Oxbow Campground

Over the weekend I kept an eye on the weather report which predicted a wet and windy front moving in mid week so Monday I headed south where there would be less impact. I ended up at Oxbow Campground just southeast of Quartzsite, AZ. Sure enough, Wednesday was a soaker. Not an Oregon soaker but for Arizona it was pretty wet. The sun was out bright this morning so I headed over to Cibola NWR for some bird watching. They have drained all the lakes so there were very few waterfowl but still plenty of other species to observe. Although I only got a few pics, this one of a female Anna's Hummingbird on a nest was lucky capture!

Their nests are often held together with spider webs! Later back at camp I ventured out in an effort to get a picture of a Black-chinned Hummingbird that I saw when I first arrived. Although the light was not right to get the colorful shot I hoped for, I was happy just to find it and get this one!

It is slightly smaller than an Anna's with a black and purple throat versus the red of an Anna's. Sometimes I have to search to find birds but other times they come to me like this Black-necked Stilt that walked into the open while I was sitting in my 5th wheel!

It appeared from behind some reeds long enough for me to snap a pic then it wandered back out of sight! Later, a Great Egret walked out of those same reeds with a Bluegill in its beak!

After moving it into a head first position it swallowed it and disappeared back into the reeds! I am waiting to see what appears next!

Las Vegas Bay Campground - Lake Mead

Since most of my birding and shopping is done in Henderson, I moved 8 miles north to Las Vegas Bay Campground. This cuts my trips to town almost in 1/2! It has the same amenities as Boulder Beach for the same price but it is much quieter for many reasons. One, it is a mile from the main road thru the park instead of 500 feet like Boulder Beach. It also has 1/2 the number of campsites and it is not right next to a 115 site RV park so there is much less traffic!

It also has a no generator section that was full so no luck there. It does not have a lake view but it is on a bluff over looking the river that runs from Las Vegas Lake to Lake Mead.

There were sites open along the bluff but I chose a site where I could park north to south as most of the winds come from those 2 directions and I try to keep from being broadside to them. I took a short walk to the top of the rise, behind my site, and saw this lovely blossoming Beavertail cacti.

 
I am looking forward to birding along the river. This may become my go to spot at Lake Mead!

Clark County Wetlands

This is one of my favorite birding hot spots in Clark County! Its main purpose is water reclamation and its secondary function is a bird sanctuary. They have hard surface and gravel trails all through the wetlands giving easy access for even those with mobility issues! I have been trying to get a good Roadrunner picture for several days and this bird was gracious in posing for a nice picture!

A couple other favorite pics from today are this Anna's Hummingbird,

and this Ring-necked Duck.

If you are interested in seeing a complete list of today birds and a dozen more pics, click here: wetlands

33 Hole Overlook-Lake Mead

This morning I spent time birding at 33 Hole overlook! I have not been able to tell if the water level has risen of fallen since my last visit here in the fall. Today I was able to determine it has risen quite a bit!

All the area, seen in the above picture, has been a dry meadow for the last 2 years! I estimate that it is now under 10-12 feet of water! That is great news for everyone depending on this reservoir. It obviously changed the types of birds I had been seeing here! Water fowl were now using the area instead of the sparrows, gnat catchers and warblers in the past! I did get a few pics. The first 2 below are of a Pied-billed Grebe and then a black and white Clark's Grebe.

These next pics I found a bit out of the ordinary. The first is of a Great Blue Heron on a cliff over looking the flooded area. I assume he is trying to pick out the perfect fishing spot!

This pic is of a tree climbing American Coot! I watched it work it way up through the branches before selecting this perch!

Why it felt the need to climb this tree, I don't know but his buddy below must not have been as inclined as it stayed on the water. Seems I always seeing something interesting whenever I am out!

Henderson Birding Preserve

Had a great time birding this morning. I spent about 3.75 hours and wandered over 2 miles along the birding paths. I identified a total of 47 species of birds. If you click this, ebird link , you can see all the traveling details, a complete list of birds and many more photos! Below are some of my favorites! First a Cinnamon Teal then a couple of Green-winged Teals.

Now some Canada Geese and the beautiful white Ross's Geese.

Now a Common Goldeneye.

Lastly there was a pair of bird watchers just outside the fencing! I think their interest in the birds was quite a bit different than mine!

Boulder Beach Camground, Lake Mead

I am back at one of my favorite camping spots in Nevada! Temps in Lake Havasu were haading toward mid 80's and slightly hotter as you headed south so I headed north this morning! Mid 70's during the day and upper 40's at night here! That's my Goldilocks zone! It is a bit crowded as 1/2 of the campground is closed for upgrades like paving and new fire rings and tables!

The host said it is to be completed by the end of the month. That half is even closed to foot traffic which is disappointing as that area has good birding! I pulled in about noon and there were only 2 sites available. I took the one farthest from the construction noise!

Not much for views but I am happy to be here! Henderson is about 20 minutes away and has several birding hot spots which I intend to visit over the next few days! Hopefully I will get some good lists and pictures!