Bosque del Apache

A beautiful facility

Although I had waffled a little when I left my house, I decided that I really needed to continue south to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. After all, I had already driven almost half-way there. So, I took off, arriving at about 3:30 in the afternoon.

Established in 1939, the refuge sits in central New Mexico south of Albuquerque between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the San Pascual Mountains to the east. Its 57,331-acres include a wild stretch of the Rio Grande river and a number of ponds, lakes and canals. It serves as a critical stopover for migrating birds and is well known for the thousands of Sandhill Cranes, geese and other waterfowl that winter there each year. The largest number of birds are there November-February each year. And, indeed, I saw a flock of sandhill cranes before I even reached the boundary of the refuge.

Sandhill Cranes

Right when I did reach the boundary, I had a very disturbing (and ironic experience). Just as I passed the sign, a flock of smallish birds (perhaps blackbirds) swooped out of the willows and flew in front of my car. I was traveling well under the speed limit because I was trying to determine exactly where I was. Therefore, I was surprised to hear and feel a thump just as the flock (well, all but one of the flock) cleared my car. Yes, I hit a bird as I drove into a wildlife refuge. 

As I pulled into the visitors center, I was concerned that the bird might have been lodged in my grill. It wasn't. But, wouldn't that have been awful? Parading a dead bird in front of birdwatchers visiting the refuge? Seemingly oblivious to my heinous crime was a flock of doves (and one finch -- the little red one in the upper left) perched in a tree in the visitor center parking lot

Mourning Doves and House Finches

Bosque del Apache (the website has the "d" lowercase, the VC sign has it uppercase) means "woods of the Apache," so-named because Apaches regularly camped by the river there. It has an auto tour loop of gravel roads that pass by lakes, canals, fields and the namesake woods. All provide great opportunities for viewing and photographing birds and it is a huge draw for birdwatchers. I saw people from New Mexico, Ohio, Washington, D.C., Nebraska, Texas, California and Kansas. There are also lots of trails, but I found that I didn't need to get off the main drag to see all kinds of birds. I took the south loop first and immediately saw some ducks and birds that I had never seen before (or noticed -- remember, I am new to this birdwatching thing).

Male Bufflehead

Male American Wigeon

Male Northern Shoveler (so named because of its wide shovel-shaped bill)

Male Northern Pintails

Marsh Wren

The setting is very pretty -- especially in the late afternoon sun. The reeds in the ponds had turned a beautiful gold ...

Mountains beyond the ponds

... the willows were a striking orange/red and the lake wasn't frozen ...

Winter grasses

... which is why the birds were there instead of northern New Mexico or Colorado.

As I rounded the end of the loop, I encountered stopped vehicles and photographers all focused on a huge flock of what is called "light geese," a combination of Snow Geese and the smaller Ross' Geese, combined with a smaller flock of Sandhill Cranes. Annually, about 30,000-40,000 of these noisy geese winter at Bosque del Apache. Snow Geese breed north of the timberline in Greenland, Canada, Alaska and the northeastern tip of Siberia. Ross's Geese breed in northern Canada. The ones I saw were pretty far from the road, but their calls were loud and there was a lot of flight activity ...

Light geese and sandhill cranes

... especially the Sandhill Cranes (actually lesser sandhill cranes), which always seem to have some important destination to head to. They spend the days eating grains such as chufa and millet. The annual estimate of sandhill cranes in Bosque del Apache is 10,000-15,000. Their summer breeding grounds are in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

Sandhill Cranes in flight

I watched for awhile, but then moved on because I knew that they wouldn't have a mass liftoff until shortly after sunset when they move to lakes or ponds to spend the night safe from Coyotes and Foxes.

As I drove past the next series of lakes on the north loop, I saw a lone Canada Goose floating peacefully. I am used to Canada Geese being the biggest group anywhere. At "the Bosque," they are the minority.

Canada Goose

I came across another lake with a small group of Sandhill Cranes in a beautiful setting. I stopped and took some pictures and talked to some photographers and an artist who was taking pictures to paint from.

Sandhill Cranes + scenery

Then, I came across some American Coots in a canal bathed in gorgeous afternoon light. I never even realized that they had bright red eyes. It's a little creepy ... but cool.

American Coot

Once I completed the north loop, I took another spin around the south loop. I came across a lone snow goose on the pond, also lit by the setting sun. This was the only time I was able to get a close-up picture of this beautiful bird, who gave me both a profile and a nice view of its lovely backside framed by its black wingtips.

Snow Goose

Snow Geese are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away. The breeding population of the lesser snow goose exceeds 5 million birds worldwide, an increase of more than 300 percent since the mid-1970s. Snow and Ross's Geese spend more than half the year on their migration to-and-from warmer wintering areas, flying very high along narrow corridors, more than 3,000 miles from traditional wintering areas to the tundra. Although they mix together (and even interbreed), they tend to avoid Canada Geese.

Snow Goose

Outside of the nesting season, light geese usually feed in flocks, often eating leftover grain in fields. That's why many Refuges, including Bosque del Apache, have working farms on them. They have very few predators outside of the nesting season, but Bald Eagles will attack wintering Geese.

As the sun started to set, I continued along the south loop ...

Sunset

... returning to the flock of sandhill cranes and light geese, some of which were already starting to fly off to safe sleeping ponds for the night. 

Snow Geese in flight

As I was trying to photograph the geese and occasional Sandhill Crane flying overhead (difficult in the fading light), I heard a very loud noise behind me. At first, I thought it was a large engine of some kind. But, it was the beating of thousands of wings as the flock lifted up together.

Light Geese in flight

It was amazing. They flew right over my head, filling the evening sky with their cackles and thundering wings.

Light Geese in flight

A great way to end a long day of driving and photographing. And, although it had been unseasonably warm -- high 50s, maybe even 60s -- it was getting cold. So I headed off to my Best Western in Socorro, ate a dinner of cheese, fruit and veggies that I had brought from home (plus the cookies BW gave me for being a loyal customer), processed and posted some photos and crashed. I had to get up early.

And, I did. I wanted to be at Bosque del Apache an hour before sunrise. I didn't quite make that (my room key stopped working as I was loading my car in the 20 degree morning and I had to go to the desk and get a new one -- and, no, I didn't put it next to my phone). But, that was OK because I still spent over an hour waiting for the morning lift-off of a flock of Sandhill Cranes.

Sunrise

I stopped at the first flock I saw, at a pond near the entrance of the refuge because the scenery was so pretty. It was about 25 degrees and there was already a small group of photographers and birders gathered. I was hoping for a mass take-off, but for a long time, the cranes just slowly woke up. 

Waking up in a frozen pond

What was interesting was the combination of their distinctive call (a cross between a coo, a gurgle and a honk) and a very musical tinkling sound. It turns out that the water they stand in to protect themselves from predators freezes at night. The tinkling is breaking ice as they work their feet free.

Sandhill Crane dance

Then, they walk gingerly on the surface of the ice until they slip or fall through.

The lesser sandhill crane lives throughout North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. Their name refers to Nebraska's Sandhills, which hosts about 450,000 migrating birds every spring. They are large birds, ranging from 31 to 48 inches tall with a wingspan of 65 to 91 inches. Still, they weigh only 8 to 10 lbs.

Still not lifting off

As the Cranes woke up, they got noisier and noisier -- and we could hear another flock calling somewhere to the west of where we were. I was glad I had stopped where I did because the sun was coming up behind me. I suspect photographing that other flock would have been difficult because they would have been backlit by the sun.

Sandhill Cranes are fairly social birds that usually live in pairs or family groups through the year. During migration and winter, however, unrelated cranes come together to form "survival groups" that forage and roost together -- hence the large numbers at places such as Bosque del Apache.

As the morning lightened up, some the Cranes started to flap their wings and move about, hinting that they were planning to fly.

Dancing gingerly

And, a few did lift off and head out for a feeding ground somewhere.

And, we're off

With their long wingspans, they are very skilled soaring birds, similar in style to Hawks and Eagles.Using thermals to obtain lift, they can stay aloft for many hours, requiring only occasional flapping of their wings and consequently expending little energy. Migratory flocks contain hundreds of birds, and can create clear outlines of the normally invisible rising columns of air (thermals) they ride. The short hops I witnessed required a bit more effort from the Cranes, which were lovely to watch. I noticed that some took off in tandem, flying with identical, synchronized wing flaps.

Two leaving, one staying

Still, some flew and some didn't. And, we waited.

But, lots still waiting

As we were photographing the flock (many of which were still sleeping), we noticed some actual evidence of why they sleep in a frozen lake. A Coyote was patrolling the far shore.

Breakfast?

Actually, three Coyotes were on the far shore and one was trying to figure out how to get a Crane breakfast. The picture below was taken about 20 minutes before I noticed the coyote. Look in the background; you'll see all three together.

Being stalked

After a while, the shore Coyote got frustrated and left.

Not today

That's because lots of Cranes were flying away ... some off to the south ...

Take off

... and some to the west right toward us ...

I was out in the cold for a long time because they are so beautiful

... and the ones that remained became increasingly balletic as they slipped and slid and tripped across the ice ...

Crane ballet

... occasionally falling down ...

Oooops!

But, as more and more flew off and the sun rose high ...

Off to feed

I decided to drive the loop roads again before I headed home. I was able to get better photos of some of the ducks I had seen in the fading light the night before -- seeing coloration I had not been able to perceive before. Who knew the Northern Shoveler had such a green head and a purple tail? And, check out that bill.

Northern Shoveler

And, the night before I had difficulty identifying the Northern Pintail because I thought it was black and white!

Northern Pintail

Continuing around the loop, I came upon three Greater Roadrunners, but was unable to get a single decent photo. They were all moving too fast for me to get them from the car and one was too far way. And, in case you wonder why I didn't just walk across a field to get better photos: it's a wildlife refuge; there are many restrictions on where you can and can't go. And, that is as it should be.

Next, saw the flock of Geese. I have no idea where they spent the night, but they were back -- this time a bit closer to the road.

Light Geese

Also known as the Blue Goose, the Snow Goose has two color plumage morphs, white (snow) or gray/blue (blue). White-morph birds are white except for black wing tips, but blue-morph Geese have bluish-grey plumage replacing the white except on the head, neck and tail tip. If you look closely, you can see a few blues in the picture. 

These two colors of Geese were once thought to be separate species. But, since they interbreed and are found together throughout their ranges, they are now considered two color phases of the same species. When they interbreed, the offspring may be of either morph. Ross' Geese are white with black wing-tips and look very much like Snow Geese. They are about 40 percent smaller with a shorter neck and a bill that is smaller in proportion to its body and lacks the "black lips" found on a snow goose. A dark phase Ross's is extremely rare. I think there are a few in the front of the flock pictured above.

Leaving the honking Geese behind, I circled the loop and encountered a couple of Red-tailed Hawks ...

Red-tailed Hawk

... an immature Great Blue Heron that very obligingly posed right by the road ...

Great Blue Heron

... and (finally), a Sandhill Crane willing to stand still for a portrait.

Lookin' good

I also saw two American Kestrels (or one twice), but those little suckers are so fast, I still haven't been able to get a decent shot. I first saw this one from the car as it did a magnificent standing-still hover before landing on the post. From the look of the post, it is a common bird perch. I waited for awhile, but the Kestrel didn't come back.

American Kestrel

And, I got a nice family portrait of some Mallards -- a common duck, but the only ones I saw at Bosque del Apache.

Mallards

I had been wanted to go to Bosque del Apache ever since I started seeing posts on front Range Wildlife Photographers. I am so glad that I did. The weather was glorious and the two birds I wanted to see ... Sandhill Cranes ...

Sandhill Cranes in flight

... and Snow Geese ... 

Snow Geese in flight

... were in abundance.  

Still feeling bad about the bird incident when I first entered the refuge, I felt that I was given a sign of forgiveness when, just as I was leaving, a Bald Eagle swooped over my car, circled and flew away. I think I am good. And, I know I will go back. 

Trip date: January 27-29, 2016