It is 3 p.m. when we reach the rocky bank of the Red River just below the Lake Texoma dam, and the scene is pure Discovery Channel. Dozens of white pelicans lounge in the languid current, letting it escort them a short way downstream before slapping their wide wings against the water and flying back toward the dam.
Gawky cormorants float unflinchingly, then suddenly dive out of sight.
On the opposite bank, the Oklahoma side, a half-dozen great blue herons balance solemnly on the tree branches, fading into the winter landscape. Finding them is akin to a Where's Waldo game. As mesmerizing as this scene is for a couple of city folk, we're not here to see pelicans, herons, loons, deer, tarantulas or Pete, Eisenhower State Park's alligator mascot. The Red River ake Texoma area, a two-hour drive from downtown Fort Worth, hosts dozens of the rare raptors during the winter months, and interest in the birds is booming. Park Ranger Chris True says his office takes about 20 calls a day during the week, and several hundred people, binoculars in tow, arrive on the weekends.