Today we decide to visit the Gilbert Water Ranch after work. It is a great place for a walk most days even though it is very busy during afternoons and weekends. Today we find a parking spot relatively easy and soon start on our walk.
The birds here are quite tame so we can get relatively close to get photos, in some cases they even come actively closer looking for handouts like the ring necked ducks, mallards and Canada Geese.
We continue along the trail watching for the many domestic geese and mallards that were released here.
Some of them are quite tame and good looking and we cannot resist taking lots of photos as we pass them by.
Soon we enter the more wild section of the riparian preserve, it is still quite popular today with many groups of people passing us while jogging or walking. However only one other person on the whole walk was birdwatching, we expected a few more.
Continuing on we find a few beavertail pricklypear in bloom, they are quite beautiful to see and we stay awhile to enjoy them before continuing on.
On the south side of the preserve the trail becomes a tree tunnel with lots of rabbits and quail scampering about. To our surprise we also meet a horserider, we know there are houses with horses nearby but this is the first time we meet one on the trail.
Catching our breath we watch a desert cottontail trying to get at his dinner, it is quite acrobatic and fun and he does this repeatedly.
He then munches for some time on the leaves from his successful ride on the tree before being scared by another passerby.
There are quite a few Gambel’s Quail in the area, some of them keeping a close eye on the rabbit for some reason.
Back at studying the lakes we see many avocets, an American White Pelican and only one Least Sandpiper that seems alone to us as we are used always to see them in multitudes.
There are also quite a few beautiful Ruddy Ducks, always very enjoyable to see them.
Returning to the parking lot we pass by the astronomical observatory we always wanted to enter (but is always closed during the day) and take the boardwalk. Today there are few birds near the boardwalk as most are fed a bit further away on the shore. And then we are back at the car after our two hour jaunt outside, great to be outside even though the preserve was quite busy today.
