Saturday, October 5, 2019 Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve

The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is about a 15 minute drive from my brother and sister-in-law's house in Henderson, Nevada.  This is the entrance.
As this sign explains, the preserve is a part of a working water treatment facility that is managed to support wildlife.

As this map shows, there are nine ponds at the preserve. Each one is managed to provide the habitat for certain kinds of birds. Walking trails surround the ponds.

The ponds are beautiful. The birds, insects, lizards and rabbits seem unaware of the constant airplane traffic overhead.

The desert willows were in bloom at the preserve.

The flowers of this desert willow are purple, but the flowers of other desert willows were pink and yellow.  The flowers had a really sweet smell.

When the flowers are fertilized, they form these long seed pods.

Egrets and ducks gather where the water enters the pond.

Egrest have really long legs and beaks!

This sign explains the differences between egrets and herons. (We also see egrets and herons at Ash Meadows and in central Illinois.)

The ducks skim the top of the water for food while the egret waits patiently for fish or frogs to swim by so it can spear them with its beak then swallow them whole.

Watch the egrets fish for food!

Watch the coots dive underwater and resurface as they hunt for food while the ducks swim around them.

As this sign suggests, the preserve is an important nesting ground for birds also.

I could hear birds swimming in the shallow water, but they were hidden from view by the cattails and bullrushes.

With all the vegetation surrounding the ponds, it's hard to believe that this preserve is in the middle of a large urban area.

The screwbean mesquite trees were in bloom on the preserve which surprised me because 120 miles north of the preserve at Ash Meadows they aren't in bloom.

After the flowers are fertilized, they form seeds which look like a screw. That is why these trees are called "Screwbean Mesquite."

The skyline of Las Vegas rises up beyond the preserve.

Just like at Ash Meadows, most of the vegetation was planted by hand.

Hummingbirds can be seen at the preserve also.

Can you see the monarch on this plant? Monarchs migrate through this preserve in the fall on their way to their wintering grounds in Mexico. I haven't seen any at Ash Meadows yet, but I hear they will soon be migrating through! I look forward to seeing them here!