A week-long birding trip with brother Rich to the lower Texas coast, concentrating on the Rio Grande Valley. This is a must-see trip for any US birder, with many species not found elsewhere in the US. We were fortunate to get nearly all of the target species, including a couple rarities that were reported during our trip. Destinations included Aransas, Santa Ana, and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuges, and Bentsen, Falcon, and Estero Llano Grande State Parks, all of which are highly recommended birding locations. A total of 192 species were seen on this trip, including 24 life birds for me.  Our itinerary and recommendations if you are considering a similar trip can be found here.