Two Rivers Dam and Reservoir April 19

Day off from the refuge so we explored out west of Roswell to a place called Two Rivers Dam and  Reservoir.

Don't get too excited about the name... 

even though both Rio Hondo and Rocky Arroyo merge here

there is no water most of the time. 

The project was completed by Army Corps of Engineers in 1963

to protect the city from this type of disaster that occurred in 1937 

and again in 1941 and 1954.  The dam proved its worth when the Rio Hondo flooded again in 1965 and 1991. 

The site is 7 miles off Hwy 70 and the drive was spectacular. 

Bladder Pod

The prairie was painted yellow plus I managed to ID 20 different species along the roadway, but I didn't photograph all of them. 

Rayless Green-Thread

Bee Blossom (Guara)

Yellow Primrose

Purple Ground Cherry

Purple Penstemon 

Fragrant Gaillardia

White Primrose

Rock Daisy

A curious herd of Pronghorn accompanied us for several miles. 

some of  the white rumps were inflated in alarm. 

Out of 18 species of birds, the only ones I captured were 

Rock Wren

and 

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Sparrows were plentiful with Cassin's, Chipping, Vesper, White-crowned, Black-throated, and Grasshopper. 

Driving back to the highway, fluffy cumulonimbus began to gather

The only tree for miles and miles

makes me wonder how he arrived at this location.