Bosque del Apache (Sunrise), NM - Nov 2008

Thursday morning we got up at 4:00 am so we could get to the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge (about an hour away) before sunrise. We got lucky and picked the best of mornings for our adventure. First of all, it was a good 10 degrees warmer than in past mornings -- around 50°. Then, we had a huge and bright, full moon still hanging in the western sky. And lastly, it was a spectacular sunrise -- bursting with color. The birds didn't disappoint us either and we saw wave upon wave of snow geese take to the air and also thousands of sandhill cranes.

We weren't the only crazy early risers -- we stood side-by-side with dozens of other bird watchers and a multitude of serious photographers. They all exclaimed that this was truly a special morning with all the visual effects.

The pre-dawn horizon glowed orange and red and the swirling clouds made for a lovely back drop for the first of the departing cranes.

As the dawn progressed, the birds went aloft -- sometimes in small groups and there were also a couple of mass ascensions. Here are some of the snow geese lifting off and beginning to line up in their "V" formation.

A narrow peek of one of the mass take offs. I was standing behind the other photographers, so had to shoot between them. The mass ascension happens so quickly, that you have to snap fast.


A few cranes hanging around as the sun comes up. They look so huge next to the line of ducks swimming by in front of them.


Another shot of one of the mass lift-offs.

As the sky lightened, the few remaining cranes took off.