Ash Meadows NWR-Amargosa Valley-NV

I stayed at Longstreet Casino/Inn/RV park for a week so I could bird at the Ash Meadows NWR. The RV park at the casino is just a large gravel parking area. They offer full hook ups for $25 a night or $140 a week. The hook ups include cable TV and wifi. Inside the casino they have a laundromat and free showers. I don't recall the laundromat prices but it is very convenient.

The refuge is about 45 minutes north of Pahrump NV. For more info abut Ash Meadows, click here: Ash Meadows NWR The reserve features a number of crystal clear blue springs that just appear across the desert! One spring exits from a cave that is over 500 ft deep. Of course, where there is water there is wildlife! It is a well developed area with clearly marked trails leading to several springs. This is where I finally was able to see a roadrunner and true to its name it was running down a road.
I found they are actually quite comical as they run and leap into the air in their attempts to capture bugs! Some of the other birds I saw were:
Phainopepla
Rock Wren
Black-crowned Night-Heron
                                     
Another creature was this Red Admiral Butterfly.

I found this interesting, the Indians that once occupied this area ground mesquite beans into a flour for cooking. This left the limestone rock pitted with grinding holes.


If you are ever in this area, it is well worth a stop. The visitor center, at the north end of the reserve, is just a few miles from pavement. The road in is a mix of rough pavement and dirt.

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