Things could improve by the time you get here. Went to the big pond outside the park this morning very early but all the geese left last night, there might have been a hundred or so in the pond.
Sandhill Cranes and Bosque del Apache
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Things could improve by the time you get here. Went to the big pond outside the park this morning very early but all the geese left last night, there might have been a hundred or so in the pond.
Slim pickings right now but every day is a new day and the birds could fly in at any time. As of today a lot of Rosses geese and thousands of cranes at Ladd Gordon but not Bosque.
Stephen, have you been to Merced again recently, are the cranes still flying over?
I posted some crane shots in the wildlife presentation section, cranes in flight.
I went in early November which is early in the season. It tends to peak mid January and then in mid February when they plow the fields the cranes are said to be even easier to see/access. Their number is (209) 826-3508. If you call you'll almost certainly be asked to leave a message but the times I've called in the past they've always called back and been eager to share current status info, etc.
PabloPics
New member
I am planning to go Dec 7-8-9. Anybody have experience of places convenient to Bosque to boon-dock/camp for free overnight with a Van?
Just back. Numbers are down from what I remember from 5+ years ago. Enough to shoot in the morning but just barely. Main pond use to be filled w/ birds, now a small collection.
Did anyone notice if they were doing their mating dance.? I was able to capture that once. The ponds were so full it was hard to isolate a pair...I could only get a couple shots...
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Jim J
New member
We are there now. Saw lift off from the flight deck yesterday and today. Friday was good show today not so much.
Thursday we saw coyotes in the afternoon near the Eagle Scout platform.
Friday, got close pictures of cranes herons and ducks on the boardwalk on the south tour. Both North and South ponds have water.
Landing at the wetlands site off Hwy 1 has been good every night.
Birds in corn at Ladd Gordon. Can get good shots of them on the ground and overhead, plus some dancing on the ground.
Weather has been warm 70 deg. Yesterday. with some rain expected Dec 4.
Chiguy
Member
If you want to see thousands of Sandhill Cranes in one location as they migrate South check out Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area Indiana
www.in.gov
Fall Migration of Sandhill Cranes
View one of Indiana's greatest wildlife spectacles at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area.
www.in.gov
Curious about the viewing area. We have some sandhill cranes at wildlife refuges in TN. My experience (in TN) was that the viewing area was so restricted it was impossible to obtain decent images. Nothing like Bos…. That was years ago, and I haven’t gone back.If you want to see thousands of Sandhill Cranes in one location as they migrate South check out Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area Indiana
Fall Migration of Sandhill Cranes
View one of Indiana's greatest wildlife spectacles at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area.
Chiguy
Member
Viewing area is open and great its a long raised deck area about 20 high looking over the corn fields where they land
It's interesting to me how we all view things so differently, I suppose based on what type of image we want to get. For me, Bosque was not very good overall this year. Last year I got great close up shots of cranes in a pond that was filled for only two years, including last year but not this year. My first year there (2016) I experienced a fly off at the outside pond and I suppose that is what I base things on every year now: the fly off that year was incredible, thousands of geese that had crowded the pond flying right over my head, what a great experience that was. I've been there four times now, including the trip I just got back from. I did not find any of the viewing area platforms this year to be a place where I could get a closeup inflight shot, there were far away shots of birds in corn. There was a meager fly off at the outside pond, really very sad overall based on what I've seen it to be in the past. Overall I found Ladd Gordon to be a much better place for me to get the close up and inflight shots that I always try for. But, my best overall shot did come from Bosque, cranes landing near the road in beautiful light so going there each day to check it out did pay off. The fact that we all shoot differently and might look for different things is the reason I end up going someplace anyway, no matter what someone has said. Things in a wildlife refuge change on a daily basis and management does different things at different times and what I consider a non-shot might be exactly what someone else is looking for, it always pays to take the trip as far as getting the shot. I think next year at Ladd Gordon will be even better as they are working on a really large pond and if it is filled by then it should be a great place to shoot at and that will draw me again next year, just to check it out. Overall, some really good inflight shots from Ladd Gordon, good landing shots from Bosque, a few nice landscape shots, some shots of birds in the field that I think will be nice and some faraway fly off shots. I was wondering on the way home, a two-day trip, about 15 hours total, why I do this, though, as I now have hundreds of really nice shots of sandhill cranes in flight that nobody but me really cares about! But in wondering I think I have the answer, it's the challenge of trying to get that one really good shot that I know I'll love! So, I'll most likely head there again next year. Happy shooting!
Friend just returned from Bosque. He's a pro and has been there many years in the past. He stated that it was "very slow" and not very productive.
Maybe it will improve.....
Maybe it will improve.....
Your friend was right and hopefully he knew about Ladd Gordon. Great crane shots there. I felt a bit sorry for the town of Socorro because they held off on their Bosque crane festival and finally set a later date, which happened to be when I was there, because they thought there would be more birds. Luckily, there was a few more birds so people did have something to see, but not at all what used to show up there. They now land at Ladd Gordon.
Well...I arrived this afternoon very few birds. Two iPhone shots..One is the North pond about 20 min before sunset. The other from the flight deck at sunset. At the North pond there are more photographers set up with tripods than birds in the pond....In the morning I'm heading for Ladd Gordon...
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So where are they roosting at night? Any ideas?
At Ladd Gordon there are two ponds, one is by the area where the blinds are, the other one is too far away to get any shots. The pond there that you can shoot at is not very attractive as far as shots. A few are in the pond outside the park gates at Bosque and that pond is more attractive but has many fewer birds (this was last week) and more photographers than actual birds!
Thanks, we’ll be there next week so this info will be very helpful!
I went to Ladd Gorden this morning. Of course it didn’t work out.
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Darn, too bad, but maybe they'll dry out very soon, I hope so!
Very Helpful. We will be there next week also. Good to know to not go after a rain.
Tom
Tom
It's lookin up here. I called and found out Ladd Gordon trail is open. Went there this afternoon. I appears they had some gravel brought in and filled a couple (big) mud holes. I thought the cranes were acting al bit strange, but what do I know. While the fields were full of cranes, they were flying all around but not landing int he pond. That is until after sunset. This image was taken 30 minutes after sundown, the cranes, and some geese were filling the pond up. I think this is the only pond along the trail around Ladd Gordon. I'm wonder if a lot of these were new arrivals that were coming in.
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Now that I'm back here are my observations. There were many more Cranes at Ladd S Gordon, however they were all very distant. Mostly congregating at the back end of the fields. A huge stretch even for the guys that were able to get the 800PF. I viewed using binoculars, didn't even bother taking my 600 FL. At Ladd there is only one pond. I was there for two evenings waiting for the cranes and geese to land for the night. They didn't start arriving until after sunset, and started filling the farthest end of the pond. While fun to watch, not much of photo op (great background sunset)...At Bos the cranes were congregating at the front of the fields) within a stones throw of the road. The geese were moving around a couple days they were in a flooded field next to the road on the back side of the North loop. I don't think it was intentionally flooded, but a result of the previous rain (maybe).The Fly off, for three mornings I was there (disclaimer) wasn't at the flight deck, even thought there were a lot geese there. The pond they flew off from was at the intersection the main entrance road, the North Farm loop, and Marsh loop. Near the entrance for the Ria Viejo Trail..With the trees it was very difficult to view from the main road, I made the left turn onto the Farm loop road, and stopped after a few hundred feet. There were not many geese, with the weather changing their may be many more now.
The North pond had very few Cranes, and they were coming in late, at sunset and after. The good news is that they are much closer there is the possibility of a good sunset for a background. The numbers seemed to be increasing everyday, next week may be entirely different..Also the weather is changing.
The North pond had very few Cranes, and they were coming in late, at sunset and after. The good news is that they are much closer there is the possibility of a good sunset for a background. The numbers seemed to be increasing everyday, next week may be entirely different..Also the weather is changing.
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