One Last Refuge

On Sunday before we drove back home, Sandra and I visited briefly the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, which is maintained by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Sevice. The centerpiece is Crab Orchard Lake, a man-made water like Little Grassy Lake. In this instance, Crab Orchard Creek, a tributary of the Big Muddy River, was dammed.



Open Look

With lots of open water, the Refuge has become a popular spot for migratory birds traveling up and down the Mississippi River basin. It's also a final winter destination for many Canadian geese. Sometimes, hundreds of thousands of birds can be found in the refuge.

Though, this was not the case when we visited in June. Yet other flyers were in the area.



Pausing for the Moment


Cropping to Wide Wings

The Refuge offers a variety of outdoor activities: hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping. For more information, check out the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Sevice's web page about Crab Orchard.



Side View


One More Look