In addition to the hummingbirds, I saw Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal and Redhead ducks, Say’s Phoebes, Verdins, Western Grebes and White-crowned Sparrows.
The Henderson preserve reminded me a lot of the Orlando Wetlands, as it’s a man-made bird viewing area that’s part of a water reclamation facility. The big difference, of course, is that it’s in the Nevada desert outside Las Vegas.
The different climate and location brought different birds, as well as some that I’ve seen back at the Wetlands.
I was surprised to see a Green Heron at the Henderson park since I assumed the herons were more tropical in nature. Several of the duck species I saw in Henderson were the same that I have spotted at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, but there were new ones, too.
Enjoy a few photos and birds from Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve:
White-crowned Sparrow, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.White-crowned Sparrow, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.White-crowned Sparrow, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Say’s Phoebe, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Say’s Phoebe, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Male Ruddy Duck, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Ruddy Duck, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Verdin, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Verdin, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Female and male Redhead ducks, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Male Redhead ducks, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Green-winged Teal duck, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Bufflehead, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Buffleheads, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Western Grebe, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Western Grebe, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Cactus, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Canada Goose, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.Yellow-rumped Warbler, Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve outside Las Vegas, February 2024.
The variety of birds and other wildlife that you can see at Lake Apopka is pretty amazing, especially considering its sorry state just a few years ago.
I woke up fairly early and decided to head to the Orlando Wetlands. It was a cool, cloudy morning – but apparently I was in a fog. I was so disappointed in my photos I had to go back again later and try again.
Even though it’s the slow summer season for birding, I know that a visit to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive will usually supply something memorable. And that was the case when I visited on Saturday, July 22.
