10/26 Ash Meadows - Part 2

I drove from Point of Rocks to a pond and an old dam which were made before this area became a wildlife refuge and the land was all bought up by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Not much of a crowd in the parking lot.  

 

There was a flock of coots in this pond.

I could see this coot swimming underwater when he dived!  Neat.

 

 

The temporary visitor center is nearby and another spring and boardwalk. 

More fish swimming here, but they blend in so well you cannot see them in the photo.

What an incredible oasis in the desert!

The spring and streams feed a wide variety of small trees and plants that provide food for animals.

 

This strange looking plant growing on a mesquite tree is mistletoe!  Much of the mistletoe we buy at Christmas, by the way, is collected from trees like this in Mexico and shipped to the U.S.!