As the morning wore on at Hagerman, the temperature rose and the birds became less conspicuous. So I had to look more closely for wildlife, and take more notice of the wildflowers that were starting to bloom.
I found Hairy Vetch along the roadside.
Did I say the birds became less conspicuous? Not the Yellow-headed Blackbirds along the pad roads. They continued to be quite obvious.
A small group of White-faced Ibis were foraging in the grass, which had already grown fairly tall.
I thought this large, white flower was a lily of some sort. Inaturalist, however, says it's a Pinklady.
After about three hours driving around the refuge, I needed to stretch my legs. A hike on the Prairie Loop trail was just the answer.
What the trail lacked in birds, it made up for in wildflowers like Texas Paintbrush ...
... Prickly Sowthistle ...
I decided to drive around one last time in case there was anything I missed, and was treated with a small group of Pectoral Sandpipers picking their way through the mudflats.
Five glorious hours soaking up the natural beauty of the refuge. Why exactly aren't I doing this more often?
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