I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I’d spent the better part of a day at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The main attraction there is a driving loop1 but there’s also a small garden, close to the Visitor Center, filled with wild birds who are a bit more used to the presence of humans than most I meet. One was the Gambel’s quail below, who was strutting his stuff as self-appointed King of the Seed Block.
The photo below shows a female pyrrhuloxia (also called a desert cardinal) giving me the stink eye. The pyrrhuloxia weren’t nearly as relaxed about my presence as the quail. It appeared they a) knew exactly what I was up to and b) weren’t having it. Still, we never see pyrrhuloxia as far north as Albuquerque, so I persisted in my photographic efforts.
The next bird — I don’t know, I think it’s some kind of sparrow. Maybe one of you knows what type it is?
Here’s a red-winged blackbird on a feeder. I love his coloring.
At one point on our drive around the loop, we saw a group of people along the side of the road, all gawking at a tree on the far side of a field. I glanced over to see what they were looking at and spotted a regal white head. I jumped out of the car to look through my telephoto lens … and realized there were two bald eagles in a single tree. I believe the eagle on the right is a female, and the other is a male.
I’ve learned that bald eagle females are larger than the males from watching a livestream of two other bald eagles incubating their eggs. Their names are Jackie and Shadow, they live in southern California, and they’re incubating three eggs right now.2 Just like many human couples, they’re obviously devoted to one another. They also talk to — and even bicker with — each other sometimes.
Back at the Visitor Center garden, several goldfinches flew in for a few moments; one of them is above.
Another Gambel’s quail posed for me in near-perfect light …
… And finally, a male pyrrhuloxia not-so-graciously allowed me to take his photo.
The nest is currently covered with snow — except for the center portion, where Jackie and Shadow have continuously been sitting on their eggs.
Love these bird pics!
Gorgeous pics with the beautiful New Mexico blue skies as a backdrop. The eagles are amazing! Thanks👍