Western Screech Owl

Bosque Del Apache NWR, NM

On my last trip to Bosque Del Apache before moving back to OR, I was lucky to capture this guy. A nice "Farewell to the Bosque" shot for me.

Snow goose just after takeoff during a "blastoff" from a cornfield in Bosque Del Apache NWR, New Mexico.

I was able to isolate this individual because he was a late takeoff after the mass of some 10,000 geese blasted off. Maybe he has a hearing issue and didn't hear what the others heard? :>)

This is a fairly high ISO capture as sunset approached.

Thanks for viewing and I appreciate comments, criticisms, invites and/or faves as the spirit moves you.

I love the sense of movement and mood that the early morning colors bring to this series of photos. A good pan shot should have at least one area of focus. Difficult to do with so many moving birds. The idea is to follow one bird rather than the flock.

The Sandhill Cranes gather by the thousands every winter at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. Shortly after sunrise, they take off from their ponds where they spent the night and fly to nearby fields to feed.

White-throated Sparrow (WTSP), visitor center, Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro County, New Mexico, January 19, 2014, by Stephen Fettig

Shortly after dawn at the Bosque del Apache NWR, the wind is dead calm.

Northern Pintail male

digiscoped @ Bosque Del Apache NWR, NM 11/17/09

Leica APO Televid 65 mm scope, w/ D-Lux 4 camera and matched adapter (digital adapter 4)

There were many hawks and harriers hunting over the fields but they never got close enough for a decent image and even though it was a cooler day, the heat haze still affected distant shots.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico. Socorro County, New Mexico, USA.

Found here: 33.76310N 106.89495W.

Rufous-necked Wood-rail at Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro Co., NM, 130709. Aramides axillaris. Gruiformes: Rallidae.

2/13/15

Bosque del Apache NWR, NM

Some more images from my trip to New Mexico last month. I thought these were Glossy Ibis but geography and range dictate otherwise. I was able to catch these birds during their migration south while at Bosque Del Apache. I was delighted to learn these were White-faced Ibis as it meant a new life bird for me. One more view below along with a Long-billed Dowitcher:

View Large On Black

A portrait of an immature White-crowned Sparrow that was hanging around the refuge headquarters at Bosque del Apache NWR the day after Thanksgiving.

Thanks to Langooney for the ID, I'm embarrassed I was wrong on my initial call and agree with the revised ID.

A flock of wild turkeys watched a Javelina in the ditch as they carefully passed it one at a time.

The geese were in no rush to leave.

Sandhill Cranes

digiscoped @ Bosque Del Apache NWR, NM 11/17/09

Leica APO Televid 65 mm scope, w/ D-Lux 4 camera and matched adapter (digital adapter 4)

Sandhills at twilight. I spent a good deal of time trying different techniques for photographing the cranes and geese in an effort to produce images that would give a feeling of motion and color. Many of the images I post in this series will not be "classical wildlife" images. They are not meant to be! Please let me know what you think!!!

Along the southern portion of the loop road, there was a Javelin digging in the field.

Flying over the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. Definitely better viewed the next size larger :^)

There'll be a few more from the Bosque when the internet connection is fixed.

Up near the top of Chupadera Peak, looking west toward the Magdalena Mountains. A nice view, even on an overcast day.

There's not a lot going on at Bosque del Apache during the day, the big shows happen early (the fly-out) and late (fly-in). There are a few hikes in the area that we've done too many times already and one we hadn't . We'd been putting off hiking the Chupadera Trail because 1: It's on the longish side for us, and 2: Until recently, the trail stopped short of the top. Volunteers have been working on #2, and now the trail goes all the way to the top of Chupadera Peak. We did, too. It was one of those completely overcast days (that's two in a row, we must be on vacation), not good for pictures but comfortable for hiking.

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A highlight of a winter visit to Socorro is the return of the Sandhill Cranes and Light Geese to the wildlife management areas on the Rio Grande, most notably the Bosque del Apache NWR.

Every evening the birds return from the feeding grounds and flock together in protective manmade ponds. Known as the "fly-in", it's truly a spectacle as the elegant birds drift in in groups of varying numbers.

We try to make it down there at least once a year if we can.

I'm taking a break from posting the summer photos. At the rate I'm going, it's gonna take the rest of the year to get 'em done anyway, so why not take a break and post something timely?

This is a series from a weekend getaway to Socorro.

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Snow Goose and Sandhill Crane feeding in the fields.

Pyrrhuloxia, adult male

digiscoped through Leica APO Televid spoting scope with Leica C-Lux 2 camera Bosque Del Apache NWR, NM 11/15/07

Chestnut-collared Longspur (CCLO), along HWY 1, Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro County, New Mexico, January 19, 2014, by Stephen Fettig

To our surprise, more geese arrived. Here are three views of the same arrival sequence captured with three different cameras, one of which was on a tripod.

Bosque del Apache NWR, NM, Feb 10 2017

It's still early but it's starting already - the first of the snow geese are in the air and heading off for breakfast.

I knew it was going to be cold. Even though it was unseasonably warm that weekend, it was cold. I wore layers and the warmest jacket I brought, but we'd packed for Las Cruces so I didn't bring anything downy.

Flat calm, great reflections, not even much of a breeze yet.

Waiting, waiting...

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

January 2013

Chestnut-collared Longspur (CCLO), along HWY 1, Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro County, New Mexico, January 19, 2014, by Stephen Fettig

A snow goose at Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico.

view large on black

To purchase prints or view my full image collection, check out my Explore The Light Photography website.

A lot of the photographers we see at Bosque del Apache show up with monster lenses that undoubtedly cost more than our car. They're all trying to get that killer shot, and up until last year, so was I. I finally figured out that I'd never get it with the point-and-shoot camera and no tripod so I started taking fewer photos and enjoying the birds more. I was getting some decent stills but I wasn't bringing the experience home. On this visit, a little light bulb went on in my head - a short video clip might work better. I don't think we've ever seen a video camera in use there, although we've certainly seen video from there on CBS's "Sunday Morning".

Anyway, here are a couple of clips. I think they do a much better job than my stills, and there's SOUND. So important!

I'll put up a few more clips with tomorrow's photos.

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A highlight of a winter visit to Socorro is the return of the Sandhill Cranes and Light Geese to the wildlife management areas on the Rio Grande, most notably the Bosque del Apache NWR.

Every evening the birds return from the feeding grounds and flock together in protective manmade ponds. Known as the "fly-in", it's truly a spectacle as the elegant birds drift in in groups of varying numbers.

We try to make it down there at least once a year if we can.

I'm taking a break from posting the summer photos. At the rate I'm going, it's gonna take the rest of the year to get 'em done anyway, so why not take a break and post something timely?

This is a series from a weekend getaway to Socorro.

It's Sandhill Cranes you've come to see.

You're in the place that you should be.

A place called Bosque del Apache.

A flock of wild turkeys watched a Javelina in the ditch as they carefully passed it one at a time.

Nevada Buckmoth at Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro Co., NM, 181021. Hemileuca nevadensis. Lepidoptera: Saturniidae

Instead of flying forward from its perch, it dove down and back - not the direction I was expecting.