I just returned from a couple day trip to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Reserve. Located near Socorro, New Mexico the preserve is the winter home to a host of numerous species of migratory birds. By far the two most prevalent species are the Sandhill Cranes and Canadian Snow Geese. Sandhill Cranes typically number well over 10,000, while Canadian Snow Geese can be greater than 20,000. Even with those numbers there are still lot of other birds to be found at the refuge.
This year I specifically went to see the Sandhill Cranes and hopefully catch some in flight. While they are not especially fast moving, the typical problems of getting close enough and having enough light still makes the task a bit challenging. Each year is different as far as where the Sandhill cranes congregate the most. In the past I have typically found the largest groupings to be along the northern end of the North Loop. Many years ago the Flight Deck was also a great place for bird action. However, in recent visits the area has been very quiet.
This year the main body of Sandhills is along the Bosque Road, which is the main road straight into the main loop drive. Unfortunately, most of the birds were just a bit too far away to capture good birds-in-flight shots. A far better spot, however, is actually the Wetlands Roost located on NM Highway 1 north of the Visitor Center. It is still within the park but is a pullout off of the west side of the main road.
Typically, near sundown the Cranes come in to spend the night. This is when the opportunity to catch them coming in for a landing is best. The light is typically amazing this time as well. The skies start turning pink, then salmon, and finally a brilliant orange. The process repeats in the early morning but this time with the cranes taking off just after sunup. This requires a rather early arrival of about 6:30AM to be ready for the action.
During the time of my visit the numbers of Sandhill Cranes at the Wetland Roost were still somewhat small in comparison to what they will likely be more towards the end of November and into December. In spite of the numbers, the action and image opportunities were still excellent. It was interesting to see how many cars just drove right on by or only stopped briefly before driving on. I definitely felt that the few of us who remained were treated to better photo opportunities for BIF images than any in the Loop. It just meant being little patient for the birds to become active.
Equipment:
As far as equipment went, I went with the following:
2x Nikon Z8 bodies
Nikon 24-70mm f/4
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 TC
Nikon Z 1.4x and 2x Teleconverters
Certainly, by far, I used the 400mm f/2.8 for almost everything I did. The f/2.8 aperture really helped with the very early morning and late evening light. However, even with the close proximity of the birds at the Wetlands Roost I found myself shooting with the internal 1.4x TC engaged most of the time. I also used the 2x teleconverter to get me out to 800mm f/5.6 a fair amount as well. Either way I found the image quality and overall performance of the 400mm f/2.8 to be absolutely amazing. The quality of the background separation and ability to keep shutter speeds up with a reasonable ISO was invaluable. This is really where I feel that the super-telephoto primes make the difference.
Making a Visit:
The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Preserve is located about 18 miles south of Socorro, NM. Socorro has a number of hotels and restaurants making it an easy and convenient place to stay to catch the both the evening and morning bird activity. This is definitely when the light is the best. Weather during the day is generally mild and sunny. However, in the evenings and mornings the temperatures can drop below freezing. I always bring plenty of layers to stay comfortable. Storms do come through and can bring rain and even snow so be prepared.
These images and more are in the Bosque del Apache Gallery.