Snow Geese, Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro NM

This year’s trip to the Festival of the Cranes at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge was among my most productive trips, photographically. I came back with close to 900 keepers. This is a shot I try for every year. Snow Geese in full flight against the backdrop of the mountains that rim the valley. Clearly it is a “right place at the right time” kind of shot. This year I found a field of Geese in the process of relocating a half mile down the refuge, so small groups of Geese would take off, rise up in front of the mountain, and then a bit higher to clear the hedge line of tall trees between fields. I could get them with mountains like this, clearing the trees, and against blue sky. It was ideal, and I spent a half hour or more there trying different shots. In this shot the strength of the geese comes through. These are not delicate birds. And the rugged mountains behind highlight that strength. What appear as flecks in the upper right corner are, I think, distant Ravens out further over the foothills.

Nikon P900 at 950mm equivalent field of view. Shutter preferred. 1/640th @ ISO 100 @ f7.1 Processed in Lightroom.