Bosque del Apache, Part 1

Not far from Albuquerque, where I live, is a National Wildlife Refuge with a name that harkens back to another time and another people: Bosque del Apache. Each year thousands upon thousands of Sandhill Cranes and Canadian Snow Geese, as well as numerous Bald Eagles, make this land their winter home. It is a special place in this enchanted land that attracts wildlife and amateur photographers from around the world. Curiously, a majority of New Mexicans never visit.

The first sign we were coming close (other than the new welcome station and rustic pay station) was actually a sound-a distant call of a goose high overhead, similar to a foghorn but shorter in duration. Soon enough, a squadron of Snow Geese emerge out of the late afternoon sun, high enough to touch the clouds.

Sign of the birds exists underfoot as well as millions upon millions of footprints crisscross themselves over every inch of land that allows their imprint.

Before long the squadron leads us to a landing strip-a farmer’s field. Word has it the farmers in the area support the winter migration by providing food for the birds.

But this is just an intermediary stop; a last stop to catch a breath before heading to their nighttime lodgings and the geese arrive and depart seemingly of one mind in a cacophony of sound. (click on the play button bellow to get a sense of the continual sound that occurs with these birds. For a full experience, let the audio play as you view the following images. Feel free to click on the images for a Lightbox-type viewing experience.)

Snow Geese Cacophony by Brian Miller

As the sun dips the birds begin their last flight of the day and head toward their sleeping grounds…