Anita and I walked the trails along the Colorado riverfront in Yuma today.
There are several trails...a paved biking trail, as well as multi-purpose hiking, horse, and birding trails.
A lot of history happened here. This statue commemorates the Mormon Battalion's crossing of the Colorado on its epic 1846 march to blaze a southern route to California
The march began in Council Bluffs July 16, 1846, crossed the Colorado here on Jan. 9-11, 1847, and reached the Pacific Ocean at San Diego on Jan. 29, 1847.
Interpretive signs tell many stories about that difficult march.
The elevated footbridge is part of another trail in the park.
Notice the cactus design in the ironwork.
View from the bridge.
We saw many birds....lots of House Finches,
Gila Woodpecker
Two kinds of hummingbirds live here year-round. Costa's and Anna's. Notice I caught this Costa's Hummingbird with his tongue out.
Costa's Hummingbird. Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbirds are also seen here in the Spring. Anita may have gotten a picture of an early-arriving Black-chinned Hummingbird, but I didn't see that one.
A peek of the Colorado River through the Aspens...a mere shadow of its former self before dams were built.
Many areas of the park have been landscaped with bird and butterfly-friendly flowering plants, and many benches and picnic tables.
Sod is still being laid in other areas of the park. Lots of development going on.
Hummingbird habitat.
My pictures here are blurry, but this might be an Anna's Hummingbird.
Yellow-billed Starling
Roadrunner
This playground almost made me want to go play on it.
More Aspens down near the river.
Walking along the river.
A beach area and boat ramp.
This pond is stocked with fish.
Lots of Ring-necked Ducks were swimming in it.
Another playground for tiny tots.
Palapa de pescados
These sailors were having a regatta with their remote-controlled sailboats.
The trail continues along the canal to another wetlands area on the East end. We walked part way until it got too hot.
Anita told me the name of this flower, but I already forgot.
We turned around at the bridge.
As we sat on a bench to rest, a Red-tailed Hawk flew over.
Then he swooped down and caught something. I think it was a bird, but Anita's picture makes it look squirrely.
There were Starlings and Pigeons in the area, so that's my guess.
I liked the way the sun shines through the wings of the Egret.
We walked beside the bike trail on the way back to the car. There are some nice rest areas along that trail too.
Bike-trail rest area.
Bike trail, and on the right below is another running/walking trail.
A large solar array. We didn't walk close enough to read the signs...maybe they would have told us what is being powered by them. Perhaps the lights in the park at least.
We've saved Gateway Park and Yuma East Wetlands for another trip.
