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desertgirl
Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 3350 Location: Chandler, AZ
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 12:22 pm Post subject: Flight of the Sandhill Cranes @ Bosque Del Apache |
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I grew up birding- we had some lakes/ ponds around where we grew up (Nashik, India) which were in the migration corridor for birds from Siberia. So many a cold winter mornings were spent watching the winter visitors ….. That was a long time ago. Last year when my parents were here - I was looking for some birding locations and ran across Bosque Del Apache and I mentioned it to Dad. What I did not realize -May was not a good time - this will proved to be major oversight on my part . While I was rafting the canyon, Guru took them to Bosque and they saw a grand total of 6 birds! ( This place is supposed to be know for tens of thousands of birds!) and I heard about it for the rest of their trip. Needless to say Guru duly reminded me of that often…I did a bit more research and yes indeed - this was a birding paradise from about Nov - Feb. Thanksgiving provided the opportunity for me & Bosque to redeem ourselves with Guru - we were going there for 2 days to watch birds and Guru made it clear that there better be some birds!!!
Fairly confident, we rendezvoused in El Paso and drove out there ( Albuquerque is a better location to come in if you are just birding) and sure there were birds …..close to a 50,000 of them! They were still not even in peak season - 26000 ducks, 16000 snow geese, 7780 sandhill cranes, a few hundred other waterfowl and 4 resident bald eagles! Whew! I was off the hook….
If you have never seen this amount of birds -- it is something else! The cacophony of calls if deafening and the place is so full of energy. Action is everywhere …. As the sun dipped low; the sand hill cranes start arriving - 1st in small groups - gracefully descending to the lake and finding their happy spot…as the shadows lengthen ; they start arriving in larger groups - back from a day feeding in the fields - they soar by and circle and meet up with others on the lake surface ( These birds are waders so they seek the shallow bogs for the night) .
Snow geese arrive in flocks of 100's - honking and you can hear the swish of their wings as they soar by in perfect formation. They circle a while and then descend in a different area and soon the lake surface is covered in a moving blanket of white.
Its been overcast all day and the sun makes a brief stand at the end - warm light floods the lake bed and illuminates the arriving birds - its magical and for a few moments there is quiet.
The flash of light disappears as quickly as it comes and soon the velvet darkness descends. The birds are still calling …
We return early next morning to watch the fabled morning fly -out. This is the mass departure of 1000's of birds at dawn for feeding. We are positioned for prime viewing on one of the flight decks - we are there about 45 mins before sunrise . As the eastern skies brightens over the San Pascual Mountains, you can see 1000's of these birds blanketing the lake - many more have come in under the cover of dark. They are very close to the viewing platforms - they are everywhere…. The first indication that that flyout is about to begin is the gradual crescendo of cackling and honking that peaks they begin moving as one - facing into the wind they take one elegant step then another. The energy level builds and it feels like something "big" is impending …
The early light shows 4 bald eagles and 100's of starlings on a snag in the middle of the lake. They are surveying the lake - it seems they are being ignored by everyone else…. Suddenly something snaps hundreds of wings begin to flap all at once & 1000's of cranes and geese rise in unison off the pond and take flight. Its a flurry of whites and greys, you can feel the wind draft it creates and soon they are soaring by you - wingtips a few inches from you ….they circle the lake a few times rising and soon they wing north to the feeding grounds. They form V-formations and head out - This is a sight to behold. Something makes another wave of geese rise and soar. We watch in silence -- this is something else!!!! I forget to take pictures.
As the eastern skies light up - you can see the lake. There are still 1000's of birds and these fly out in small groups over the next hour. The starlings have disappeared as have 2 of the eagles. The other 2 roost & watch. They look so incredible in warm morning light.
Another days work in the field for the birds …and we take the 2 drives around the many bogs and canals in the wildlife preserve.
We see the birds feeding - a field full of geese, 100's of ducks of all kinds, the cranes in the field and even a greater grey heron! If you get a chance to see a fly - out do so; it something else !!!
Enjoy the pictures: http://www.arizonahikers.com/forum/modules.php?set_albumName=albvy88&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
On gear: I did return with a serious case of lens envy. There were 20 or so serious bird photographers that had some BIG lenses (f 2.8 @ 500mm!) . Shooting the flying birds was hard - my camera lenses were not fast enough or big enough for getting tight bird shots. I shot most in action mode ( only mode that was fast enough for all the action in low light. ) and had to sort through ~ 2000+ images ( shot in burst mode so that at least some of the frames were in reasonable focus). I had my 400mm lens (f5.6) and shot hand held for a good majority of the shots. This mode of shooting is very different from what I usually do - it was hard and I had to think on my feet - very little opportunity to plan your shots
Links:
Friends of Bosque Del Apache http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/Friendsindex.html
US Fish & Wildlife Site: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque/index.html
Situated against the backdrop of the Chupadera Mountains in Southwestern New Mexico, Bosque Del Apache is one of the premier places to see and photograph the teeming populations of wild birds of the desert wetlands along the Rio Grande River. Some birds are there for the winter, like the Snow Geese, and others, like the raptors, are there to prey on those birds and other creatures. And still others are part of the year round population.
Desert USA - Bosque Del Apache Feature: http://www.desertusa.com/mag00/nov/stories/bosque.html _________________ Photos: http://www.pbase.com/desertgirl/galleries
Life is but a dream ...there is no end to what you can dream! |
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randy883
Joined: 07 Jul 2008 Posts: 124 Location: Tucson, AZ
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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Wonderful photos Ambika! Thanks for sharing.
Socorro is one of my favorite places in New Mexico. I sometimes stop at the Owl for a green chile burger and a brew, but have only wandered around the Bosque once, and it was in the "off" season. The place is magnificent, and those photos show it! |
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Shawn I'll sell you map to Lost Dutchman mine!
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 2592 Location: Ahwatukee, AZ
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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There is a big Crane event in Wilcox, AZ also. Pretty impressive I'm told-haven't seen it myself. _________________ The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. |
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desertgirl
Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 3350 Location: Chandler, AZ
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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Shawn wrote: |
There is a big Crane event in Wilcox, AZ also. Pretty impressive I'm told-haven't seen it myself. |
Would this be it : http://www.wingsoverwillcox.com/
Hmmm...I might have to head out that ways perhaps _________________ Photos: http://www.pbase.com/desertgirl/galleries
Life is but a dream ...there is no end to what you can dream! |
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Hnak
Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 1766 Location: Prescott, AZ
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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I was lucky enough to be there a few years ago on a birding field trip. It is definitely a wonderful experience to see all those birds there, and the early morning liftoffs are really spectacular...
Great pictures! Thanks...
Hank _________________ The world is older and bigger than we are. This is a hard truth for some folks to swallow. —EDWARD ABBEY |
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Shawn I'll sell you map to Lost Dutchman mine!
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 2592 Location: Ahwatukee, AZ
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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This reminds me of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books which I read several times while in grade school. She wrote that when the family was in South Dakota, where they were when they quit moving to the frontier, the birds were overhead for nearly 6 weeks during the bi-annual migrations. This was in the 1880's, near DeSmet, SD, in the central flyway and prairie pot hole region. _________________ The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. |
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paintninaz
Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 3515
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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Beautiful photos, Ambika!!! _________________ ~Tracy
“Friends make the bad times good — and the good times unforgettable.” |
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Suz
Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 3186
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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Spectacular shots---have some teacher friends that live at Bosque Farms, NM and have heard of this bird event. Bet your dogs would have had a hay-day there! |
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wanderingsoul
Joined: 19 Jul 2004 Posts: 2285 Location: Gilbert AZ
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Posted: 12/8/2008, 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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Beautiful pics Ambika. I especially like the Cranes and the Eagles. Nice shots. I've seen lots of geese during their migration south but never those beautiful white ones. How pretty.
Not sure if you're only looking for large birding areas, but I know Trish is a bird lover and went to Madera Canyon in Tucson to see birds. I remember her telling me about them. She'd probably know when is a good time to go. And it is a little closer. If you have a very small amount of time and want to check it out, off Guadalupe/Greenfield east of the Library there is wetland Riparian preserve. I occasionally go early morning to walk what they call a trail (not really just a nice place to walk). There are water sections and I've seen cranes and other birds (not the amount of birds like you saw, just pairs or so) along with the Birders with those lens envy cameras set on tripods. One guy let me look through his lens (they do get close up shots... they sure do) The water is not that far away and you might catch a few good shots of cranes or other birds there and be able to get some close up shots with your lenses. Just a thought for when you don't have a lot of time to travel, want to do something quick and it is very close to home. _________________ Wanderingsoul (Michelle)
Positive Thinking Is the Spark that Makes Dreams Happen~~~Unknown |
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Hikngrl Canyoneering is my 'Happy Place'
Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 5578 Location: Peoria, AZ
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Posted: 12/9/2008, 5:32 am Post subject: |
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The Sand Hill Cranes fly through my home town of Grand Island Nebraska every year and to the sand hills of Nebraska. There is a whole nature preserve there dedicated to this flight. People come from every where to watch it. It is indeed an awesome experience to watch and hear. Great pictures Ambika. Takes me home for a while.... _________________ ~~~Diane~~~
I want to shine! |
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