Forever vigilant---

Al Hansen

Al Hansen

Well-known member
Bev and I enjoyed a short jaunt to Bosque del Apache NWR on Super Bowl Sunday. We were not disappointed in the least. There were still thousands of light geese and sandhill cranes. Just as we were rounding a curve in the road that was heading west, I pulled our Prius way over on the left hand side of the gravel road as we watched 7 javelinas walking along the right side of the road. Bev rolled her window down as the not so little guys and gals walked but a mere 15 feet from us. It was at this time that the long lens on my Canon 7D became useless. Not only that but for that nano second of time, there they were and then there they weren't, as they faded away into the tall weeds alongside the road.
Al




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I found this pair of resting blue geese flanked by a squadron of Ross's geese.


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Afternoon Al,

Great Photos, I notice that large groups of Sandhill Cranes moving North on Friday & Sunday, I bet they were in for a major surprise with the very cold weather they are running into.

I spoke to my farming friend in Saskatchewan this week, it was -21F at his house with a -52F wind chill. No complaints here in NM.

Hope you and Bev are doing well and staying safe and healthy. Also, when is your next litter due?

Best Regards,

Dennis S. (Quack)
Rio Rancho, NM

PS: Bella II turned 9 years old in January 2021.
 
Hi Dennis,
Good to hear from you. I'm sure those birds might have made a 180 in flight and came back here. The good news is that most of the snow we got has disappeared but the cold weather lingers. I just checked and found out that by Friday we will be back into the mid 50sF and then the following week we will be in the mid 60sF. I shall look forward to next week. The good news here is that I finally ended up getting a pair of glasses to wear. Now I can see the bead at the end of the barrel. My right eye was getting bad. The correction is perfect. So now I am really looking forward to next year's duck season.

I got an email from Doug Bowman, where I got our new chocolate sire, Rico, from and he took a picture of the thermometer which read -35F. Doug and Nancy live in the Glasgow, MT area. They do have a nice chunk of Heaven where they live.

Give Bella milk bone and a scratch behind her left ear.
Al

Dennis, have you ever seen a black-necked sparrow? It is a touch smaller than its English cousin. Took this shot on Feb. 11th We have had them here almost the entire winter.




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Did the Siberian origin tagged sandhill crane that settled-in down your way last October ever get any local press? It was northeast of Las Cruces.
 
Good Morning Al,

Yes on the black neck sparrow, we have several here around the bird feeder.

Always a little cool up North (MT & SK Canada), we are spoiled here in NM.

Also, good to see that your eye site has improved, next season will be here before you know it.

Stay safe and healthy and say hello to Bev from Donna and I.

Dennis S.
Rio Rancho, NM
 
Rick, here is what I found when I went into the website of Bosque del Apache NWR.

They (sandhill cranes) come to Bosque del Apache from Siberia and Alaska. ?We are sort of connected to this place beyond our world scope with these birds that come from very far away,? says ranger Amanda Walker. 
 
Alaska Fish and Game estimates that at least 50,000 migrate across the Bering Strait into central Alaska to eventually funnel down the Central Flyway to your area.
 
Thanks for that, Rick. All of it quickly reminded me of the program that was conducted by the Fish and Game folks centering on where pintail ducks were flying when heading back to their breeding grounds. We quickly found out that they had much the same type of a migration pattern that the sandhill cranes used when heading up towards Alaska. The pintail had no problems whatsoever traversing between Siberia and Alaska. Then they gained more knowledge finding out that pintail would fly south of the Kamchatka peninsula and were using the northern islands of Japan for their breeding program. I can remember when I "think" it was in the state of Mississippi, when a hunter there shot a banded pintail one year. It was banded in Japan. It seems that the Great Circle got (smaller) back then.

Back to that program where banded pintails were released from Bosque del Apache, and a couple of spots from Texas, I believe. Anyway, they were all outfitted with tracking drivices and every day I would follow a few ducks that I had picked out of the group banded here in New Mexico and for us, this spot is just 12 miles from our front door! It sure was fun to watch where they would go on a daily basis.
Al
 
You're right, Al, they are amazing animals when you consider the rigors of their lives and migration extent. Beautiful photos.
 
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