I missed my planned wildlife week when I canceled a planned week of vacation in April due to my left leg/lower back issues. One of the hikes scheduled for that week was a visit to Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge. Heather had not been to the Ankeny Hill Nature Center yet, so we decided to make the 30-minute drive to the refuge and do two short loops on this vacation.
We started our morning at the Pintail Marsh Trailhead.
Pintail Marsh
There wasn’t much action happening at this marsh or anywhere along the loop we wound up doing. It was by far the least number of birds I’d encountered in this part of the refuge over the years.
Gadwall
Mallard
Cinnamon teals
We headed counterclockwise from the trailhead along the mowed grassy track and took the first left to hike between Frog and Pintail Marshes.(There no views of either to speak of from the path.)
Leaving the trailhead.
Pintail Marsh on the left and Frog Marsh on the right.
We took a left again at the next junction at the north end of Frog Marsh. Here there was a view of Pintail Marsh where we spotted a northern shoveler and a black phoebe.
The junction at the north end of Frog Marsh.
Pintail Marsh
Northern shoveler
Black phoebe
At the next junction we stayed right.
The left track angles between Pintail and Egret Marshes while the right just passes Egret Marsh.
The one view of Egret Marsh. We spotted a single pair of mallards here.
Camas
The grassy track ends at a service road near Mallard Marsh.
We turned left onto the service road and found that Mallard Marsh was seriously lacking water this year.
Cinnamon teals and a gadwall in what water remained in Mallard Marsh.
Egret Marsh on the opposite side of the service road did have water, but not much in the way of birds.
Marsh wren
At a 4-way junction we turned right onto a dike between Mallard Marsh and Mohoff Pond. In previous years this has been a very good stretch for seeing birds, but that was not the case this year. Mohoff Pond still had some water, but not nearly as much as in years past and the number of birds was way down.
Mohoff Pond
American coots
Red-winged blackbird
Mohoff Pond on the left and Mallard Marsh on the right.
We looped around the end of Mohoff Pond and headed back.
Heading back long Mohoff Pond.
A couple of buffleheads out in the middle of the water.
The snakes (harmless) were starting to come out so we needed to watch where we stepped.
At the end of Mohoff Pond we forked right and completed our loop around Pintail Marsh.
Geese in Pintail Marsh.
Mallards in Pintail Marsh.
Butterfly
Pintail Marsh
Given the limited number of birds this was a bit of a disappointing hike compared to what we’ve come to expect from Ankney. On a positive note, we did see a decent variety of species on this 3-mile loop.
From Pintail Marsh we drove to the lower parking lot along Buena Vista Road S. The gate to the lot was closed when we drove by a little before 6:30am but it was open after 8am. This lot wasn’t open when I first visited in 2022 (post).
We set off on the gravel Connector Trail.
The Connector Trail links up with the Big Loop Trail in less than a tenth of a mile. The trails pass through a restored upland prairie which was full of blooming native wildflowers.
Biscuitroot
A cinquefoil
Meadow checkermallow
Rose checkermallow
Columbine and lupine
Mule’s ear
David B. Marshall Outdoor Classroom
Another cinquefoil
Goose
Lupine
Tree swallows
Iris
Coastal manroot (wild cucumber)
Cow parsnip
Camas
Common madia
Decomposition educational node
Yarrow
Oak Overlook near the Nature Center
Fiddleneck
Ankeny Hill Nature Center
We explored the Little Loop at the Nature Center before continuing one the Big Loop.
Pollinator Patch at the Nature Center
Bridge in the center of the Little Loop.
Spotted towhee
Continuing on the Big Loop from the Nature Center.
Ladybug on vetch.
Miniature lupine
Egret at Peregrine Marsh from the outdoor classroom.
The hike, and wandering around the Nature Center, came in just over 1-mile giving us a 4.1-mile total for the morning with minimal elevation gain.
This was the longest hike since starting PT and it went about as well as the others. The leg felt fine, but the lower back/hips remained tight and somewhat uncomfortable through most of the outing. That evening a new issue popped up in my left hip area which made it difficult to find a comfortable sleep position. Oddly I woke up with my lower back feeling really good, but the left hip was still a little uncomfortable. It will be interesting to discuss all this with the physical therapist next week. Until then – Happy Trails!
Flickr: Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge
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