Snowy Egret at Hagerman (July 2019)

Of all the birds that migrate through Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, snowy egrets just might be my favorite. Sizewise, they're not as impressive as great blue herons or American white pelicans, but they have gorgeous plumage. Plus, they tend to be less flighty than the other wild wading birds, which means it's easier to watch them (and take pictures).

There's a particular bend on one of the pad roads where you're almost guaranteed to see a snowy egret when they're summering in the area. My last visit was not a disappointment -- which made me happy since the refuge has been flooded almost the entire spring and summer and this was the first time this year that I got to see the snowy egrets at all.

Here you can see the snowy egret's yellow feet:

Event the lightest breeze can ruffle the bird's fluffy feathers:

There was either a turtle or large fish that was also hunting in the same area. You can see the disturbance on the surface of the water to the upper left in many of the photos:

I missed the moneyshot (the snowy egret had caught a fish) but I love how the water cascades in this photo:

I did manage to catch a photo of the bird just as he flew a coupld of feet closer to the bank. I love the light in this photo:

Smooth Softshell Turtle at Hagerman (July 2019)

I adore turtles, but I have to admit that smooth softshells are just about the ugliest turtles ever. I mean, they're turtles and I still appreciate them, but they are not a species I want to be staring at close-ups of too often.

I had to stop and take pictures when I saw this turtle in the road. It's hard to tell from the photos, but she's huge. When I saw her shell from the car, I thought it was a hubcap that had been washed onto the road during the flooding last month. Her shell was easily 14 inches in diameter.

July is still breeding season for smooth softshells. I assume that this gal turtle's getting ready to lay some eggs. Unfortunately for her, she chose a spot in between the road and the parking area for the bird observation deck. Assuming someone didn't accidentally run her over before she finished, the eggs are unlikely to survive.

Greater Roadrunner at Hagerman (July 2019)

One of my favorite parts of visiting the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is the drive up to Sandy Point picnic area. As you get near the point, there's a stretch where we almost always see a roadrunner. Greater roadrunners are not a common sight around here so I'm always excited to look for this one.

Yesterday was not a disappointment! The roadrunner showed up and wandered around the road in front of us for a good quarter mile. He even stood still for me to take photos of him (from the car).

I think this is my favorite photo of him. He's looking back over his shoulder like he's checking that I'm still watching:

Crown feathers up:

—And back down: