December cranes at Bosque del Apache

December 10, 2023 · Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico · Cold, clear after sunrise; 24°F at dawn · Fujifilm X-T5, 150-600mm

Drove down from Albuquerque the night before, slept in the car at a pullout outside the refuge. First light was about twenty minutes slower to build than I wanted — the sandhills started lifting before I had good enough light on them — but once the sun cleared the Chupadera ridge they kept coming off in groups of fifty or sixty for the next hour.

I finally broke down and bought ear protection for this trip. The racket at the main flight pond at 7 a.m. is worth the twenty bucks.

Sandhill cranes lifting off a still pond — First light; maybe 300 birds. Sandhill Crane 600mm, 1/2500s, f/8, ISO 2500

Two sandhill cranes calling — Close pair calling. You can almost hear it. Sandhill Crane 200mm, 1/1250s, f/6.3, ISO 200

Snow geese in a blast-off — A snow goose blast-off. Hundreds at once. Snow Goose 600mm, 1/1250s, f/9, ISO 2000

Ross's goose on water — Small and short-billed. Mixed in with the snows. Ross's Goose 500mm, 1/1600s, f/7.1, ISO 800

Northern harrier cruising a field — Low and slow over the corn. Northern Harrier 500mm, 1/2000s, f/6.3, ISO 1250

Bald eagle on a cottonwood snag — Bald eagle keeping the geese honest. Bald Eagle 500mm, 1/1000s, f/8, ISO 1000

Red-tailed hawk on pole — Roadside red-tail, driving the loop. Red-tailed Hawk 300mm, 1/1000s, f/6.3, ISO 800

Coyote trotting through field — Coyote hunting the edge of the pond. Coyote 600mm, 1/1600s, f/6.3, ISO 640

Wide view of flight pond at dawn — The flight pond, 10 minutes before the rush. Bosque flight pond 23mm, 1/500s, f/8, ISO 160

Sandhill cranes in landing gear — Coming back in at dusk, landing gear down. Sandhill Crane 450mm, 1/1250s, f/6.3, ISO 1250

Wigeon on water — Duck pond had wigeon and pintails. American Wigeon 450mm, 1/1000s, f/7.1, ISO 400

Northern pintail drake — Drake pintail in first good light. Northern Pintail 150mm, 1/1250s, f/7.1, ISO 200

Meadowlark on fence — Fence-post meadowlark on the drive out. Western Meadowlark 250mm, 1/1000s, f/6.3, ISO 200