Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

This bird refuge in New Mexico is the winter home for some 50 to 100 thousand birds, ducks and whatever else has wings.  All of these images can be purchased as either prints or downloadable files at http://dawn2dawnphotography.com/

I spent one day there recently and was amazed by the numbers of living things flying above and around me. The snow geese and sandhill cranes would periodically do what locals call a blastoff!  They would all just get up at the same time, fly around and land somewhere else in the refuge only to return later to an open cornfield.

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These snow geese were way out of control!
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The Northern Pintail was very relaxed
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This red-tailed hawk was eyeing me
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This sandhill crane was eyeing me too. Probably never had their picture taken
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These four were flying in some weird formation
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With an 8 foot wingspan, you wouldn’t think they would fly so close to each other.
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When they fly right over you(within 50 feet sometimes), you can hear their wings flapping in the air.
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I counted 556 snow geese in this photo
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I counted six in this photo
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I counted 13 in this photo plus 1 moon.
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The sandhills appeared to be flying in slow motion
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Another full moon shot this time with sandhills
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When the full moon is rising, the sun is setting over the waters of Bosque Del Apache
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These sandhills enjoy a good sunset
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A moment to reflect on a fine day at Bosque Del Apache

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