Wigeon at Nob Hill Greenbelt

I stopped at a neighborhood park in Carrollton TX on my way from my parents’ house where I had been cleaning up and my niece’s. It was the first foray to find other places that might be worthwhile visiting as alternatives to Josey Ranch. It was called the Nob Hill Greenbelt and included a Carrollton hike/bike trail along a stream (Furneaux Creek) that eventually feeds into the Elm Fork Trinity River…part of the network of greenways in Carrollton built as flood control.

The ponds were not as large as Josey Ranch. I only saw two bird species – a great egret (frequently seen at Josey Ranch) and American Wigeon – which I’ve seen at Josey Ranch but not consistently. Maybe they prefer this park instead…having the ponds to themselves!

Kenilworth Gardens – Other Stuff

Of course – lotuses, water lilies, buttonbushes and dragonflies were not the only things to see at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens last weekend. Even in the island of garden in the parking lot there were things to see. The most interesting (to me), were some tiny acorns on a lower branch of an oak

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And a blue jay that seemed very acclimated to people.

I didn’t spend much time on the boardwalk out to the river but was there long enough to capture a sleepy duck.

There were some colorful canna leaves in the morning sun and

A gall on one of the trees with shelf fungus make it look something like a face (with a few too many eyes and eye brows!).

The showy flowers of the rose mallow seemed to be everywhere. I love the flowers with their deep red centers but maybe the tightly wrapped petal in bud form are ever more interesting. Enjoy the mallow slide show below!