Birding Sites

Birding Utopia




On the Sabinal River at Utopia Park



Utopia is centered amongst some of the best
birding to be had in all of the United States.
It's in what Roger Tory Petersen called
"the twilight zone" in his Texas Field Guide.
And how true it is.   East meets west here.
Quintessential western birds side by side
with quintessential eastern species ...
toss in a little bit of the southern or Mexican
component, and it truly is a birding utopia.


But where to go? One can spend lots of time trying
to find the right places, and here we hope to help
you save some time looking for them. There are some
crude rudimentary maps that may help a little, but
better you have a good one. Most of the land is
private, and we'll concentrate on those places that
are readily accessible to the public. Of course if
you stay at any of the local bed and breakfasts,
you will gain access to what are usually some very
lightly birded areas with very good habitat.


If you only have time to go to one place locally,
I would recommend Lost Maples State Natural Area.
There is a page on the website just for it. It is
one the most beautiful scenic areas I've ever been.
The birding is great to fantastic spring to fall.
Mostly it is steep walled canyons, lushly vegetated,
with smaller streams or creeks, and will remind you
of southwestern canyons such as those in SE Arizona,
but with lots of eastern species nesting.


Garner State Park, one valley west of the Sabinal
River Valley, in the Frio River "Canyon" (that term
is used a bit loosely here - these are river
valleys in my book) is also very good birding, and
though like Lost Maples, it has Golden-cheeked Warbler
and Black-capped Vireo, it is very different from
Lost Maples. If you have time it should be second
on your list. It has lots of mesquite areas where
those species associated with it are more readily
found. It also has giant cypresses lining the large
Frio River, and some pecan bottoms and oak mottes.
So, whilst they share some species, these two places'
similarity ends there.


The hottest tip I can give birders who are coming out
this way is to check the little "holes-in-the-wall" I've
been watching and have been astounded with. If you are
a birder who visits the area, you may already know
of them, but most who come here are "out of area"
visitors. I didn't know about the best ones
and I used to live in San Antonio and birded
the area a fair bit.


Barred Owl at Utopia Park


First, Utopia Park, on 1050 at the southwestern
corner of the town of Utopia. 1050 is the road that
goes from Utopia west to Garner. The park is just
a couple hundred meters west from the turn onto
1050 from 187 at the south end of Utopia.
This little gem of a park can be quite birdy.
Veer right as the road veers left, just before you
cross the Sabinal River. For migrants, it has seemed
the first patch and last patch of Oaks have been
the best. Some mornings you may find 20-30 or more
migrants in a flock here. Yellow-throated Warblers
sing from late March on. Green Kingfisher has been
present since mid-April (but was not seen Nov-March
this last year). With coverage, this will turn into
a known goldmine. Two Couch's Kingbirds wintered here
in 03-04, and there are none cited in Lockwood's
"Hill Country Birds" book as wintering up on the
plateau proper. Swamp Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker
wintered as well, both rare locally, and Black Phoebe
was near the dam Nov. to March. Barred Owl is up at
the north end of the park often, and waterbirds
sometimes are in the river. Pied-billed Grebe wintered
here, and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is a regular
vistor from April on.

Next, there is a large pond (5 acres or so) on Hwy 337
between Medina and Vanderpool. If you are coming or going
to or from Lost Maples via San Antonio, use this route
so you can check the pond. In winter it is covered in ducks.
I expect some very good birds have been there over the years.
Migrant waterfowl and shorebirds would likely stop there
during grounding events (usually rain or wind). The pond is about
half way (on 337, 10 miles or so east of 187 in Vanderpool) between
Lost Maples and Medina. Of course, Medina is famous for
apples and allegedly some of the best apple pie to be
found is there so that might be worth some research as well.

Now if you have gotten this far, I am about to divulge my
secret spot to make all this reading worth your while ....
the South Little Creek pond. If you read the bird news page,
you will see many references to it. It is an amazing place,
and in spring has different birds virtually every day.



South Little Creek Rd. turns south from Hwy 470 about two
miles east of Hwy 187. Hwy 470 runs east from 187 about
two miles north of Utopia and goes to Bandera. The pond
is only viewable from the road, and is about one half mile
south of 470 on the west side of South Little Creek Road.
In dry years it may not have water. But it appears
(and according to locals) to often hold water during
spring (and fall if there are monsoons) migration.

To give you an example of whats been stopping there,
in the first couple weeks of April 04, I have seen
there on multiple days, many Solitary Sandpipers,
both Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpipers, Baird's Sandpipers
(a flock of 28 one day!), Great and Little Blue Herons,
Snowy and Cattle Egrets, and on 4/18 was treated to a
flock of 48 White-faced Ibis (no Glossy)!
Try getting those species on your Bandera County list!

Also storms have grounded Blue-winged and Green-winged
Teal, 60 Shovellers at once, Ring-necked Ducks, Wigeon,
and Gadwall. Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Wood Duck
are probably nesting this year. Caracara is fairly
regular, and Vermilion Flycatcher is usually just down
the road a quarter mile at another much smaller wet hole.

The Odes (dragon and damselflies) can be astounding too.
If you're coming through Utopia be sure to check it,
but ONLY on the grounds that you report what you find
there to me. I live a mile away, and if I find out you
went there (I know its because of my leaking the word out,
since no other birder ever went there before) and saw
something good, and didn't tell me, I will have to kill you!

One other spot in Utopia worth checking if you have time
is the Sabinal River Crossing area at the north end of
town. Where 187 turns 90 degrees right as you leave town
a county road (Uvalde 356) runs 90 degrees left.
Take it down to the river. The area around the crossing, and
the first third mile past it can be very good birding.
The fields the first half mile on the way to the river
can be good for sparrows in winter.

So, now you have a couple more spots to check if you're
birding in the area. I can't imagine anyone coming to
bird here and not saying they wish they had more
time to bird more here.

Please let us know what you find, so we can include it
on our sightings pages, and others can benefit from the
continued sharing of information.


Texas Bluebird Society

North American Bluebird Society

Chimney Swifts Society

Purple Martin Conservation Assc.

Utopia Park



On the Sabinal River at Utopia Park



Utopia Area

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