Last month while Bill and I were in New Mexico we had the chance to photograph an incredible sunrise at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro. This was one of locations we photographed at as part of Alain and Natalie Briot’s Bosque del Apache and White Sands workshop.

Our first morning at Bosque was December 5 – and the only way to describe the weather was freezing cold. It was something like 12 degrees – before the wind chill. Fortunately, we had packed our heavy winter coats, long underwear, gloves and hats for the trip. We’d also stopped off at a local store to pick up some hand an feet warmers. Even with all this preparation – it was freezing cold standing outside for a couple of hours for sunrise.

But it was worth it. This sunrise at Bosque was one of the most beautiful sunrises I saw in 2009. The sky was an everchanging array of colors and clouds. The marsh was frozen. The best way to describe it was a contrast of fire in the sky – and ice on the ground. All morning – the colors in the sky were reflected on the ice.

We were photographing from an overlook known as the Flight Deck. This location is very popular with people who are visiting Bosque to see the birds. Each night – thousands of birds overnight in the ponds and marshes of the refuge. Many of the geese and cranes spend the nights near the Flight Deck. So in the morning  just before dawn, there is an incredible moment when thousands of birds take off, circle around the sky, and head off to spend the day foraging for food. We were fortuate enough to see this the morning we were at the Flight Deck.

As the sun’s rays began to peek above the horizon, the light reflected off the clouds making the sky look like it was on fire.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

When the snow geese took flight – they filled the air. Seeing the huge group of the flying was incredible. I’d heard how wonderful it was to see the birds take flight from the marsh at Bosque, but until I saw it in person – I had no idea how magnificent it could be.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

As the sun continued to rise – the clouds higher in the sky took on amazing shades of pink.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

When I realized how beautiful the entire sky was lighting up, I turned and looked 180 degrees away from where the sun was coming up. The opposite was bathed in a beautiful golden light – with pale pink clouds in the sky

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

And finally, some of the marsh grasses frozen in the ice. One of the amazing aspects of the morning was how the colors in the sky were reflected in the ice.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Once the sun was up – we headed back into town for breakfast. Everyone drank lots of coffee or tea as we attempted to warm up. I have no idea when I’ll next get back to Bosque del Apache, but I know I will head back there one day and I can only hope to see another sunrise as magnificent as the one I saw in December 2009.