Found a trail along the Little Muddy River. It's a mile from start to finish, making it a two mile round trip. An easy walk when dry. Not so easy during high water. A good walk none the less.
Wild Chicory
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| Common chicory(Cichorium intybus) |
Double-crested Cormorants
The dead Cottonwood tree that is used by the cormorants as a preening tree is the half way point of the walk. Turn around here for a short one mile walk.
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| Cormorants drying feathers in dead Cottonwood tree. |
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| Double-crested Cormorants(Phalacrocorax auritus) sunning. |
Painted Turtle
I encountered a couple Painted Turtles taking a stroll in the meadow, a ways from the water. Why ? Maybe its turtle making turtle season.
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| Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) |
Wood Ducks!
Common to the river and marsh are Wood Ducks(Aix sponsa) A perching duck that nests in tree hollows. A day after hatching the baby ducks climb to the opening and jump to the ground, sometimes from a height of more than 100 feet. Once the ducklings are on the ground, mama duck leads them to water.
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| Male and female Wood Ducks(Aix sponsa) |
July is the time for Eclipse. The adult ducks shed and regrown their feathers and until the flight feathers grow back the ducks can not fly.
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| Drake Wood duck in eclipse. |
Male and female ducks look similar because the brightly colored feathers of the males are dropped and the males are brown and gray like the females.
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| Wood Ducks |
The white eye patch will help identify the female Wood Duck.
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| Female Wood Ducks |
A cattail marsh surrounded by woods is the preferred habitat of the Wood Duck.
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| Cattail Marsh |
Well, this is the 1 mile point. Now I turn around and finish the 2 mile walk.
(If you would like to see enlargements, just click on photos.)
