Ahhh, time spent at Bosque is so good for the soul. I recently spent 9 days photographing at the refuge with friends. It was my 14th trip there and the earliest I have ever been there in the fall. There were not as many birds, as they were still in route on their migration to New Mexico. But the spectacular fall colors made for gorgeous backgrounds at many of our locations. The cottonwoods along the Rio Grande were ablaze in fiery oranges and yellows. What a sight to see this ribbon of color, meandering along the valley between the subtler hues of the surrounding mountains. Vibrant blue skies with occasional puffy white clouds completed the palette. Halfway through the week a massive cold front came from the north, bringing snow to the higher elevations and windy, colder conditions to the valley. It also brought the birds. Wave after wave of sandhill cranes and snow geese descended on the fields and ponds after riding the northerly winds, dramatically increasing the numbers of birds at the refuge. Then the first hard freeze of the season took place at night, taking all the color out of the cottonwoods and turning their leaves to a leather brown color. It was an incredible change in 24 hours.

I will be returning to Bosque soon for more, but for now here are some images I created during this past trip. Thanks for looking!