Birds of the Bosque

Some days are a goldmine for finding birds and others are a bust. The birds are always there though you may not see them. Obeying the rule of the 'golden hour' is very important, not just for birds but all animals who are diurnal. The golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise and/or before sunset, during which daylight is softer than when the sun is higher in the sky. Almost as soon as I stepped out of the car this particular morning it was a goldmine, as I took well over a hundred pictures. I entered the treed area on a trail, and within a hundred yards was listening to tons of birds making calls louder than I had ever heard before; clearly something had upset them. Every once in awhile I could hear rustling in the bushes;  but couldn't determine what was making the noise. While stopping to listen to the lovely calls, patience was going to be key. Birds were flying all over the place: from tree to tree and hopping around the on the ground. Two of them act...

Some of you may have seen the image that was printed in the Albuquerque Journal but you may not have seen this one, which was taken during the same shoot. Thanksgiving morning I decided to go birding.  I was excited and looking forward to a great meal that evening.  Our gathering was small, (unfortunately,) without some family and friends due to the coronavirus.  When going birding, presetting the camera and lens to the desired settings is extremely important; this way I'm prepared for the shot. You never know when you'll see a bird or an animal so you have to be ready. After parking in the Alameda Open Space lot, I started my walk through the woods on this clear, crisp morning. My primary thoughts were mainly for a great friend of ours who had just had a beautiful baby boy and praying that the family was okay, my mind was not on birding. Walking through the woods I turned a corner and bam, there was a bald eagle right in front of me in the tree! Adrenaline immediately ra...