Birds of Bosque 2012 – Diary Part 4 – Final Entry

Copyright Scott Bourne 2011 - All Rights Reserved

Here’s the previous installment of the Bosque diary…

My (mostly) annual Thanksgiving trip to Bosque del Apache near Socorro, New Mexico is finished. I must say that on some levels it was very frustrating (i.e., the bird counts were WAY down) but still rewarding (i.e., peaceful and tranquil.)

It’s funny, but the more I think I know the Bosque, the less I really do. I had some grand ideas for this trip but circumstances got in the way. No biggie, I always have a good time there. But this trip was special because I am pretty sure it really is my last to this area. It’s time to spend Thanksgiving somewhere else.

Copyright Scott Bourne 2011 - All Rights Reserved

Once I realized that things weren’t going as planned, I simply decided to go with the flow. This was the right decision. I ended up getting some images I really like, which is hard since I’ve been to Bosque so many times getting something new is tough.

I switched my focus (no pun intended) to a theme approach. I simply looked for images that were peaceful or that brought me tranquility. Once I shifted my thinking in that direction, I started “seeing” things I would have missed otherwise.

The image at the top of this post is an example of what I went for. It’s not the best photo I’ve ever made at Bosque del Apache, but it did leave me feeling tranquil. That was the goal.

Copyright Scott Bourne 2011 - All Rights Reserved

There’s no way for me to adequately express the emotions I feel for Bosque. It’s all about the birds. With them gone, I’ll simply have to find another place to commune with them. In the mean time, I hope that following this diary has helped those of you either thinking of going there or somewhere similar. The main takeaways are:

1. Be patient
2. Pay attention
3. Hope for a little luck
4. Have a theme
5. Don’t forget the goal

Thanks for following the diary. I hope you’ve enjoyed the images.

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