31/01: Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
Jim, Esther, Ed and I drove over to the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Jim and Esther pull a car with their motor home which Ed got to drive (Jim wanted a chauffeur). The NWR is about 10 miles away the way the crow flies and about 40 miles following the roads. You drive west to California then south crossing back into Arizona by driving over a bridge with the sign "Caution Use at Your Own Risk". We watched a large tractor drive over the bridge so we figured we'd be fine.
One of the main migratory birds that winter here are the Canada Goose. Really didn't need to drive to Arizona to see them.
This is a Burrowing Owl. The Burrowing Owl is becoming endangered as their habitat is easily destroyed. There is a program that relocates the owls moving them to a burrow made from a pail and drainage tube that is buried in the ground. In the wild, the owls use abandoned burrows made by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, etc.
The American Kestrel hovers when it is looking for prey.
Sandhill Cranes also winter here but not in the same numbers we saw at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. A small number of snow geese also winter here but we didn't see any.
Interesting sign post.
We had been driving along the Colorado River through the refuge seeing only nature and then suddenly on the California side we see these beautiful homes.
A view of Cibola Lake at the end of the refuge.
One of the main migratory birds that winter here are the Canada Goose. Really didn't need to drive to Arizona to see them.
This is a Burrowing Owl. The Burrowing Owl is becoming endangered as their habitat is easily destroyed. There is a program that relocates the owls moving them to a burrow made from a pail and drainage tube that is buried in the ground. In the wild, the owls use abandoned burrows made by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, etc.
The American Kestrel hovers when it is looking for prey.
Sandhill Cranes also winter here but not in the same numbers we saw at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. A small number of snow geese also winter here but we didn't see any.
Interesting sign post.
We had been driving along the Colorado River through the refuge seeing only nature and then suddenly on the California side we see these beautiful homes.
A view of Cibola Lake at the end of the refuge.