steps have been taken to make the trails as accessible as possible for visitors. One of the most recent renovations was to resurface Trail A with crushed granite which looks more natural and is still ADA accessible. This one-half mile trail leads to Willow Lake where cedar elms, and Rio Grande Ash trees provide shade for the resacas. Spanish moss, not found in many Valley locations, hang from the trees that are found in this special habitat. Least grebes, black-bellied whistling ducks, American avocets and three types of kingfishers favor this site. The woodlands leading toward the lake are home to chachalacas and green jays.

Alexander said the trail to the two-acre butterfly garden, added to the SANWF four years ago, is also made of granite and is ADA accessible. Future plans call for resurfacing other trails as needed.

Trail B, which is 1.6 miles long, leads visitors through four distinct plant and animal communities, Cactus wrens can be found nesting in prickly pear and kiskadees look for the insects that live in this habitat.

Trail C has resacas and the Rio Grande River. Trails circling Pintail Lake take visitors past marshes filled with cattails. It is here that the elusive camouflaged king rails can be found. Vermilion flycatchers can be found here during winter months. Water birds such as the white pelican can often be spotted here.

Alexander said another favorite destination of visitors was the old cemetery, which is located one and a fourth miles south of the visitor center. People look at the cemetery to learn about the Valley’s culture.

The origins of the Santa Ana Land Grant started in 1822 after Mexico won its independence from Spain. The government encouraged settlers to move to the Lower Rio Grande Valley by offering huge land grants. Because of the water inland, the land grants were long and narrow. Most were not even a mile wide but were as much as 15 miles long. The SANWR was part of an original land grant that encompasses 9,883 acres. The grant was given to Benigno Leal or Reynosa in 1834 Leal established “El Rancho de Adentro” (The Inside Ranch) because it was located between a river and trail (now the Military Highway).

At one time there was a ranch house made of hand-made brick and building that featured thatched roofs. A ferry connected the ranch to the other side of the river. The ranch home had disappeared by 1920 but the cemetery that served the families who lived on the land grant is now part of the SANWR. Approximately 30 graves and a tomb, made of hand-made bricks tell the story of an earlier era as does the native ebony log fence that surrounds the cemetery. Parts of the fence are thought to be over 100 years old.

SANWR features a seven-mile wildlife drive, which can be viewed from the refuge’s tram or by bicycle.

For birders who visit the Old Cemetery site, there is an owl trail nearby. Buff-bellied hummingbirds are fond of the location as well.

The SANWR features a seven-mile wildlife drive that can be accessed by tram or by bicycle. Trams run daily at 9:30 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The ride takes about an hour and 15 minutes as experienced guides stop and point out the birds, butterflies and plants that make each of the refuge’s ecosystems unique. The tram runs from November through May and is operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The cost of the tram is $3 for adults.

Visitors are welcome to ride bicycles through the refuge on the tour loop, not on the trails. Alexander keeps her personal bicycle at the refuge and gets her exercise this way after work hours are completed. Not only is she getting exercise, she has an opportunity to see rare and exotic wildlife. Those who bike need to keep in mind that the gates automatically lock at sunset.

Alexander says the refuge keeps a scooter on hand for visitors who wish to travel along the trails but who may have trouble walking the longer distances. Use of the scooter is free to those who need it.

Another great way to see the wildlife of the refuge is by canoe. Alexander says that canoe trips are led along the shores of the wildlife refuge. Boaters are dropped off at the west end of the refuge when they begin a leisurely float down the river. Approximately four hours later, they are picked up at the east end of the property. Guides point out the wildlife that comes to the river for water, the different ecosystems they pass, the special trees that may not be found elsewhere in the Valley and other information that might help them see the birds, butterflies and other wildlife that make the refuge their home. Canoe trips are $20 and reservations are required.

Alexander says SANWR participates in as many wildlife projects as possible. A hawk watch is conducted each year between March 15 and April 15. Volunteers take a census of the raptors, - hawks, eagles and falcons that migrate through the Rio Grande Valley. Coordinated by Gene Wilhelm, a dedicated wildlife volunteer, the census is designed to help naturalists be aware of trends that might affect the wildlife. Wilhelm, who is retired, was formerly an education director for the National Audubon Society and is well equipped to spot troubling trends that might be affecting the wildlife.

While he is conducting the hawk watch, his wife, Joanne, coordinates the National Junior Duck Stamp Program for the SANWR. The program is designed to teach youth awareness of nature. The program is divided into four categories by ages and students from kindergarten to seniors in high school are eligible to participate. All entries in Texas come to SANWR for judging. The final selections will be sent to Washington, D.C. for judging in the national competition.

Alexander said a Texas entry received an honorable mention in the 2005 show. In the past an entry took second place. They are all hoping for a first place winner one of these years. The winning stamps are sold for $5 and are designed to help children learn about the wetlands and waterfowl.

Management of such an active refuge is a challenge. Due to the recent drought the refuge has been forced to pump water into certain areas to maintain the wetlands. Alexander says that keeping mud moist is imperative. While many birds eat seeds, others only eat small insects and bugs. The insects and bugs often live and feed in the mud along the riverbank or in the wetland areas. If areas are drying out due to drought, they must receive added moisture to assure that the food needed by the birds.

In recent years SANWR has been working with the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge: Critical Corridor, which was started in 1979. This project is designed to connect the remaining natural spots along the 275 miles of river frontage between the mouth of the river and Falcon Dam. The result will be a 132,500-acre refuge that will provide habitat for a large variety of wildlife living along the river. The project will connect national, state and private wildlife habitats to assure that the different ecosystems needed by the great diversity of wildlife coming through the Valley will be available.

Alexander is ready to welcome all of the 150,000 visitors who come annually. She advises them that the best time to see a wide variety of butterflies is in October and November. February and March are the best months to see birds. Although many migrate through the area in fall, in spring, birds are in their breeding colors which in many cases means that they have the brightest plumage of the year.

“It’s really a spectacle of nature to behold,” she advises.

With luck and the careful management given to SANWR by Alexander and her team of coworkers, and the world being done to create a wildlife corridor, visitors to the Rio Grande Valley may be able to see that “spectacle to behold” in the many birds and butterflies that come through the area for many years to come.

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