Big Bend National Park is the leading park for bird sightings in the National Park Service. More species have been recorded there than in any other national park. Birds of Big Bend National Park and Vicinity is the most up-to-date book about birds of the area and where they may be seen within and near the park. It is a "where to go and see what" book, not just a field guide to bird identity. This comprehensive discussion of what birds occur in this area, where best to find them, and when to see them, is intended to help the birder find the particular birds he wants to see. It is also designed for the reader with a general interest in nature or with a special interest in the Big Bend area. Sections include a description of the Big Bend country, including all of the plant communities; a thorough discussion of bird finding at all seasons; a history of ornithological study within the Big Bend area; and a complete annotated list of species. The list of species includes a discussion of all 385 birds recorded for Big Bend National Park, as well as a discussion of species known for other parts of the Big Bend--from the Rio Grande to the David Mountains and Lake Balmorhea. A detailed map of the area is provided, and there are 17 photographs and 8 paintings in full color.--Cover

This book will help turn every trip to Big Bend National Park into a memorable adventure. Veteran naturalist Gary Clark and photographer Kathy Adams Clark help you choose the best hike or drive in Big Bend National Park, based on the season in which you visit; the number of days you have in the park; and your activity, age, and fitness levels. The Clarks provide valuable practical information, along with a descriptive list of items essential for being outdoors in desert and mountain environments and an overview of park rules. They describe more than thirty activities available in the park: two-hour or half- and full-day adventures; adventures for the physically fit or physically challenged; and adventures with children, for nature lovers, or in vehicles. The Clarks also point out scenic highlights and animals and plants that might be seen along the way.

This field guide offers information on the 450 bird species of the Big Bend, including behavior notes, status reports, statistics, records, and much more.

A Guide to the Rocks, Landscape, Geologic History, and Settlers of the Area of Big Bend National Park.

At the end of the twentieth century roughly 265 million people visited the 374 sites in the American National Park System. These places, designated and protected because of their significance to our nation’s historical and natural heritage, contain some of the most beautiful landscapes in the United States—landscapes that naturally lend themselves to outdoor recreation. In this book, veteran parks interpreter Ro Wauer introduces the pleasures of birding in the national parks of the American Southwest. From California to Texas, from hugely popular destinations such as Arizona’s Grand Canyon to the mostly undiscovered shores of Amistad National Recreation Area, Wauer visits seventeen sites and gives us his advice on what birds to expect to see and where and how to find them. Written by a birder for birders, this book introduces readers to some of the best birding north of the Mexican border, as well as some of the most impressive scenery anywhere. Wauer takes readers on a personal tour, pointing out where to go to see a vast array of each park’s bird life: Le Conte’s Thrashers in Death Valley, Clark’s and Western Grebes at Lake Mead, Phainopeplas at Organ Pipe Cactus, Lucy’s Warblers at Saguaro, Peregrine Falcons in Grand Canyon, Cave Swallows at Carlsbad Caverns, Magnificent Hummingbirds at Guadalupe Mountains, and Colima Warblers in Big Bend. Birding the Southwestern National Parks is written for anyone visiting, planning to visit, or dreaming of visiting the Southwestern national parks. The Southwestern Parks: Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada Joshua Tree National Park, California Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona Sunset Crater Volcano, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments, Arizona Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona Tonto National Monument, Arizona Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona Saguaro National Park, Arizona Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, New Mexico and Texas White Sands National Monument, New Mexico Big Bend National Park, Texas Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas

On the morning of January 1, 2000, Mark T. Adams started counting birds. His goal was to find the largest possible number of species in one year in Texas, an undertaking known in birding parlance as a Big Year. By the evening of December 31, he had tied the record of 489 species seen or heard within the state’s borders in a single calendar year. Traveling 30,000 miles across Texas by car and 18,000 miles by plane, Adams alone saw 92 percent of all bird species reported in the state in 2000. In Chasing Birds across Texas, Adams invites birders and others with a broad interest in the outdoors to join him in exploring Texas’ varied habitats on his quest for birds—from the upper coast to the lower coast; into the Hill Country, the Panhandle, and the Chihuahuan Desert; and up the Davis, Chisos, and Guadalupe Mountains. As he happily celebrates the bounty of the Valley’s spring migration or desperately searches for a Panhandle rarity, we watch him grow as a naturalist, exult in the Texas landscape, and benefit from the company of some of the world’s best birders. Informative, inspiring, and great fun, Chasing Birds across Texas conveys as perhaps no other bird book can the humor, obsession, dedication, and adventure that are all part of the sport of birding.

With its combination of desert and mountain landscapes, the dramatic canyons of the Rio Grande, ancient pictographs, and remnants of pioneer ranch life, Big Bend National Park presents a wealth of subjects to the photographic eye. Add early morning and late evening sunlight, summer thunderstorms, and clear, star-spattered night skies, and the opportunities become irresistible. Professional nature photographer and frequent Big Bend traveler Kathy Adams Clark offers this handy and beautiful guide to maximizing the photographic experience of this visually stunning landscape. Photographing Big Bend National Park begins with a tutorial on the basics of light meters, shutter speeds, and f/stops, featuring practical, hands-on-camera exercises and answers to common questions. The chapters that follow take readers on six excursions to well-known locations within the park—the Basin, Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village, Ross Maxwell Drive, Santa Elena Canyon, and the Chisos Mountains among them. A primer on night photography (including “light-painting” and star trails) is also included. Within each chapter are instructions for photographing various subjects at the site using simple, intermediate, and advanced techniques; information on the best seasons to photograph; and tips designed to benefit the novice. Photographing Big Bend National Park not only provides practical information for photographers of all skill levels, it also offers a visual feast of striking images. Nature lovers, photographers, and anyone who loves this remarkable national park will treasure this latest book from veteran writer and photographer Kathy Adams Clark.