An Inspiring Ride

After starting the day seeing an otter in the creek, my day ended with an amazing bike ride out to Meadowlark Prairie. The highlight was a western pond turtle basking on a log in the creek, just south of where the bike path crosses the railroad tracks. And so many birds singing this time of year! I got great close-up views of western meadowlarks, killdeer, red-winged blackbirds, wigeon and green-winged teal, in addition to the usual herons, mallards and Canada geese flying overhead. Pheasants were calling from all directions, and special appearances were made by a pied-billed grebe, a kestrel and a northern harrier being chased by a crow.

There were also lots of folks using the path for everything from roller-blading to bike rides with babies. How lucky we are to live in a community filled with people who can appreciate the beauty of our native landscape!