Live Oak County, Carmel Hills, Mid – Low Tamaulipan and Marginal Riparian, adjacent to Lake Corpus Christi.
Registration required one week in advance (by October 3, 2026). Minimum for the trip is three participants.
NOTIFY OUR FIELD TRIP LEADER, GENE BLACKLOCK, THAT YOU PLAN TO GO ON THIS FIELD TRIP. NOTIFY GENE BY TEXTING HIM AT 361-558-1829 AT LEAST ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE AND PROVIDE HIM WITH YOUR NAME(S) AND CELL PHONE NUMBER(S).
NOTE THAT CURRENTLY FIELD TRIPS ARE OPEN TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES.
Meet: At 6:45 AM At the junction of FM Road 534 & Carmel Drive, located on the Southwest Side of Lake Corpus Christi. To get to this location from Mathis: Drive S. out of Mathis on FM Rd 359 through the town of Sandia; Approximately 5.5 miles S. of Sandia, turn Right (West), on FM Rd 534. Drive North on FM Rd 534 approximately 16 miles to the intersection of FM Rd 534 and Carmel Drive. Caravan begins at meeting site at Carmel Drive/Hwy 359 at 6:45 A.M.
Sites: Some walking and Stop & Go Driving along Carmel Drive.
Stress level: Moderate, a little walking.
Rest Stops / Bathroom Breaks: No restrooms Immediately available. Recommend stopping for bathroom facilities at private businesses in Mathis or Sandia area before trip.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant in Mathis is optional.
Habitat: Lake Corpus Christi - brushland, marsh, a large body of fresh water, and Mid -Low Tamaulipan and Marginal Riparian woodlands, adjacent to Lake Corpus Christi.
Birds of special interest: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mallard, Northern Bobwhite, grebes, Greater Roadrunner, Common Pauraque, Screech Owl (uncommon), Sandhill Crane (overhead), Osprey, Red-shouldered and Harris's Hawks, Great Horned Owl, Vermilion Flycatcher, Bewick's Wren, Black-crested Titmouse, Verdin, Eastern Bluebird, Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, several other sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Pyrrhuloxia, Spotted Towhee (uncommon).
MATERIALS TO HAVE AVAILABLE: Scope, binoculars, comfortable hiking shoes, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent (especially for chiggers & mosquitoes). Always be on the look out for fire ants.
OPTIONAL: a Bird Field Guide or Bird ID apps.