Plumbing 
PHOTOS BY BOB SHACKELFORD
Due to its prime location, Uvalde has become a hotspot for bird watchers, both the professional kind and the recreational.
Birders took a heightened interest in this area in 1992, following the first sighting of the collared plover in the United States in Uvalde County.
Popular areas for birding include Fort Inge, Lost Maples State Natural Area, the National Fish Hatchery, Chalk Bluff and Cooks Slough Sanctuary.
Several birders had confirmed sightings of a rufous capped warbler at Park Chalk Bluff on Highway 55 northwest of Uvalde in April of 1995. A native of southern Mexico, Honduras and Central Guatemala, the bird had only been sighted twice in the United States prior to the Chalk Bluff sightings. Green jays, a more tropical species, are now routinely sighted in Uvalde County.
The greatest economic and recreational impact of birding has come from bird watching being viewed as a non-consumptive use of wildlife.
PHOTOS BY BOB SHACKELFORD
Millions of people all over the world have taken up bird watching as a hobby, from those who feed birds in their backyards, to novice birders, to people that are avid at listing birds, to the ultimate professional birders who help others to seek out, identify and enjoy birds all over the world.
Almost 10,000 species of birds have been identified worldwide and more new species are being discovered constantly. More than 800 of these birds breed in North America (north of the Mexico border), visit the continent regularly or drop in occasionally as the collared plover did in 1992.
To emphasize the importance of Texas to the North American population of birds, about 600 of these bird species have been recorded in Texas. This is where birds funnel in from throughout Canada and the United States en route to southern wintering grounds or on the way north to breeding grounds.
Texas has more birds than any other state. This attracts bird watchers from everywhere, both in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to the Concan and Uvalde area, the Rio Grande Valley and the Gulf Coast region are prime birding sites and very attractive to many birders.
PHOTOS BY BOB SHACKELFORD
A local roadrunner keeps a tight grip on lunch. (Below) Painted bunting. (Opposite page) Audubon’s Oriole.
More than half the birds recorded for Texas have been seen in Uvalde County, indicating the importance of the area for birds as well as the economic potential for Southwest Texas.
For many, birding is more than finding, identifying and listing birds. It includes enjoyment, relaxation and drawing closer to nature.
To many who have practiced birding, no other creature can offer the bird’s variety of color and beauty of song. Some birds even seem to enjoy performing for an audience.
Anyone can enjoy bird watching.
Birding equipment can be simple. All you need is a decent pair of binoculars and a field guide for helping to identify birds. The only other requirement is a lot of patience.