Fire in the Sky Bosque del Apache - December 2016
Sunrise Snow Geese
As first light touched the landscape, I was literally astonished at the colorful scene that was unfolding before my eyes. The vivid hues were surreal and exceeded my every expectation. Shortly after sunrise, thousands of Snow Geese erupted in a raucous and chaotic frenzy as they navigated to surrounding feeding grounds. This image represents exactly what I witnesses; the colors are natural and have not been enhanced in any way.
snow geesechen caerulescenssunrisebosque del apachenew mexicobirdwildlife
Sunrise Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1939, Bosque del Apache is a 57,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge located 100 miles south of Albuquerque and about 15 miles south of Socorro, New Mexico. Tens of thousands of migratory birds, song birds, raptors, and mammals including cougars, bobcats, and coyotes make a living at this refuge. Bosque del Apache means woods of the Apache (Indians) as they frequently camped and hunted in this cottonwood forest habitat. The refuge is situated along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico and consists of thousands of acres of irrigated and flooded pools, ponds, and lakes. The rich soil supports an abundance of invertebrate nutrition and surrounding farm fields of corn and alfalfa provide sustenance for the snow geese, sandhill cranes, and thousands of ducks and waterfowl that call Bosque home during the winter months. The birds that occupy Bosque del Apache during the winter arrive in November from as far as the Arctic Circle and they remain until spring at which time they again migrate north to their breeding grounds. The time tested cycle of migration is a testament to the miracle of biological systems and species survival.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bosque_del_Apache/