Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Concord, Massachusetts, USA

One of the great features of the United States is our network of National Parks and Wildlife Refuges. This particular refuge is in Concord, Massachusetts.

Water lilies bloom on one of the large ponds as cumulus clouds begin building for the afternoon thundershowers.

Quiet green trails wind through woods and along the ponds.

And here's what brought us there - this Whistling Duck - it is only the fourth Massachusetts sighting of this particular species. It does not normally range this far north.

Even this bumblebee along the dike trail was on the way to see it......