The warm colors of Bosque del Apache in the late fall
Young Mule Deer buck
Javelina mom with a couple of little ones
"Snow Goose Jam"
"Coming through!"
Looking over the menu
Northern Harrier
Bosque del Apache sunset
Cranes returning in late afternoon light
People waiting for the birds returning to roost for the night
Nearly full moon
Pre-dawn glow to the east
Early arrivals waiting for a dawn launch of roosting birds
Our experience in the past was that the Geese would launch en masse near dawn and the Cranes would leisurely depart in small groups after the Geese had left. But this morning, the Cranes started leaving in large groups well before the Geese started to leave and then the Geese started leaving in much smaller groups than expected.
After visiting Bernardo WMA, we spent a few day south of Socorro to visit the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
Typical scenes of Sandhill Cranes feeding in fields at Bosque del Apache
American Kestrel
Snow Geese resting
Panorama of Snow Geese in a partly flooded field
Panorama of Sandhill Cranes in another flooded field
Canada Geese
A few Snow Geese
Geese flying in front of the nearly full moon
On our way back west, we spent a few days visiting some favorite wildlife refuges in central New Mexico. First was a few nights north of Socorro, New Mexico, to visit the Bernardo Wildlife Management Area, part of New Mexico's Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex.
On previous visits we've usually found a fair number of Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese and various ducks and miscellaneous other wildlife. On this visit we found many Sandhill Cranes and a few raptors, but not a single Snow Goose.
Juvenile Sandhill Cranes can be distinguished by the brown coloring on the top of the neck and head, and not having developed the red patch between their eyes.
Yesterday we drove a recommended fall color loop and visited the almost ghost town of Freda, Michigan, along the way.
Great color just outside of Houghton, Michigan
A highly recommended location for fall color is called Covered Road. This road got its name because it is a narrow dirt country lane where the trees often form an arch of branches over the roadway.
We love when the fall color can be seen deep into the forest.
Stopped along the road enjoying a lovely fall day
Back on a paved road heading to the town of Freda
The town of Freda existed because of the Champion Mill. Copper ore from the Champion Mine was carried to the mill on the shore of Lake Superior where it was crushed and processed. The resulting slurry was smelted in Houghton to make pure copper ingots. The operation was shut down in 1967 and all that remains of the mill is the smokestack and foundations.
A few more scenes from the remainder of our loop drive
