The images from last week’s visit to Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge have been downloaded. Here are a selection of these images. I found this pair of pheasants at the roadside. I managed to capture a single image of this pair. During later visits to the same location, I never got to find any pheasant.
There is a large population of these magnificent Sandhill Cranes that migrate to Bosque Del Apache. During the course of the day they fly between ponds, where they spend the night, and in the fields where they feed. I was lucky to get a clean image of 5 cranes in flight.
Another winter visitor to Bosque are the Snow Geese. Here is one individual that I captured in flight.
During the early mornings, just after sunrise, the Sandhill Cranes leave the safety of the ponds where they spend the night. Here is one crane taking off.
Raptors, such as this Red-Tailed Hawk, spend many hours hunting. This hawk was hunting over the fields where the cranes and geese were feeding. They became agitated until the hawk left.
Several species of ducks inhabit the ponds. I found these two female Northern Shovelers while we were waiting for the Sandhill Cranes to return to the ponds around sunset.
Snow Geese frequently spread their wings while in the ponds; this typically lasts for a second or two. After several attempts, I managed to capture an image when one of the geese spread wings.
After leaving Bosque, on the final day, a Road Runner was scratching in the low bushes along the roadside. I stopped to capture this image.
This Road Runner made my day before heading back home later that same day.