Bosque

[Jared Lloyd]

Im currious, whats so hot about Bosque del Apache? Obviously thousands of birds come into the area this time of year. However, there are othere areas around the country that have similiar numbers. Personally I'm think about Lake Mattamuskeet when I say this. 60,000 geese, 40,000 swans, countless ducks..... also a National Wildlife Refuge. And I'm sure that there are probably other places around the southourn part of our country that lie along a major flyway that boast similiar numbers of birds.

So, why Bosque? Every year, so many folks pack up around the country and head to New Mexixo for this event. Obviously you have the sandhill cranes there..... but is there something else that gives this place a distinct and powerfull edge over similiar wintering places for waterfowl?

Thanks,
Jared

[Doug Brown]

We've got pretty good light, sunrises, and sunsets in New Mexico Jared. Also, remember that Artie's name is stamped all over this site and Bosque is one of his claims to fame.

[Bob Blanchard]

I think it's the light. It's almost a signature of that place. I can look at am image that was captured there, and immediately identify the location by the light (without knowing anything else about the image). Not too many places that unique.

[Alfred Forns]

Need to be there Jared its difficult to explain, Beside the birds you also get to see most of your friends !!!

[Roger Clark]

Jared,
It's not just because Artie made it famous. Actually it's been known to some for a long time. But what's great is the opportunities for photography. Sure there are other places with high bird counts but can you get close to photograph them? Example: Wilcox region of SE Arizona is where about 24,000 sandhill cranes winter. So I went there, and observed them. Yeah, thousands of sandhill cranes. I took a few pictures of them, as little specs. I was at their pools at sunrise, but the light is poor for photographing at the takeoff around sunrise, and they fly north to thousands of acres of farm fields. The Apache generating station has some viewing platforms. Yeah you can see them, as tiny speck in your 500 mm lens with stacked 1.4 and 2x TCs. I didn't even take one image.

Bosque is orders of magnitude better. The birds are used to being watched and ignore you so you can photograph at close range. The morning and evening light is not just great, it can be spectacular with a few clouds giving wonderful sunrises and sunsets. And they are close with many opportunities PER MINUTE to get frame filling photographs.

So if there really are similar places where you can get frame filling images of birds in a 500 mm lens, please let us know. And not just occasionally, but routinely.

Some of my Bosque images: http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries/gallery.BosqueNWR

Roger

[Cliff Beittel]

. . . Personally I'm think about Lake Mattamuskeet when I say this. 60,000 geese, 40,000 swans, countless ducks..... also a National Wildlife Refuge. . . .

Management practices differ enormously from one NWR to the next. Don't know about Mattamuskeet, but at many the gate doesn't open until sunrise (or like Ding Darling, even later), and at some the gate closes at sunset, meaning you won't be able to photograph at sunset or later. There are surely other good places than Bosque, but just having lots of waterfowl is far from sufficient.

[Jared Lloyd]

these are the types of answers I was looking for. I see photographs of folks shooting at Bosque and from what I see, they are as close as the swans in Mattamuskeet. With a 500mm you can capture frame filling photographs all day long of swans along a 7 mile causeway that bisects the lake.

The ducks in Mattamuskeet are a bit different. This is where a more stealth is needed. Blinds are situated all along the south end of the lake - some just for photography, otheres for hunting, but you can use the hunting blinds for photography when the scheduled hunts arent going out. These work really well depending upon wind direction (the lake is 18 miles wide and 7 miles across but only 1.5 feet deep), so the wind drives the water from one side to the other.

I definitely want to go to Bosque to see it for myself. Its been near the top of my list for a couple of years now. I figured it must have something to do with constant access to birds.

If you want an idea of the Mattamuskeet area - which includes Mattamuskeet NWR and Poccosin Lakes NWR (geese) than check out www.wildphotoadventures.com . . . A South Carolina photographer named Doug Gardner has a TV show and his first episode was from there. You can watch the episodes online from that link. Its called waterfowl in Eastern North Carolina or something along those lines.

Jared

[Doug Brown]

Here's the answer to your question: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24667

[Robert Amoruso]

The light. NM is famous for it and combined with the bird opportunities it can be magic.

[david cramer]

Everything everyone has said is true, but where else can you get red and green chile?

[Fabs Forns]

And Green chili burgers :D

[David Lowell]

Fabs,

Could you be talking about the Owl Bar? (and other places). Have been know to drive down from Albuquerque for a cold beer and a green chili cheeseburger.

The Bosque has everything!

[Fabs Forns]

Fabs,

Could you be talking about the Owl Bar? (and other places). Have been know to drive down from Albuquerque for a cold beer and a green chili cheeseburger.

The Bosque has everything!

The one and only ;) Green Chili fries too!

[Bob Ettinger]

And Green chili burgers :D

Can't wait, arriving Friday

[david cramer]

Okay folks, that's chile, not chili (the stuff you find in Texas). My preference is the green chile burger at Manny's Buckhorn... with fries of course.

[David Lowell]

Okay folks, that's chile, not chili (the stuff you find in Texas). My preference is the green chile burger at Manny's Buckhorn... with fries of course.

Spoken like a true New Mexican!! :D

[Jason Vaclavek]

Need to be there Jared its difficult to explain, Beside the birds you also get to see most of your friends !!!

So so True!

[Rocky Sharwell]

Need to be there Jared its difficult to explain, Beside the birds you also get to see most of your friends !!!

So true...I missed it this year.

You learn a lot from friends such as the finer points of ladder photography

[Patty Sullivan]

I have only made that trip by car so far just once, this Thanksgiving. Artie said you have to go this year, in the email, and I just felt this urgency, go now! So I was out the door and got there for sunrise the day after Thanksgiving. Got those awesome clouds and the Geese taking off. The light when I was shooting Cranes at a watering place with weeds was so amazing I am just stunned at the beauty every time my computer picks one for that random slideshow computers do. The colors of the weeds and the Cranes are made just gorgeous by that light. Go soon! Go at the tail end of a storm so the clouds are there... but sun is there also. Thankyou again again again Arthur Morris for that tip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Paul Granone]

The light can be good and bad here in New Mexico.

The downside is that often New Mexico has clear cloudless skies. Pure UV with white skies & harsh UV & contrast. Not good for photography. This is most common in the summer.

Other times we do get fantastic sunsets at Bosque del Apache. There is often dust in the air due to the climate that gives color to sunsets.