Dear Friends,
A few days ago, I visited the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge south of Albuquerque in New Mexico. The refuge was established in 1975 for migratory birds coming from the Northern part of America and Canada. Now it is a place where about 12,000 sandhill cranes, 70,000 snow geese, over 40,000 ducks, and over 300 other varieties of bird spend their winter days. Witnessing the wildlife was pure magic. I am very happy to be able to share the beauty with you.
In early morning, the air is filled by the screeching sounds of cranes and geese before their take off to the feeding fields nearby. Like a huge wave with a thundering sound, the snow geese leave the safe water all at once. The sandhill cranes follow, taking off in small groups. Witnessing the change from night to day is spectacular. I tried to capture the atmosphere, but did not succeed to portray the full beauty.
The snow geese are the first to leave their nightly resting place. Like a huge wave with a thundering sound, they leave the safe water all at once.
Sandhill cranes follow them. They leave in small groups.
During the migration season in the fall, many fields are flooded with water in order to imitate the original marshland.
Two adult sandhill cranes performing a dance.
Watching and making photos of the birds requires being totally in the moment. Maybe this is one of the reasons so many bird lovers are visiting the Refuge with their big cameras.
During the day, the sandhill cranes feed in fields surrounded by golden cotton wood trees. Other wildlife can be observed too – like herons, coyotes, deer and javalenas.
Seeing the elegance of cranes flying in the sky makes it understandable that the crane is a symbol of freedom and peace in Asia. Their ability to fly high in the sky, walk in shallow water and stand on earth makes them a very special bird. Fossils of cranes dating back millions of years make them even more special. Maybe, this is the reason that they also symbolize longevity in Japan.
This heron was undisturbed by my presence.
Sunsets are as spectacular as the dawn. Down below you see the pink sky reflected in the water.
In the evening, we saw a group of roaming javelinas. They chased up a turkey hiding in the grass behind.
The country of Window Rock (capital of the Navajo Nation) and the surroundings are a pure treasure and undiscovered by tourism. Hopefully, it can preserve its beauty in the future.
The above photos and sentences were contributed by
Garyo, who has contributed her travelogue with beautiful photos here,
for which we appreciate her unusual photos again.