This post will conclude my Bosque del Apache photos.

These ‘weeds’ grow in several areas along the driving routes on the refuge. The birds love the seed. My wife inquired about the name of the plant and was told they are ‘sunflowers’. I’m aware that there are several varieties of sunflowers but I was unfamiliar with this variety. We’ve seen several species of birds on the seed heads on our fall trips to the refuge.

This is a female Pyrrhaloxia that I photographed in the Cactus Garden. I also photographed a male but the photos didn’t turn out very good.

There is quite a bit of activity among the Snow geese on the refuge, most of which occurs either in the morning, when the geese are flying out to the farm fields for the day or in the evenings when they are returning to the refuge for the night.

There were several hundred, if not thousand, Sandhill cranes on the refuge. Some leave the refuge for the farm fields during the day but there are always plenty that remain on the refuge.

A meadowlark sings from a barbed wire fence…

While monitoring the water emitting rock at the headquarters (mentioned in a prior post), two cottontail rabbits jumped up on the rock for a drink. I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors in my life but this is the first time I can remember seeing a rabbit drink water. I guess I have to consider the environment!

While driving one of the refuge loop roads we happened on this Great Blue Heron with an almost perfect reflection in the water.

And finally, one of the great experiences to be had on the refuge… seeing the Sandhill cranes (and Snow geese) return to the safety of the refuge late in the afternoon. There is safety in numbers and the cranes and geese spend the night standing in what will soon be freezing water. The water/ice allows the birds to be aware of approaching danger… which is mostly in the form of coyotes.

This concludes my photos taken at the Bosque del Apache NWR. I have a few photos from Santa Fe that I may post next. Happy Thanksgiving!