Bosque del Apache NWR - Feb. 2019

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I drove to New Mexico last Saturday, spent Sunday and Monday at Bosque del Apache NWR south of San Antonio and drove back to Denver on Tuesday. It was a little late in the year to see the largest number of migrating Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese but there were still enough birds around to make the trip worthwhile. A few of my favorite shots taken during the visit are shown below.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Northern Shovelers in flight
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter, handheld
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Female Northern Shoveler in flight
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter, handheld
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Male Northern Pintail Duck
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter, handheld
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 640

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Female Northern Pintail Duck
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter, handheld
1/2000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 800

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Greater Roadrunner
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter, handheld
1/2500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Wild Turkey
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter, handheld
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 3200

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Wild Turkey
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter, handheld
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 3200

Sandhill Crane
Nikon D500 camera, 500mm f/4 lens
1/3200 sec at f/5, ISO 250

Sandhill Crane
Nikon D500 camera, 500mm f/4 lens
1/2000 sec at f/4, ISO 1000

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sandhill Cranes Courtship Behavior
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens, handheld
1/800 sec at f/4, ISO 6400

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sandhill Cranes Courtship Behavior
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 lens, handheld
1/800 sec at f/4, ISO 6400

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David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.