Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve isn't just for the birds. It is also for people who want to spend a couple of hours outdoors enjoying nature. I am one of them.\n\n The first impression of Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is blah. It is located in an industrial area of Galleria Drive east of Boulder Highway. There is no grand scenery to welcome you to Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve [from here on abbreviated HBVP]. In fact, the driveway is by the Henderson Animal Control Center. The drive way to the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is just like the driveway to a military base. After a curve, you enter a fenced in parking lot through an open gate. I am serious when I write that a couple of years ago when I first started visiting the HBVP, I had to stop at a gate, dial a number, and they would buzz me in. Near the gate are the posted hours. The hours are ridiculously short. In the winter they close at 2 PM. and the summer at 12 PM. It is worth noting that there is plenty of parking.\n\n To get into the preserve, you have to make a stop at the preserve office. The knowledgeable volunteers will prompt you to fill out your name, where you live, and the time you check-in. They will be enthusiastic to answer your questions and will be more than happy to provide you with a preserve map and birding check list.\n\n The layout of HBVP resembles a tic-tac toe board. There is a perimeter trail with interior trails that criss-cross with ponds in the middle. There are at least twelve ponds. The majority of the ponds are alive with water and waterfowl. At the eastern periphery there are a couple of dry ponds. Supposedly they are home to owls. My favorite ponds are the ones in the southeast section. With their tall wetlands and healthy waterfowl population they remind me of a Florida wetland transplanted in the Nevada desert.\n\n The City of Henderson has put some money into HBVP. There is a boardwalk that is placed over a large section of one pond and the adjacent wetlands (also looks over the back of Sam Boyd Stadium). Nearby there is an observation tower that provides fantastic views of the ponds and Wetlands Park out to Frenchman Mountain and Rainbow Gardens. There are visors for viewing the birds unnoticed.\n\n According to the information signs, HBVP is home to many creatures. They include roadrunners, coyotes [Wow! A Roadrunner, Wild E. Coyote, and open desert], rabbits, owls, and so on. On my visits, I have only seen waterfowl and rabbits. Maybe if HBVP closed after 2 PM., I would see more creatures.\n\n HBVP is more than bird viewing. The perimeter trails overlook the open spaces of Wetlands Park. In the distance over Wetlands Park stands Frenchman Mountain. The neat thing about the desert is that mountains look a lot closer than what they really are. I have taken a few pictures of Frenchman Mountain towering over the ponds. There are also a couple of trails that give the illusion that they lead to Frenchman Mountain. Frenchman Mountain vistas are such a part of HBVP that there is an information kiosk that explains the geology of Frenchman Mountain.\n\n I really like HBVP. It really frustrates me that every time I visit the place that I get really into the experience and have to end up rushing out because it closes an hour before the usual lunch special ends. I appreciate all the work that the Volunteers do. However, this is a city park and the department of parks needs to hire a couple of employees to keep it open til sundown. A ridiculously early closing time takes away from the experience, which leaves me with no option to take off a star.
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