Montezuma NWR 2

Part one is here: Montezuma NWR 1

As we drove in, we immediately saw birds near the entrance

I was excited about being there. This place is special because wildlife isn't all that plentiful where I live, and to see so many things in one place, is a treat

In this pond were several kinds of ducks, Canada Geese, a White Fronted Goose (rare!), some walking birds - like yellowlegs, sandpipers, etc. , Gulls, and a Caspian Tern (rare, except during migration.)

We saw a lot of Great Blue Herons. This one posed on an artsy piece of wood

And then took off
.
When we first arrived there, we discovered that they had drained one of the ponds and the gate was closed while they were pumping water back into it. I was very disappointed, having driven so far to get to this place. At the time, they couldn't give us specifics as to when it would reopen. We decided to walk this beautiful trail.

Most of the preserve requires that you stay in your vehicle, but there are a few walking trails, so we spent some time doing that, with the hope that the gate would be opened soon.

We watched this heron fly in and land, and then he showed off his feathers

Some ducks floated by

And the heron waded along the edge of the marsh grasses

Then I saw this heron and he posed so beautifully for me

Walking along the trail, there were pretty wildflowers - Black-eyed Susans here

And the sun was now up. The low-lying mist and fog in places gave the sky a beautiful color.

Continues Here: Montezuma NWR 3

Thank you all for stopping by and for your nice notes. I'm hoping to begin visiting blogs again very soon.