Thanks for viewing the Balloon pictures!

Thanks to all for checking out and comments on the photos.

Yes that’s the Balloon! Amazing! If I didn’t have to work today i’d Go say howdy!
Thanks for checking out the photos!

Yet more Balloons!

More Balloons.

There were lots of "special shapes" this year. It was beautiful weather for the first day, and likely will be beautiful and ideal for much of the week!!

So much anxiety and anticipation of the trauma coming from the hurricane. My heart goes out to those leaving homes not knowing what they will come home to. Prayers for each and every person for whom this event will occupy their lives for a very long time coming. Lives altered, security terminated, most likely even loss of life. And I also must add, not because I'm advocating for its equivalent, but Florida has been a destination I've dreamed of for years as the ultimate for bird photography. Sadly, those magnificent bird populations are going to take a huge hit too...
Just a voice for open heartedness for all of life.

Thanks - they are magnificent birds!

Male wood ducks usually get the spotlight, but the colors of the female are quite spectacular too!!
Good shootin!!

Thanks folks for looking and responses. Long live the beauty of nature!

Vallecitos Lake is a beautiful spot located 30 miles East of Durango. Surrounded by lots of private land, some public camp grounds, a marina and some cabin resorts. Great place for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird and animal watching, and just general chillin to confirm that gravity is still operational at this altitude. Warblers pass through, but the ospreys are residents. We also saw a bear cub and heard of careless campers getting raided by momma bear at night. Beautiful country!

Thanks for all the responses... I usually use 1/2000 shutter speed. I recognize there could be reaction to sound of both auto focusing and/or shutter noise. I'm curious about the infra-red beam JR (above) mentions... Is that also a possibility? And how could I understand that better...?
Thanks again...

I have a hummingbird feeder on my apartment balcony, and at certain times of the morning, with certain light, I can sit in my living room and shoot hummers. Here's a couple "portraits" from this morning... The question is this - sometimes it seems as though the "focusing function" startles the bird. Is that a possibility? I don't know how activating focus works in terms of what is sent out and returned to the electronic mechanisms, but it there anything in that process that a bird would sense and react to?

Thanks rehess, This info exchange is a great way for planning and research for trips! I love near Bosque del Apache and visit at least a dozen times a season, so I don't want to travel all the way to NV for a "lesser experience". What I've been able to read has not been overly exciting, but I ran into a couple this spring who rated their birding experience there head and shoulders above the rest! They were rather convincing, but I've not been able to confirm what they were describing in terms of massive numbers of winter birds.

I've been researching Pahranagat NWR and trying to get a sense of how it compares to the Bosque del Apache in NM. Any folks who have been to both at prime times and could give opinions?
Thanks