"Where are we going to camp?", I asked Mr. Pinker.
"I think we can make it to Maxwell before the storms set in," he replied.
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We usually camp at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge. There were a number of campers here already, but we found a spot overlooking the lake .
Storm clouds loomed in the distance. As we waited for the impending rain, we enjoyed a lovely sunset before making our way into the camper for the night.
The next day we were "up and at em". We began to explore the refuge which was established in 1965. The refuge is named after the Maxwell family who once held large land ownings in this area.
We made our way down some of the gravel roads that we had never explored before. We hit the jackpot on viewing wildlife on Rd. A2.
Five female elk were out and about.
One which appeared to be the oldest was very antsy for a coyote was lurking nearby.
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| This elk was on high alert with a coyote nearby. |
Way off in the distance antelope sprinted across the short grassland.
Next up we say 4 turkeys- a gobbler and 3 Jakes. The turkeys went merrily on their way, despite Mr. Pinker making a few turkey calls.
Down Two Mile Road , we saw more antelope out for a morning stroll.
We made our way to Prairie Dog Town where we saw a coyote meandering his away among the mounded burrows looking for an unexpecting prairie dog for a morning meal.
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| A coyote looking for breakfast. |
The black tailed prairie dogs had moved further out from where they used to be.
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| A black tailed prairie dog off in the distance. |
From here, we could see prairie dogs, antelope, elk and turkey all in one spot though they were pretty far away.
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| Prairie Dog Town viewing area. |
The ground was sprinkled with pretty orange flowers called spahaeraclea coccinea or sometimes cowboy's delight.
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| Pretty flowers blanket the ground. |
Soon we were attacked by mosquitoes- such is often the case when we visit Maxwell. We hopped into Big Ole' Red and continued on our way.
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| Leaving Maxwell NWR |
Do you enjoy visiting wildlife refuges when you have the opportunity? We visit at least a couple every year.
Well, I am off to see what I can get into next. I sure do appreciate the sweet visit. May your day be filled with beautiful and wonderful adventures and...
As Always,
Happy Stitching and Quilting, y'all
Melisa
Thank you for the sweet visit.
"Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened."- Anatole France
Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤
Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy who loved grand adventures, wildlife and living life to the fullest. Love and miss you, Amo.
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| Away we go! |
How wonderful to see all that wildlife. We have deer in New Zealand, but they are introduced species. Never seen a prairie dog, how big do they grow?
ReplyDeleteWe have been delighted by all of the wildlife that we have seen. How interesting about the deer in New Zealand. I had to Google about the introduction of deer there. We have seen mule deer on this trip. We have white tail back home though. The prairie dogs are the cutest. I wish they were a little closer . They usually get to be about 13-17 inches and are about 3 lbs. So not too big , but big on cuteness!. LOL. Thank you for the sweet visit.
DeleteWonderful refuge with beautiful views and animals. I'm sure you enjoyed seeing them. I'm not an outdoor girl. That may be because I spent so much time outdoors with cows and chickens at my family's ranch. LOL I don't mind walking outside from my front door to my car in the driveway. ROFLOL I've been spending lots of time sewing like the wind. teehee And, I've gone down a couple of "rabbit holes". teehee Enjoy your time" where the deer and the antelope play". DarleneJ
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun trip through the refuge center. That elk was wise to be on high alert. . .coyotes are sneaky!--TerryK@OnGoingProjects
ReplyDeleteMelisa, you really did hit the jackpot with wildlife viewing on this trip! Are you in New Mexico? It's a beautiful state!
ReplyDeleteStunning images from your wildlife observations.
ReplyDeleteContinue enjoying your trip!
Regards
Love seeing your pictures of the wildlife on your adventures, Melisa!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing your vacay photos! We have only visited one wildlife refuge that I recall - it was somewhere on the Texas Gulf coast. I'd like to visit a "real animal" refuge sometime. I see that Maxwell is about an hour from Red River, one of my all time favorite places. I've been hearing about a lot of rain and storms in New Mexico this spring!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great place to view the wild life. Hopefully the mosquitos weren't too bad.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit we have visited a couple but never saw as much wildlife as you did at Maxwell. Nice! Have a wonderful time - and thank you for the pictures of your drive-through. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYou really hit the jackpot with the wildlife, love that!
ReplyDeleteYou got some great photos of the wildlife. We used to hike wherever we camped and enjoyed seeing the wildlife...well, except for the alligators in Florida.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place. Lots of fun critters to see. We had lots of antelope around when we lived in WY. Did you know they will not jump a fence like deer? We had many wander into town because they were trying to get somewhere and a fence was in their way. The locals call them "goats". Many accidents were caused because of them being in unexpected places. What pretty, orange flowers. I like the Cowboy Delight name better than the one I can't pronounce.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking me along on your adventure. I sure enjoyed the visit to Maxwell (BTW thats my grandfathers name) Now on to your next stop (nwpaintedlady)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you are having a wonderful trip! There is plenty of wildlife in by backyard! Deer, skunks, possums, groundhogs, chipmunks, squirrels, owls, red tail hawks , and raccoons. I live in the city near a national park. Sometimes I hear the coyotes at night.
ReplyDelete