WIllow Lake in Fort Worth is an artificial lake in an urban setting, which nevertheless boasts a wide variety of wildlife. I spent a week near there and saw fish, turtles with foot-long shells, scaups, coots, ducks, grey herons, nutrias, and more.

The nutrias are South American water rodents that were introduced recently into Louisiana and have been spreading in the southern US. In many places they’re considered pests, because they eat all the desirable water plants. I suspect them of eating the duck eggs at Willow Lake, but don’t have proof so I won’t say that.