Colleyville Nature Center: April 2015

The kids have a four-day Easter weekend, and I didn't want them to spend the entire first day of it inside glued to a glowing screen of some sort. So I dragged them down to the Colleyville Nature Center, where I'd had an enjoyable first visit back in February. I figured it was close enough so we didn't spend a ton of time in the car getting there, and it took just 20 minutes. And it's small enough that we could walk through the woods and ponds fairly quickly, which we did.  In fact we were only there for an hour, but that was partly due to the mid-80s temperatures that we Coloradoans still aren't quite accustomed to. Heaven help us in July and August...

Fun sighting right off the bat -- a Texas Spiny Lizard, who decided to puff up and give me a push-up threat display as I was snapping his picture.  Amazing how well he blends in with the tree bark, other than those blue and orange patches.

Taryn wasted no time finding a tree to climb, then emphasizing just how "pro" she is (her word).

Dandelions gone to seed are pretty.  But I'd still rather not have them in my yard.

Some American Wigeons are still with us, though I suspect they'll soon be heading to their breeding grounds in the northwestern part of the continent.

And now, your moment of zen.

Ain't no party like a red-eared slider party!  I'm still a little surprised at how quickly turtles sunning themselves like this will typically jump in the water.  But I suppose it beats being wrong about my intentions and getting eaten.

The damselflies know it's spring, too.

Like I said, a pretty short visit.  But it's nice that this place has been preserved in the midst of so much development, and that it's so close to home!