Hagerman NWR: December 2016, Part I

I've been watching the weather forecast for a week trying to find a day with clear skies to visit Hagerman again. I was 0-for-3 in my lifetime attempts to get decent snow geese pictures, with somewhat disappointing results in Colorado, New Mexico, and even at Hagerman last year. Reports were that there were still several thousand geese still on the refuge, but their numbers were dwindling as their wheat was running out.

All signs seemed to indicate that today was a good bet. Cooler temperatures than what we'd recently been enjoying, but the least cloud cover expected. And as is my custom, if I'm going out to shoot anyway and there's a chance for a sunrise, I might as well be there for it.

Days like today, I'm glad for that custom.

Skies looked promising as the night gave way to twilight on my drive.  Mostly clear, with an interesting cloud formation to the east.  I arrived at the refuge in plenty of time to scout a good position and start shooting well before the sun was up.  The long exposure resulted in both smooth clouds above and water below.

I switched to portrait orientation to get a foreground element in the scene, and I think I like it a little better this way.

As the sky warmed, the birds began to get active.  A great blue heron thoughtfully set up in a perfect spot to complement the scene.

Color was more fleeting than I'd hoped.  A hint of red crept into the clouds, but quickly vanished.

I stayed and continued to shoot until the sun crested the horizon.  The clouds were mesmerizing, and I was only slightly annoyed at the chemtrail cutting across the sky.

Switching lenses, I found the heron one more time and zoomed in on it for another silhouette against the golden backdrop of the water.

Already a great start to the trip, and not a single snow goose yet!