So yesterday was a “severe clear” day in NM, so Ms Canyon and I made a unscheduled trip down to the BdelA. The biggest attraction there these days are the thousands of Sandhill Cranes, Canada Geese, Cackling Geese, and Snow Geese but there are so many othr birds to see.
Snowies are awsome in flight.
This flock was spooked by a Bald Eagle. That’s the Eagle in the upper right.
These are Lesser Sandhills. They are about 75% of the size of a regular Sandhill, and a bit more reddish in their plumage.
Mule Deer are commonly seen here too. The buck on the right has 8 points on his antlers.
Here’s a handsome Pintail duck.
White Crown Sparrows were everwhere. This one was feasting in a Russian olive tree.
This is a Lincoln Sparrow. Not very common but a fine little guy, scratching around in a mud puddle.
A young female Cooper’s Hawk let me get within about 20 feet before she decided to move on.
This Tundra Swan was a bit grainy (> 700 feet away) but he’s a regular visitor at the Boardwalk pond.
Ravens are predators. This one is dismembering what I think is a White Crown Sparrow. I don’t know if he killed it or just found it, but he was really hungry.
As we were leaving we saw a Merganser “battle group” heading out to feed.
Now is a great time to visit the Bosque. Take a little time and enjoy more than the cranes and geese.