Hwy 4 is very scenic with farms dotting the horizon and some have seen better days... I think of a tornado when I see this type scene, wonder how this small structure is still standing, and the windmill is still in operation.
If you stop at one of the information centers in Kansas you might learn about the Post Rocks. There is actually a Post Rock Scenic Byway...but you can see post rock almost anywhere in Kansas...
...and it is exactly what you think it is, rock cut to become fence posts...they are not tall...
I think in the beginning it was just land boundary markers, then later wire was added...
Limestone post last for years...and faced with no trees to cut for wood post the rock served it's purpose..
Hundreds of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and some Little Blue Herons were spotted, as well as Great Blue Herons, Ibis Glossy and White Faced...
Glossy Ibis
Snowy Egrets
the water level in the canals can be raised and lowered by a series of dykes...
wood duck
Waterfowl I spotted included Cinnamon Teal, Wood Duck, Ruddy Duck, Mallard, Mottled Duck, Canada Goose, Pied Billed Grebe, American Coot., Double Crested Cormorant, to name a few..
Cinnamon Teal
Ruddy Duck
...and way up high lots of white pelican coming in for landings...the shoreline of the lake was 50 ft deep with white pelicans..I estimated 2,000 but I think that is way short of the reality.
white Pelicans line the shoreline Thousands of them,
sooo many, awesome to see... also in great numbers were tree swallows & mixed flocks of blackbirds...and lots of Franklin's Gulls.
Imm Red winged Blackbird
A flock of Brown Headed Cowbird, and I see at least one Yellow Headed Blackbird in the mix..
A flock of Brown Headed Cowbird, and I see at least one Yellow Headed Blackbird in the mix..
So pretty here!
Franklin's Gull
and I spotted this Peregrine who at first I thought was a Prairie Falcon, but the marks under the eye the dark lines going down are in the wrong place and too heavy for Prairie, so I think Immature Peregrine...with a kill, unfortunately a truck pulling a boat passed by so fast it scared the bird and he took off and dropped his kill...hope he was able to retrieve it..
If you happen to be in this area in April they have good Prairie Chicken Lek tours so says the website...
Reservations ONLY so plan early, you can get the info on that link.
I wasn't as enthusiastic about taking photos on this day I had some problems with my camera, and the day was HOT cruising on those dirt roads with windows down was hard and the dogs were panting so I finally just gave up rolled up the windows put on the AC and left...this would be a great spot to hit about the 3rd week of October!
I think the miles were catching up with me, so I traveled only another 40 miles and stopped for the night...found a really great quiet spot...at the Kanopolis Lake Army COE Riverside Park campground a great deal with an electric site costing me only $4. I used the electric to run the fans Kansas was HOT! The big lake was across the road with a a larger campground, but I just needed a quiet spot to spend the evening and walk the dogs, a good trail took us down to the Smokey Hill River, and it had a little waterfall...only about 3 ft high but still it was nice the sound of falling water...
Smokey Hill River
Another cool thing in this campground was all these trees had painted lady butterflies all over the trunks! Thousands of them..in fact I moved to a site away a bit to get away from them cause they were getting into the van and everything...
Never seen anything like this...and down along the river, I saw a lot of monarch butterflies fluttering by...Really awesome experience!
In the morning I drove over the dam to see the lake...and saw TONS more Franklin's Gulls...
chattering Franklin's Gulls
we don't see these back east..
we don't see these back east..
Then continued East to the Flint Hills Region of Kansas.
More on that next post....
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
