Why I walk in the Bosque Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque on September 20, 2025. #nature #naturephotography

This great blue heron (Ardea herodias) flew into a tree at Tingley Beach, and stared down at the water from there. Checking out the possibilities for fish, no doubt. Photo taken on September 20, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A male belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) keepin an eye on the main pond at Tingley Beach. The unused nest was made by Tingley's seasonal population of neotropic cormorants. Photo taken on September 20, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

An immature or nonbreeding adult American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) at Zia Reservoir, New Mexico on September 18, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A nonbreeding/immature spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) at Zia Reservoir, New Mexico on September 18, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A Brewer's sparrow (Spizella breweri), probably on its way south. Photo taken at the Whitfield Conservation Area near Belén, New Mexico on September 17, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A male brimstone clubtail (Stylurus intricatus) in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque on September 16, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #dragonfly

Sometimes a close-up portrait of a bird does a better job of capturing its essence than a full-body image. Or so I feel. I saw this canyon towhee (Melozone fusca) in lower Bluewater Canyon on September 15, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A common raven (Corvus corax) fluffing out its throat feathers. It's perched on a sign at a travel stop, where it can watch for dropped food. Photo taken in Grants, New Mexico on September 15, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Lower Bluewater Canyon, which snakes through public land in Cibola County, N.M., not far from Grants. The 2 mile long trail along the canyon bottom begins at a BLM parking area just outside the canyon's mouth. Photo taken on November 15, 2025.

A male bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) in Acid Canyon, Los Alamos on September 14, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A male widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque on September 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #dragonfly

Under a New Mexico sky, an immature male rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) takes a well-deserved break. It's about halfway through its 1500+ mile migration from its summer home to its winter home. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque on September 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

This very young red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is in no hurry for the summer to end. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque on September 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #turtle

They make it look so easy... An immature great blue heron (Ardea herodias) gliding in for a landing. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque on September 10, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) seems to be giving me the hairy eyeball. That's not an actual pupil, though, but an optical effect known as a pseudopupil. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque on September 10, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #moth

A blue fungus beetle (Cypherotylus californicus) perches on top of a woolly mullein seed spike. Notice anything odd about the antennae? Photo taken in the Magdalena Mountains of central New Mexico on September 8, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #beetle

In Albuquerque, you know fall is in the air when you start seeing clusters of hot air balloons. Including one shaped like a cement truck. Photo taken on September 9, 2025.

(Reposted with a revised ID.) A Western flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) resting on a woolly mullein seed spike. Photo taken in the North Fork of Water Canyon, Magdalena Mountains, central New Mexico, on September 8, 2025.

Looking down Water Canyon in the Magdalena Mountains. The peak in the middle distance is, I believe, Polvadera Mountain. On the horizon, the Sandias are left of center and the Manzanos are to the right. Photo taken on September 5, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #mountain

Don't you hate it when someone interrupts your lunch? This female/immature MacGillivray's Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) was getting ready to enjoy a caterpillar in the shade when I showed up. Photo taken in Socorro, New Mexico on September 5, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

An alpine meadow on the flank of South Baldy, which at 10,783 feet is the highest point in the Magdalena Mountains of central New Mexico. Photo taken on September 5, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #mountain

A female or immature male MacGillivray's Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) in the Rio Grande Bosque this morning. Probably on its way south. Photo taken on September 4, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

This female or immature black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) spent a lot of time checking me out this morning. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque on September 4, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

For a "horny toad" (greater short-horned lizard, Phrynosoma hernandesi), blending in is a key to survival. Photo taken in 4th of July Canyon, Manzano Mountains, New Mexico on September 1, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #lizard

A rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus) in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 24, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #mammal #squirrel

A lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) on a dead sunflower. Photo taken in Albuquerque, N.M. on August 24, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Two least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) hoping for something to eat. Photo taken on August 24, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A shutter speed of 1/1250 second wasn't enough to freeze the tips of the tongue on this Western smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi). Photo taken in Fourth of July Canyon on August 22, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #snake

A mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque on August 16, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Looking south along the crest of the Sandias from Kiwanis Cabin, on August 19, 2025. #sandiamountains

A male common whitetail (Plathemis or Libellula lydia) in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 16, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #dragonfly

Coralbells (pink alumroot, Heuchera sp.) in the upper Sandias on August 17, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

Because who doesn't like a picture of a red columbine (Aquilegia elegantula)? Photo taken in the upper Sandias on May 19, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A female brimstone clubtail (Stylurus intricatus) soaking up some rays next to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, on August 18, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #dragonfly

If this looks like a monarch to you, that's because in northern New Mexico, viceroys (Limenitis archippus) mimic monarchs. I saw this viceroy "puddling" for nutrients in the Rio Grande Bosque on August 16, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #butterfly

With the sun behind her, this female flame skimmer (Libellula saturata) is partly translucent. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 17, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #dragonfly

A male blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) singing from the top of a dead wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 17, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

An "Arizona" bordered patch (Chlosyne lacinia crocale) nectaring on four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens). Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque on August 16, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #butterfly

This young red squirrel (Tamiasciurus fremonti) was as interested in me as I was in it. Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains, New Mexico on August 13, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #squirrel

As I watched, a red squirrel dug up something from the forest floor, hopped on a branch, and began eating. Apparently the local population is now classified as Tamiasciurus fremonti. Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico on August 13, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #squirrel

With a tongue like this, who needs a straw? I saw this female/immature broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) at Capulin Spring, in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, on May 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

The next time you think you see a black bumblebee in the Southwest, look again. It might be a Mexican cactus fly (Copestylum mexicanum). The larvae feed on cactus but the adult foods include nectar and pollen. Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains on August 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #fly

A female red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) pauses on a cutleaf coneflower stem. She's ignoring the aphids (Uroleucon sp.) and the ant tending to them. Photo taken at Capulin Spring in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, on August 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds #aphids

A female or immature Grace's warbler (Setophaga graciae) at Capulin Spring, Sandia Mountains, New Mexico on August 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A juvenile hummingbird in a nest, high in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico. The adults zipping around the area are all broad-tailed hummingbirds (Selasphorus platycercus), so this juvenile probably is one as well. Photo taken on August 11, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds #hummingbird

A juvenile green heron (Butorides virescens), one of two I saw hanging out together in the Rio Grande Bosque this morning. Broodmates is my guess. Photo taken in Albuquerque, NM on August 7, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus) whose morning bath I interrupted. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque on August 6, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) on, I think, fleabane (Erigeron sp.). Photo taken in the upper Sandias on August 4, 2025. #nature #naturephotography #butterfly

A cluster of dusky penstemon (Penstemon whippleanus) flowers in the upper Sandia Mountains of New Mexico on August 4, 2025. The type specimen for this species was collected in the Sandias by John Milton Bigelow in 1853. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers