We are finishing up our week here. Laundry and oil change this morning. No English in either shop. The weather is overcast and warmer, probably 80 this afternoon.

We found most of our target birds here. Two days ago we paddled some five miles up the river from Salineno to the Falcon Dam. It was a crisp and clear morning, 38 degrees at dawn. The scenery was pleasing with patches of reed, cypress, thornscrub land, and cow and goat pasture.

There were lots of ducks, mostly American wigeon, gadwall, and blue-winged teal, still tarrying here. To our disappointment no Muscovy ducks showed up, but we enjoyed great views of gray hawks and kettles of red-shouldered hawks on migration. We also roused both ringed and green kingfishers. We witnessed only one illegal border crossing.

The paddle upstream was tough but there were only two small riffles to master. The return should have been easy, but a strong upstream wind made us paddle a little. The wind did make it easy to stop and study features of interest. The few remaining Montezuma cypress trees were most enjoyable to watch.

We returned to Salineno for the last time yesterday morning for a last look at the red-billed pigeons. Some of these birds are now flocking (and probably nesting) on a (U.S.) island just above Salineno. We had seen them at the beginning of our paddle, but then they disappeared. We assumed they had left the roost about the time we were starting.

Yesterday we brought both the scope and the canoe. We found 15 birds on a tree in the center of the island. It became apparent that we could not see them from the water, so we brought out the scope and focused in at 60 power. This gave us good but not great views. We could clearly identify and enjoy them, but we would have liked to have been closer. Other birders arrived and shared our scope. Over the next hour the birds dropped from view into the forest. We said goodby to the DeWinds and returned to camp.

We came home for our traditional large Sunday breakfast. Hotcakes and bacon yesterday. In the afternoon we read plant names on the nature trail and looked for a green-tailed towhee that continues to elude us. He didn't show up at the park blind and feeder this morning either.

Today is chore day. Oil change on the dinghy. Laundry. Library. We will give each other haircuts later and prepare for departure tomorrow.

Our next stop will be for one day at Seminole Canyon State Park. We hope to see the pictographs and a few birds there. Then we will move on to Big Bend National Park for an extended stay. We may or may not have internet access for more than a week.

Best to all as we venture into the back country.