Cross-Country Shooting
Updated: Oct 29, 2024
Having arrived in Flagstaff, I have now benefitted from the last time-zone bump. So, no more subtracting an hour from the next leg in the journey. The stop here is elongated to 3 days for some photography with my friend, Ted Grussing. While we only got a few hours at The Pond, a fish hatchery in Cornville, Arizona, there were some colorful critters.
I feel fairly content with the few shots I got. Included therein: American Wigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, Common Black Hawk, Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked duck, Wood Ducks, and one that knocked me for a loop when I looked it up, a Phainopepla! (not even sure how to pronounce that!) To guess which photo that is, notice the black bird with a brushy crown and brilliant red eyes at the top of a dead tree.
The Arizona gallery follows, so keep reading down for the short Bosque del Apache post with pictures.
Please click on any image for a full size photo!
Bosque del Apache
Previous visits to this New Mexico National Wildlife Refuge have been more productive, as shown by the image above taken in October of last year. The ponds were basically dry, with plans to begin filling with irrigation the following week after my visit 😢. Predictions made suggested the bulk of Sandhill Cranes would be arriving at that time. While I saw a group of approximately 150 in a bare field, and a few flying, the drama just wasn't there.
So, you will see I've made up for that lack of drama with the few critters I did find interesting. Mule Deer, Javalina, Crane in flight, Killdeer, White-crowned Sparrow, and an interesting Yellow-headed Blackbird in flight. Gallery below.
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