Birding sites can be in the most unusual settings. We have experienced this over the last several days as we continue to bird along the Rio Grande River and the international border.

This is the frontier and it shows. Two days ago we visited the town of San Ygnacio to find white-collared seedeaters and a wayward Yucatan jay. The first are found in los Estados Unitos only in a few reed patches near the river. Currently some of these patches have been cleared and others, if they exist, are not accessible. Along the water front in San Ygnacio, however, an enterprising gentleman has created a religous (Madonna) and birding shrine. A five dollar donation (per person) is requested. Currently on special is the Yucatan jay, a spectacular navy blue bodied bird with aquamarine blue wings and tail. It appears most mornings about seven a.m. at a feeding station. We arrived at 6:45 and saw the bird four times for a total of about twenty seconds at 6:56. Very nice. This bird has no business being here. It may be a vagrant. More likely it is an escaped cage bird from nearby in Mexico.

We then explored the dilapidated riverfront and flood plain with its woods, boat ramp and meadow, water intake (with noisy pump), and "campground." We did find some good birds and finally heard a singing seedeater. We listened for about a minute and concluded we would not see this bird.

Chuck suggested he enter the woods to flush it. He also remarked that it would probably go to ground, but it was our only chance. So he entered the wood and walked about ten feet. The bird stopped singing and Anne saw the tiny dark bird flit across the path and into the thorn scrub across the way. Chuck did not see it at all. We returned a half hour later and heard it sing some more. No views at all.

Yesterday we visited Salineno. That is sally nanyo. This is a quaint smuggling community below the large Falcon dam and reservoir. There was once a "birding community" along the Rio Grande shoreline there, but all but one couple have abandoned it. Even the remaining Dewinds have signed title of their land to the Valley Nature Trust. They have parked their trailer here for twenty years and religiously maintain a feeding station with some twenty feeders (various seeds, suet/peanut butter, suggar water, peanuts, and fruit.) They are in their 80's and a lovely couple. They have some twenty lawn chairs in various states of repair forming a gallery from which to view the amazing assortment of subtropical birds that join them.

The Dewinds have met all of the most famous birders and bird scientists of America. They have largely avoided the many other people who pass in front of their lot day and night. They consider themselves safe even from the occasional firefights down at the river. Generally the shooting is down there below the bluff. Only once did some overambitious federales firing high from the other shore spray their site. But hey, one bullet hole in the trailer in twenty years is really not so bad!

The Dewinds ask nothing of their visitors. We offered to make a donation for the feed and it was graciously accepted . We found our first Audubon's oriole sitting at the Dewinds. A subdued oriole with a yellow breast, green back, and black hood, it sings a melancholy but sweet song that seems appropriate for this border area where poverty and desparation are so common.

Pat and Gale Dewind reported that with the arrival of spring the birds are fading away to go about their business of courting and nesting. They will soon depart northward themselves. We spent two hours there and did not spot the brown jay, another of our "target birds." This is another common Mexican species that is notoriously difficult to see in this country.

There was a final option, Chepano (chapenyo) - the El Rio RV Park. After leaving the Dewinds, we stopped there at 11:00 a.m. and were greeted by Larry, beer bottle in hand. He invited us to see the brown jay. We said, "no, we were heading back to camp," but we asked if we could return tomorrow. He told us that the feeders would be stocked at 7:00 a.m.

This morning was a brisk 38 degrees. We arrived at seven and crossed the ugly speed bump, three pickup trucks and dilapidated structure that appeared to be half building and half park model. We pulled up to the "office" trailer. A Mexican looking gentleman appeared. He said and pointed, "brown jay." We quickly parked and conveyed six dollar bills to him. He watched as we walked and craned for views. Finally the bird alighted on a feeder and was soon joined by another. The second bird had a yellow bill. Chuck flipped open the field guide and identified the second bird as a juvenile. We had great views of both birds. We watched for about a minuite.

The brown jay is a large, but not a particularly handsome bird. In Mexico it is considered a pest on the farm and particularly among hunters because it loudly announces the presence of stealthy primates. We had seen this bird before on the Yucantan peninsula. But today it was a North American life bird for us. Hurrah.

As sleazy and broken down as is the so called El Rio RV Park, it does include a lovely section of river floodplain with views up and down of the river. It is for sale, 5.8 acres with 600 feet of river front for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It should be purchased by the National Wildlife Refuge. The possibility of our purchasing it is intriguing, but the fact that this too is a notorious illegal border crossing spot makes our interest fade. We will, however, long remember walking along the river there on this chilly spring morning in south Texas.