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by calvin1calvin on Sun Dec 10, 2017 1:23 pm
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Have not seen any posts regarding the Bosque this year.  Are photographers travelling to the Bosque in lower numbers this year?  I did not go to Bosque this year because I have been almost every year since 2006.  I decided to give it a "rest" this year and look for other opportunities.  Normally the forum has someone posting and requesting information on the Bosque by this time.  Just curious about others thoughts.      
 

by whitedog2 on Sun Dec 10, 2017 9:50 pm
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I spent the first week of December there with several friends. Weather was our enemy, with a stalled winter front, heavy gray clouds and no sunrise/sunset color. Got one good day of photography out of a 5 day trip. The place was over-run with photographers and at least 5 different workshops. I have shot the 1st week of December at least every other year for the last 10 years and have never seen so many people onsite at this time of the year. People were in place 1.5 hours before nominal sunrise just to get a parking spot along the ponds north of the entrance. Cars double-stacked in the parking areas and along both sides of the roads. Only one pond with significant water, so all the birds were using it for night roost. At least 2,000 cranes onsite, and 3 or 4 times that in snow geese. Few ducks and other waterfowl. Think I saw one cormorant. Several eagles resident along with the usual raptors, but fewer than in past years. Saw quite a few deer, but no javilina and no elk. Saw few birds in the southern loop. The refuge has opened the northern loop with an extension into the far north end with its corn fields. Every morning the geese and cranes were heading there after sunrise. Cranes would spread out as usual, but geese would eventually cluster near the road by mid morning for some good blast-off scenes. You just had to wait them out. I really miss the early November shooting with its better landscape colors, but the birds are simply not arriving in any numbers till near the end of month. I will probably move to the second week of December next year. Apparently the refuge staff are no longer doing (or at least not publishing) daily bird counts.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Sun Dec 10, 2017 9:53 pm
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whitedog2 wrote:The place was over-run with photographers and at least 5 different workshops.  I have shot the 1st week of December at least every other year for the last 10 years and have never seen so many people onsite at this time of the year.  People were in place 1.5 hours before nominal sunrise just to get a parking spot along the ponds north of the entrance.  Cars double-stacked in the parking areas and along both sides of the roads. 
And that is exactly why I have essentially no desire to ever go there again :(

I was going there way back in 1984 and even in the Thanksgiving week I was often the only person on the refuge...
 

by Brian E. Small on Sun Dec 10, 2017 11:16 pm
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E.J. Peiker wrote:
whitedog2 wrote:The place was over-run with photographers and at least 5 different workshops.  I have shot the 1st week of December at least every other year for the last 10 years and have never seen so many people onsite at this time of the year.  People were in place 1.5 hours before nominal sunrise just to get a parking spot along the ponds north of the entrance.  Cars double-stacked in the parking areas and along both sides of the roads. 
And that is exactly why I have essentially no desire to ever go there again :(

I was going there way back in 1984 and even in the Thanksgiving week I was often the only person on the refuge...

You and me both E.J..................the place ain't what it used to be I'm afraid.  Loved to death and over commercialized by workshop groups and leaders.
 

by scorless on Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:52 pm
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I just spent 3 days there and found it to be very enjoyable. Yes there were people there but the only place it seemed like there were too many was at the pond in the morning. Even then I had no problem getting a great spot directly opposite the cranes that were the closest. I have been going for 20 years and several times a year so have seen all the people and have seen it over run.

I personally think we are starting to see a major change in the refuge. There is more corn there then we have seen in 8-9 years. There are also a number of other fields planted in feed that the birds are really enjoying. The refuge workers who are out every day in the field everyday are estimating 20000 cranes this year. In the past 10 to 12 years they have average about 12000 at the peak. The birds are staying on the refuge this year since they have so much food. There are lots of other birds that are showing up because of the abundance of food. As a regular we are seeing a chance that is very exciting. Much of the success is being attributed to firing of the farmers and a couple of young refuge works who said we can grow corn and let us try. They  did and have been totally successful. 

I did a 4 hour tour on Sat. (something I have talked about doing for years). We visited several arears not open to the public and there are a lot of great things going on. We were told on the tour that they are hoping to reopen the old north farm loop again next year. 

As a photographer it is not easy during the day since they have closed the old north farm loop. However, if you are patient and find the right light there are some interesting locations when you take the far north loop and come around on the west side. I was reasonable successful and came home with several nice images as well as many from birds I had no idea I would be able to photograph down there this time of the years. 

By the second or third week of Dec. most of the tours have come and gone and most others will not brave the cold. Some of my best images have come in Jan. and Feb. I guess what I am saying is that if you want a place to photograph that does not have others BDA is probable not a good choice. However, if you are willing to put up with the cold and a few don't give up on BDA. Its coming back and most likely is gong to be a pretty amazing place to get to photograph. 

Of course if you choose not to come all the better for me.
Sandy Corless
 

by calvin1calvin on Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:46 pm
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I am going to return next year, after this year not going, but thinking of going later in Dec or early Jan. I found if you look past the birds and wildlife that the landscape and trees with the "Bosque" light makes some amazing images. I would prefer to go earlier when the Cottonwoods had some color but it seems the birds are not there in large numbers at that time.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:34 pm
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calvin1calvin wrote:I am going to return next year, after this year not going, but thinking of going later in Dec or early Jan.  I found if you look past the birds and wildlife that the landscape and trees with the "Bosque" light makes some amazing images.  I would prefer to go earlier when the Cottonwoods had some color but it seems the birds are not there in large numbers at that time.
The best compromise in that regard would probably be around Nov 15
 

by calvin1calvin on Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:47 pm
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Thanks EJ.
 

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