SOUTH TEXAS IS BIRDERS' DELIGHT

By Juan Montoya

As winter moves in and you drive around the area, you cannot help but notice all the out-of-state license plates on the streets of Brownsville and across the Rio Grande Valley.

Yessir. It's the annual arrival of the Snowbirds gaining force. When these geriatric motorists share the roads with the daredevils from Mata and the interior of Mexico here X-mas shopping, and then you throw in the transmigrante caravans on their way to Central America, it makes for a volatile road mix.

The paisas from across are driven to shop, and shop quickly. The transmigrantes want to get across the river the other way, get fleeced as little as possible by the aduanales in Tamaulipas, and then head for the continent's slender waist to unload their goods.

The Snowbirds, on the other hand, have done everything they were going to do in their previous lives and are in no great hurry to get anywhere fast. They're here. To them, every day is a good time for a Sunday drive, lollygagging and checking out the real estate as caffeine-fueled Mexicans veer around them trying to make it to the next yellow traffic light. Be that as it may, the Snowbirds have become a part of our local economy and we welcome them.

Bird watching has become a bonanza for the local ecotourism industry. With that in mind, we came up with a few sightings of our northern friends.

Sighting: A Michigan tight-clawed Bargain Catcher. Often sighted in flocks at local Mexican restaurants around the $1.99 breakfast special.

Sighting: An Iowa White Breasted Skinflint. This species is often seen looking for specials on citrus fruit at roadside stands.

Sighting: An Indiana Greenback Warbler. This species will often try to haggle with anyone selling any service locally thinking that they can get a special price even if they're at a Wal-Mart. Its mournful cry can be heard every time they have to pull out a dollar.

Sighting: Canadian Arctic Cheapfishers. This species often flocks to the Tuesday and Thursday all-you-can-eat buffets in town. Prefer Chinese seafood delicacies, but have also been seen occasionally at the local Capt. Bob's buffets.

Sighting: Minnesota White-Cheeked Tightwads. An extremely rare species which often prefers to bear the northern winters than spend on the gasoline to make the southern flyway. Have been reported seen sleeping in their cars on local beaches to avoid paying for lodging. Will on occasion battle overpass dwellers for space under interstates.

Sighting: Great Mississippi Lowland Pennypinchers. This rare species has increased in numbers as news of the low cost of living has reached the depressed Southern Deltas. Never used to have much food supplies in their native habitats, they readily take to the local food chain and consume native fare with a flourish. Their distinctive chatter can be heard Saturdays at local flea markets.

Seen any birds lately?