12/1 More Clark County Wetlands Photos

I went back to this wetlands near Las Vegas and was able to spend a bit more time, so here are some additional photos.  Way before the white man arrived in this valley, there was a river that flowed through it.  It is now more of a wash, but the county has added tiny dams and weirs to slow the flow of water during rains, so it stays wet all year and attracts animals and birds.  Nice to have a little oasis in the desert!!

 Nice, big parking lot for my motorhome.

Almost all the paths in the wetlands are paved.  No dogs are allowed in most areas, and no bikes except on the bike path.

There are a lot of tiny pools and streams, but sometimes you can find them only by listening for running water.  This tiny pond had a coot in it.  (Coots are almost-ducks with webbed feet but different beaks.)

The hardest birds to photograph are Gambel's Quail because they never stand still!  Got this one as he was headed for cover.

Can't walk all the way there, but this is a slightly larger pond.

One of the tiny streams.  I could hear a waterfall, but could not get to it.

Another male Gambel's Quail.

 

 

Mistletoe is an air plant that grows on trees in the desert.  This one is full of white berries. 

 

 

 

This boardwalk leads to another larger pond. 

 

 

This is a Common Gallinule.  It also looks like a duck and behaves like a duck, but it has a different-looking beak than a duck and is not related to them. 

 

 

More mistletoe, just in time for Christmas. 

 

There is a lot more to the Las Vegas area than casinos and big hotels, so if you are ever in this area, drive out to Valley of Fire and explore the pictographs, rent a boat or kayak at Willow Beach Marina on the Colorado River, or take a relaxing walk through the Clark County Wetlands!