We begin this month's gallery with our Texas's Big Bend & Hill Country tour, where this Aplomado Falcon at Lake Balmorhea was an out-of-place surprise. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.
Part of the fun of a Big Bend tour is the chance to do a bit of hiking for birds. Here's our group on the Pinnacles Trail. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.
A dark shape atop a shrub...but look a little closer. A lovely Varied Bunting! Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.
Rufous-crowned Sparrows are common in west Texas. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.
This American Pipit in the Chisos Basin gave us some fine looks. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.
Scaled Quail near Fort Davis -- you can see very well here how its nickname is cottontop. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.
The very white face and orangey bill sets this off as a Clark's Grebe at Lake Balmorhea. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.
From Big Bend let's head next to our Texas Coast Migration Spectacle tours this spring. Here a few Snowy Egrets try to blend in with a mass of American Avocets along the coast. Photo by participant Dennis Rabon.
The famous heronry (with egrets, spoonbills, and cormorants) at High Island. Photo by participant Dennis Rabon.
A glowing Roseate Spoonbill with chicks at High Island. Photo by participant Dennis Rabon.
This time of year the woodpeckers look a little nest-hole worn and stained. Pileated Woodpecker photographed by participant Dennis Rabon.
A white morph Reddish Egret shows off a pink bill with black tip, plus characteristic nape shag. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.
Avocets, gulls, terns, pelicans, skimmers, dowitchers, peeps -- everyone's in this mix along the Texas coast. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.
Brown-headed Nuthatch is one of the characteristic piney woods species we see. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.
How could anyone see a Yellow-throated Warbler and not want to become a birder? Photo by guide Micah Riegner.
Still in Texas, let's check out some images from our Spring in South Texas tour. Here's a Couch's Kingbird from guide Chris Benesh.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is always a target on this trip, and success we did have! Photo by guide Chris Benesh.
Red-billed Pigeon is a good fly-by bet along the Rio Grande. Photo by guide Chris Benesh.
It's easy to see this Common Pauraque here -- but step back 20 feet and it just seems to disappear! Photo by guide Chris Benesh.
This male Rose-throated Becard was one of our highlight sightings on the Spring in S. Texas tour. Photo by guide Chris Benesh.
Ringed Kingfisher -- big, and with a massive bill. Photo by guide Chris Benesh.
These Whooping Cranes allowed us some great views during our boat trip in Aransas NWR. Photo by guide Chris Benesh.
It's not easy to find a wild Muscovy Duck in the US, but this one along the Rio Grande appeared the real deal. Photo by guide Chris Benesh.
Whoa, we're not in TX any longer! Instead, we moved to our Colorado Grouse tour, where participant Herb Fechter captured this Greater Prairie-Chicken at the Bledsoe lek.
And here's one of those "Colorado Grouse" -- a male Dusky Grouse displaying by the roadside for the group. Photo by participant Jordan Roderick.
A fine portrait of a Horned Lark by participant Herb Fechter.
Northern Shrike, up close and personal, photographed by participant Herb Fechter.
He's certainly trying; we don't know if she's impressed. Greater Sage-Grouse by participant Jordan Roderick.
A North American nightbird that is always a special treat: Long-eared Owl. Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
We get a nice dose of boreal passerines on the Colorado tours as well, including Red Crossbill. Photo by participant Kurt Schwarz.
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