I spent three days in Bosque del Apache (Spanish for "Woods of the Apache"), a wildlife preserve in southern New Mexico and one of the preeminent sites in the US for photographing migratory birds. The "Bosque" Reserve is located near the small town of San Antonio, 9 miles south of Socorro and an hour and a half south of Albuquerque.

During my visit, it was estimated by park staff that there were approximately 40,000 Snow Geese, 33,500 Ducks, 6,765 Sandhill Cranes and 2 Bald Eagles resident in the park. In addition, there were about 100 photographers lurking around the various ponds and fields throughout the Loop Drive. I have never seen so much high-end photography equipment in one location before. Most photographers were sporting 500mm and 600mm super telephoto lenses and various secondary telephoto zoom lenses in the 300-400mm range.

I started each day in the very cold (20 degrees) pre-dawn darkness, locating the huge gaggle's of snow geese in the ponds, so I could be witness to what is called, "lift off," the moment when the sun first strikes the water and thousands of birds take to flight all at the same time. This was not only a spectacular sight, but the sound of all those honking geese, combined with their wings beating the air, was amazing. It's really organized chaos because by some miracle, it seemed like no two birds ever collided even though they all take off in different directions.

Each evening, as the sun begins to set, the birds gather from across the park and fly, in amazing formations, back to the ponds to seek safety within the water. Watching them land in groups, in large numbers, is equally amazing and entertaining to watch. I spent as much time just watching them as I did trying to capture photos of their behavior.

The Bosque Refuge is an amazing place, especially if you're into birds and bird photography. This was my first serious attempt at bird photography and I came away from this trip with a new respect for those who pursue it, because I found it very difficult to get the shots I wanted. If you ever find yourself in Southern New Mexico, it's worth a quick drive through, ideally in the early morning or late afternoon.