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My first planned destination was Anderson Bridge WMA. It is on the south side of the Niobrara River and was supposed to offer "a sampling of woodland species". However, the gate was closed. No access. After offering my opinion on that (not repeatable in this forum) I looked at my trusty map to plot out plan b.
One thing that must be known about this part of the state, is that the best map is not always reliable. One needs to rely on one's sense of direction and understand that sooner or later all the sandhill roads will lead you to a highway. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later. If you're going to get uptight about that, stick to the highway and miss out on much of the beautiful scenery.
So I crossed back across the Niobrara River.
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My next destination was McKelvie National Forest. It took me awhile to get there, but I didn't mind a bit. It was a beautiful sunny day, with nice fluffy clouds and there was plenty to enjoy along the way.
I'm certainly glad to have not missed seeing these Ross's Geese.
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And there were lots of dragonflies. This Common Whitetail decided to pose for me.
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This is what the road looked like after I turned north from the river.
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There were oodles of Horned Larks.
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I finally got to McKelvie about noon. I was kind of disappointed with McKelvie. I doubt I will go back there again. But the road getting there was definitely a keeper!
I took many more photographs today. You can see them here.
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3 comments:
You should ignore the closed gate to Anderson Bridge WMA. This may get closed to manage cattle or to keep out cattle driven along the road, but does not mean the area is closed. Ignore the gate and enjoy the place. JED
Thanks, I will keep that in mind next time.
Your Ross's Geese are actually domestic geese. They lack the blue knobby bill base, short stubby bill structure, and are overall too large and thick necked. Multiple Ross's in summer in the Midwest would be extremely unusual.
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