West Texas Bird Festival; October 31 through November 3, 2002 In spite of constant fog/drizzle from the time participants for the First Annual Balmorhea Birdfest arrived, all went swimmingly, if you'll pardon the pun. Our hostess, Ellen Weinacht, snagged a terrific chef at no charge who delivered three fantastic gourmet meals - one for each evening of the event, and the last featuring pork medalions with delicate chipotle sauce, which was served (as all meals were) on tin "cowboy" (old pie) plates to enthusiastic diners. Our visit to one venue, the K.C. Ranch, would have been a great success if we hadn't seen a single bird. The ranch - a modest one for west Texas at 48,000 acres - is named for its original owner, whose last name was Casey. Casey's great-great grandson, Bob Young, now owns and manages the land. Times are tough for ranchers out here after more than a century of overgrazing and a ten year drought, so Bob must go off the ranch every day to practice his trade as a plumber in order to hang on. His kids, like many others in the area, are home schooled. Since it takes at least half an hour to navigate the seven mile trip up their driveway - a rough and rutted two track - home schooling makes a great deal of sense. The morning that our five-vehicle convoy of birders finally reached the last gate of the Young's ranch, Bob was standing over an open fire tending a great blue enamel coffee pot and he was dressed in real cowboy garb, including a pair of antique spurs that had come to him from an uncle who was killed when he fell (was pushed?) off a cliff somewhere - somewhere around here, I think. The great stone house - which clearly has been altered a bit - was built in the 1800's as was the spectacularly beautiful, unchanged and still used barn. We had along breakfast burritos in coolers so they were still hot, OJ, granola bars, bottled water and apples from back home. Breakfast for all three mornings was included in the price. As we warmed our hands with hot coffee and our bodies with warm food, Bob told the story of his land. Once we were finished, he generously offered the use of a tiny bathroom in a small building behind the house. It was much appreciated. After our group of twenty-odd worked their way through the head we set out on a rough trail that wraps itself around a towering rocky outcrop at the edge of the cottonwood covered yard. Although participants were very good natured about the weather, none believed we'd see a single bird. Wrong. The first feathered creature up was a female Phainapepla - a home run if not a grand slam. That would come shortly, when we found a rare Lewis' Woodpecker. Before we left the ranch, we found two more L. W.'s, one a juvie, indicating the possibility of nesting. The second most popular trip was to the Nature Conservancy's Davis Mountain Reserve - a place ordinarily closed off to mere mortals like us (as, of course, was the ranch). (It's one of TNC's special places, saved for people with great fortunes who are willing to give up part of same to save those places for the future.) The list for that group was equally good and included Townsend's Solitaire, Williamson's Sapsucker and both Western and Mountain Bluebird. Mountain Bluebirds courtesy of KC Saylor Our cowboy breakfast sendoff on Sunday morning was such a hit that several participants went home and immediately emailed appreciation back to Ellen. "If we'd come for nothing more than the breakfast," one woman wrote," The trip would have been worth it." Total species count for the duration was 115 and included such great finds as Wilson's Phalarope and Sprague's Pipit - but missed several "should have been seen" species like Cactus Wren and Black-throated Sparrow. Jimmy and I have great hopes for the Balmorhea Birdfest and the possibility that it will encourage locals to become involved in habitat restoration. The Youngs have received a nice check from the Birdfest Committee, and they will almost certainly let other ranchers know about the money, which may start a firestorm of offers from potential hosts for future events. We're now designing, and helping to create, a nature/bird/butterfly trail on a six acre tract of Weinacht land which is adjacent to their RV park. The potential for ecotourism here is almost unlimited - which is why we're involved. Once people in the area realize they can make money on these birds, they're likely to do just as the Weinacht's are doing - and that will bring even more birds, and consequently more birders, to Balmorhea. It's a wonderful way to improve their desperate local economy; and just think of the possibilities for the birdlife here. We can't wait for next year's event! For more information on the Balmorhea BirdFest, please contact Kay Charter at BOBOLINK3@prodigy.net or call 1915-375-2325. Two more private ranches have been added for this year's festival, which will be held October 30 - November 2, 2003. Price, including all meals, tours and programs, is $200.00 per person.