The Sandhill Crane in flight is an awesome sight. These birds are large with very long legs and they fly with their legs straight out behind. I photographed this Adult Sandhill at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The Sandhill Cranes gather in enormous flocks in winter and forage for grain on many of the open grasslands and cornfields. They regularly use this National Wildlife Refuge as their wintering grounds. The vast numbers of Cranes are an impressive sight.

The Bufflehead is one of the fastest ducks in flight that I have ever attempted to photograph, they are like little rockets!. They are very small diving ducks and are a treat to watch. They pop up and down on the water and take off in flight from the water’s surface, looking like they are walking on the water. In flight they dart around very rapidly and unpredictably. If you have ever tried to photograph a Kingfisher in flight, the Bufflehead is just as challenging!

This Male Mallard is very common but look at that bright green head. It’s coloring is like a color wheel with the green, yellow and orange hues all on one bird (ok it’s a duck)

They do this all the time……A Male Northern Pintail Duck landing, maintaining control during rapid deceleration with a high angle of attack with feathers showing wings in a stall! The feather’s design allows the tip feathers to rotate to a lower angle of attack and avoid stall.  A ‘short pond landing’.

These Cuckoos are very familiar in the American Southwest.  They run on the ground beside the road (might be how they got their name?) and look like a cartoon character! This one stopped in the shadows beside the road and gave me the opportunity to get a close up look at him (or her).