Refuges galore
February 9, 2020

As we set off to explore another wildlife refuge, we were surprised to come upon a couple of adobe ruins.  We surmised that they might be what remained of a ranch settlement so far out in the boonies by themselves.  The structures are relatively close to the Rio Grande and on an elevation above the flood plain.

Our chosen place of exploration was a section of the Ladd S. Gordon waterfowl complex, although I have to say that the various divisions of what seems to be a great number of refuges is a little confusing.  In comparison to the nicely graveled orderliness of the Bosque del Apache, we found ourselves wandering on washboardy dirt roads as we raised a rooster-tail of dust behind us.

In juxtaposition with the arid desert landscape, interconnecting ponds and waterways overflowed into what were ostensibly hiking trails.  It would have required hip waders to follow some of those routes.  Those trail markers seemed a little optimistic to me.

Despite that marshiness, we found many places to wander, although the birdwatching was nearly nil.  Seems that those birds were quite unlike the ones at the previous place where they were accustomed to lots of folks gawking and clicking cameras; these waterfowl startled and flew at the slightest approach.  We wondered if we had arrived just a bit late in the season to enjoy the vast numbers of migrating birds that we had expected.  Birds added to the trip list include kestrel, white-crowned sparrow, great blue heron, canvasback, Cooper's hawk and great egret.

Always, though, there is so much to be seen that hasn't been seen before, at least by me.

An active railroad splits the complex.  One of our hikes took us across the tracks . . .

 . . . and along a levee that separated two waters. 

The levee was so nearly at water's level that moisture seeped to the surface in places, increasing as we progressed until we could go no further, lest we sink up to our knees or more.

Extensive flood damage was evident where one check dam had been washed out and the associated solar equipment destroyed.

Another section we toured utilized nice blinds for viewing the waterfowl, unlike any of the other refuges we visited.

Chris made a side trip so we could see the Rio Grande again, this time with ease as we bridged it via the highway.