The weather looked nice, so Ms Canyon and I loaded up with cameras, binoculars and some snacks and headed about 90 miles south from Albuquerque to the Bosque del Apache refuge for a day of birding, walking and photography.
The BdelA is a must for any wildlife and/or photo fans if you are ever in New Mexico. Get the basic info here:
www.fws.gov/...
The day was beautiful, and there were 10’s of thousands of cranes and geese. Most visitors look for the cranes (we too) but there are many intersting other birds as well. Here are a few.
This Bald Eagle (one of 6 we saw that day) was nice enough to sit still for a good picture.
Even little guys like English Sparrows (locally called “gallo anglais”) are wearing their fine winter plumage.
Two Gamble’s Quail on a cottonwood snag.
Redwing Blackbirds squabbling over a feeder at the visitor’s center. The two on the left are adult males and the one sitting on the feeder is a female. In the far right corner is a immature male.
Gear down, full flaps, final approach to landing.
Redwings can also raptor prey. Here’s a Nothern Harrier (FKA Marsh Hawk) flushing a flock Redwings.
Here is another Harrier photo-bombing my picture of a crane; there is another Harrier sitting down in the background.
Not all predators are big. This is a Loggerhead Shrike, about as large as a Robin. They are sometimes called a “butcher bird” due their habit of impaling their prey on a large thorn or more recently on a barb wire fence to store for a later meal.
Snow Geese tend to cluster in large flocks. On the water they hold in tight groups, commonly pushing and shoving for whatever they think is the perfent spot.
Ruddy Ducks are also very common. They a re bottom feeders and tend to dive at any time.
Oops!
Female and male Buffelheads (left) and female and male Hooded Mergansers (right) enjoy the afternoon sun.
Pintail ducks are quite handsome in their winter plumage.
This is how you ususally see Pintails. How did they get that name?
The Long-billed Dowitcher is a migrant in this area. These small shorebirds probe
the mud for small invertebrates.
Least Sandpipers are an all-year resident in New Mexico.
The Wilson’s Snipe is also a resident here, but is a very shy bird and you are lucky to see one out in the open in daylight.
Later in the afternoon the Sandhill Cranes reassemble their flocks for a final snack.
At the end of the day the official Raven closes the gate.
Hope everyone enjoys these images.