New Mexico Bird Finds….And Other Critters
Enjoying the scenery each day we traveled early-on, I would occasionally see a bird in flight or on a post along the highway, and wondered out loud, “Oooooooh, what kind of bird was that?” Hubby would reply, “Honey, if you don’t know, I don’t know”. I would see so many that would be lifers for me if I could have snapped a shot!
Okay, maybe those first long days on the road with no bird photography started to work my mind. I took this next photo out my window as we cruised along. Finally, a bird capture! Maybe a duck or goose!
Well, I do see a duck or goose coming in for a landing, wings spread & feet dangling. Don’t you?
When we finally arrived at our first several-day stopover in Gallup, New Mexico, I stepped off and heard birds. Hallelujah! It wasn’t 10 minutes before I was walking around, camera in hand, looking for them in the trees.
In the few days before leaving New Mexico, here’s some of my best captures all taken at the campground, starting with two new lifers.
Ringed Turtle-Dove (new “lifer” but poor photo)
Western Kingbird (another new “lifer”)
There were so many Western Kingbirds, I had a blast trying to capture them.
The following are other birds that I’ve photographed before, but it’s always a treat to attempt to capture some special ones of them again.
American Robin
American Kestrel (I wish I had been a whole lot closer to him!)
Rock Pigeons
House Sparrow
House Finch
Not too bad for a campground in the desert!
We had a few other critters as well…..
You had to watch you didn’t step on a lizard while they scurried away!
I’ll have one more post from New Mexico to share, a visit to Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and then it’ll be Arizona’s beauty & fun where we are at the present. FYI, we are not in an area with triple-digit temps or any forest fires, thank goodness!!