Bosque del Apache - Miscellaneous

This is a collection of various scenes and wildlife from our recent visit to Bosque del Apache.

A Bald Eagle with typical Bosque del Apache scenery

Great Blue Heron

Cormorant

Skunk

The setting sun lighting up road dust

One of several coyotes we spotted

Finches

One of the refuge canals

Bosque del Apache - Geese

Bosque del Apache is known for having thousands of white Snow Geese and Ross's Geese during the winter.  These geese tend to stay in very large flocks.

Flock of geese floating on one of the refuge ponds

Geese in flight

Awaiting dawn at the "Flight Deck" pond

Before dawn, a large flock of geese flew in from a nearby pond to join the group in front of us.

Soon after dawn, the "mass ascension" began as the geese left the pond in search of food.

A large flock feeding in one of the refuge fields

Another mass lift-off of geese

Close up

 

Bosque del Apache - Cranes

 We spent November 21-28 at the Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park just outside the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near San Antonio, New Mexico.  We love to come to Bosque del Apache in the winter months to see and photograph the large population of birds that spend the winter there.  One of the most popular birds during this time is the Sandhill Crane.

This large field was always full of feeding Sandhill Cranes.

Coming over the treetops

Coming in for a landing

Cranes running prior to take-off

Cranes spend their nights in the shallow ponds for safety against predators.

Cranes in the pre-dawn sky flying towards a feeding area.

A few more cranes in flight

Bernardo Wildlife Area - November 20, 2016

Here are images from our second day of visiting the Bernardo Wildlife Area.

Bernardo Wildlife Area - November 19, 2016

We have returned to the Rio Grande Valley of central New Mexico to see the wintering birds.  We are spending a couple of days north of Socorro to visit the Bernardo unit of the Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex.

We have seen primarily Sandhill Cranes at this refuge.

There is always one in every group.

We didn't see any geese feeding, but saw a couple of flocks of Snow Geese fly overhead.

We saw flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, often flying with groups of cranes.

We like how the shadow of this crane's head falls on its wing.

Tight formation

As sunset approached, we saw hundreds of cranes in large flocks flying south.

Sandhill cranes in the golden light near sunset