December 6 -- The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve and Introducing -- Tundra II !

I drove the rental car one last time, along Lake Mead's scenic Northshore Road (my preference to Interstate 15 if I have to go into Henderson or "Lost Wages") to visit the Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson before the appointment around noontime with Wes at CarMax to test drive, and probably by, "Tundra II", my replacement for the dearly-departed Tundra I. On the way up to the mesa just south of Overton, I took a photo looking north up the Moapa Valley to the Mormon Mountains in the distance, lit up by the morning sun --

Overton and the Moapa Valley is that patch of green to the right. The Henderson, Nevada Bird Viewing Preserve (HBVP from now on) is certainly one of the best places in southern Nevada for bird viewing -- up close and personal, and in that respect quite a difference from other, natural areas. The HBVP began as part of the Henderson sewage treatment system, but changes in the system means the city now uses reclaimed water, and the sewage smell is gone. It's a bit tricky to get to if you don't have, say, Google Maps or a GPS, but just follow the blue "Bird Viewing Preserve" signs along the road, and before you know it you're there...

Here's the entrance to the HBVP and its parking lot. The preserve is 9 ponds, some marshy, others open, and there is a wide selection of birds here -- waterfowl safe from hunting during the hunting season so they're not fleeing you when you approach, raptors such as Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks, marsh birds such as American Bittern (seen within the past few days), Marsh Wren and Red-winged Blackbirds, along with Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, Yellow-rumped Warblers...and all seen up close and personal -- 

The cities of Henderson, and Las Vegas in the distance, means the pressure for development is on, so these ponds provide tranquil relief from "Lost Wages" and and the frenetic "fast life" -- 

Canada Gees fly in to HBVP, with Frenchman's Mountain, a massif with rock similar to that found in the Grand Canyon, providing the background --

There are plenty of helpful explanatory displays at the preserve -- and lots of benches, some even with shade as this area can get VERY hot in the summer. When I was here in March of this year I saw Gambel's Quail in this tree, knocking the tree's fruit down to waiting Quail on the ground -- a neat display of cooperative behavior -- 

As I mentioned, you can get very close to the wildlife here. I had my new 7D MK II with me, and I was getting so close to the birds that I had to take off the 1.4x TC, so it was just the 500 f/4 lens. Here's a Pie-billed Grebe in a very flattering watery reflection --

There are all types of habitat here, making for a wide variety of bird species. And an interesting fact about the Osprey platform nests seen below -- there are NO Osprey here, and never were. The city of Henderson, in its infinite wisdom, spent thousands of dollars building the platform nests on the assumption that if they built them, the Osprey will come -- and of course they didn't. But they provide nice perches for the birds that ARE here -- 

This next photo is a visual example of how "development" is encroaching on the preserve -- 

Here's a female Northern Shoveler, taken with the 7D MK II and 500 f/4 lens. If you get the slanted late autumn/winter sun behind your back, you can get some excellent, detailed closeups at the preserve -- 

Here's a male Northern Shoveler in transition breeding plumage, checking out the sky perhaps keeping an eye out for any raptors -- 

And a closeup of another male Shoveler. As I mentioned, you can get VERY close to the birds here -- and they won't (for the most part) fly away from your close  presence --

The waterfowl fly from one pond to another, such as these Northern Shovelers -- good closeup birds-in-flight practice can be had here, too --

There are lots of good dirt paths and walkways at the preserve, such as this one that leads out to the main, largest pond. "Lost Wages" and The Strip are in the background, and beyond that the Spring Mountains --

You can get good closeups of smaller birds like this White-crowned Sparrow, too -- 

Here's a male Ruddy Duck starting to get his breeding colors --

Helpful and informative displays are everywhere, giving background on the wildlife to be found here along with history of the sewage treatment ponds and the new means of water reclamation. You have to remember that this is a harsh desert land -- 

Black Phoebes are always entertaining -- and nearly always photogenic; this one was both -- 

The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve really does provide an oasis in the desert for birds -- 

Here's a male Verdin I came across while I was sitting on one of the preserve's benches. Depending on the time of year, birds can be all around you, as they were when I visited yesterday -- 

The ponds are all numbered, and there are map displays at various points along the paths in the preserve -- 

Here's an Eared Grebe; I noticed quite a few of these Grebes both here and at the Overton WMA  recently -- 

I spent the morning at the HBVP -- and the early afternoon at the CarMax in Henderson. I'd ordered a 2004 Toyota Tundra my dad had seen on the CarMax website that was at their Buena Park, CA lot. I got in contact with Sarah at the Buena Park CarMax and requested that it be sent to their Henderson lot so I could test-drive, and possibly buy, it. She was EXTREMELY helpful and accommodating, even when I told her I needed it by Saturday as I was due to turn in my rental car to Enterprise (they conveniently had an office right next to the Henderson CarMax) by Sunday -- but the Henderson Enterprise was closed on Sunday. She must have gone through the proverbial "hoops", as she texted me on Thursday, saying it should be delivered by Friday evening or Saturday morning. Thanks, Sarah! :o) So I met with Wes, the CarMax salesman Sarah connected me with, and without further ado we took Tundra II for a test drive -- and I bought "him" on the spot, and deemed Tundra II a worthy successor to Tundra I. I opted for a service plan good for 5 years or 150,000 miles -- Tundra II has about 85,500 miles on it -- as I wanted "peace of mind" and it is a bit of a gamble when you buy a used vehicle, no matter how spiffy it might look -- and Tundra II looked VERY spiffy. Everything went like clockwork at CarMax -- papers signed, check for the payment handed over, registration packet mailed to the Douglas, AZ DMV office where I'll get both license and registration when I go down to Portal next week to sign Faranuf's closing documents -- and before I knew it, I was shaking hands with Wes and leaving with Tundra II, driving down the Northshore Road on the way back "home" to Overton and Discovery. So as I passed by the spectacular Bowl of Fire, I had to get a photo of Tundra II with the Bowl of Fire as a backdrop -- 

"New" house, "new" truck, new camera -- and just a new "Discovery" left, which will happen in late January...