Western Tanager, Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood. 05-24-2023

Geraint May 24, 2023 14 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal and beyond. Western Tanagers have frequented our garden every year in the past. I have never seen so many all at once as I have this year. Yesterday I had to cut them off from the suet. The Western Tanagers frenzy feeding, and flying around erratically bumping into the windows bringing to mind images of drunken sailors. During a respite, I spotted this little guy after he’d wiped his beak clean of the suet on the bark of the flowering pear tree.

Here’s a list of birds in the garden over three days this week.

Birds 05-20/21/22-2023

Cassin’s Finch
Spotted Towhee
Pine Siskin
Black-headed Grosbeak
European Starling
Evening Grosbeak
Common Raven
Pinyon Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Eurasian Collared Dove
American Robin
Western Tanager
White-breasted Nuthatch
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
American Crow
House Sparrow
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Canyon Towhee
Bullock’s Oriole
House Finch
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (the app ID’d it three times but not confirmed).
Common Grackle. (Could be the crow with a sore throat).

Onward!

Pueblo Peak (Taos Mountain) has been and always will be my muse. It is what has kept me drawn to the area I call home. My other muse is my version of “Monet’s Haystacks Series”… the cottonwood tree and red willows growing along an acequia in Arroyo Hondo, a hamlet just south of San Cristobal.

I shot this image a few days ago on May 21, 2023. The second image was taken on May 21, 2022

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood and willows — Cottonwood and willows along the acequia, Arroyo Hondo.

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood willows — Arroyo Hondo cottonwood.

As you can see in the second picture the greening up of the willows was about a week more advanced this time last year. The cottonwood is more or less similar in both years.

Continue scrolling to see more images from this series in previous seasons.

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo fall cottonwood.

Taos Mountain, Arroyo Hondo, cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo cottonwood, with Taos Mountain.

Red Willows, Cottonwood Tree, Arroyo Hondo — Red Willows and cottonwood tree.

Red Willows and cottonwood tree — Winter willows with cottonwood tree.

This year I’ll be working on a shot of the tree, willows, and valley in summer’s full glory.

There are other images of this scene in my archive. A search will reveal more.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments and compliments, and as always. thank you for looking. G

Cottonwood, Willows, Abiquiu Movie Set, Petroglyph Panels

Geraint October 27, 2021 12 Comments

Every time I go to town I pass this scene and often make an image documenting it at various times of day and in different seasons. It’s definitely a favorite on the drive, and I always slow down for a look. Sorry to all the other drivers rushing to or from work!

I posted a few images of this mini church from the Ghost Ranch movie set before. In the second image, I got an angle from the front with the door open, revealing the cross on the sanctuary wall. I added the candlelight for effect, after all, it is a movie set. I had fun playing in Photoshop® this week.

Pami and I made a short trip out to Abiquiu Lake last weekend. I’m grateful for all the photographer clients I was able to introduce to this area over the last couple of months. So after a dozen or so visits to Abiquiu, it was time for a personal day out.

Cerro Pedernal, Abiquiu, Lake — Cerro Pedernal with Abiquiu Lake.

Check out these petroglyph panels along the Rio Grande, in Velarde, NM. My particular favorite is the “pink panther” lower left!

Join me on a Photo Tour Workshop and I’ll introduce you to some of my favorite locations.

As always. Thank you for stopping in and looking. Stay well. G

Foggy Morning, Moonrise, Rio Grande Cloud, Abiquiu Photo Tour.

Geraint July 28, 2021 6 Comments

From fog in the Arroyo Hondo Valley to a full moon rise over Taos Mountain. From a photo tour/workshop in Abiquiu and the Rio Chama Valley to a large cloud over the Taos Valley, Taos Mountain, and the Rio Grande Gorge.

It’s been all go for the last month with tours. I have a few more tours coming up and then a short break for a couple of days following up on some personal work. I’m grateful for the photography tours and workshops and the wonderful photography clients I get to work with.

In the first two photos, I got up and out early to shoot the moon setting. Well, it set, right into a big bank of fog. So I shot the fog lifting in the Arroyo Hondo Valley just south of where I intended to catch the moon. Fog is a rare occurrence in this area, but we’ve had so much rain recently that it was only a matter of time until it filled the valleys.

Fog in Arroyo Hondo, NM — A foggy morning in Arroyo Hondo, northern NM

Fog in Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico — A tree in the fog in Arroyo Hondo, northern NM

In the following shot, I sat out on the deck waiting for the nearly full moon to appear from behind Taos Mountain. When it did, it had a pinkish hue to it from the fire smoke in the atmosphere. It was still beautiful nonetheless.

Full Moon rise Taos Mountain — Nearly full moonrise over Taos Mountain from the deck in San Cristobal, NM

The cloud below formed very quickly and filled the sky from Taos to the west of the Rio Grande Gorge. I had to shoot three frames and stitch them together to capture the immense size. I liked the corkscrew-looking form. I’d not seen one like it before.

Lastly, a fun panorama shot at the Rio Chama overlook in Abiquiu with William, a client on a cross-country road trip who stopped in Taos and joined me for a three-day photo tour.

Fun on a photo tour/workshop in Abiquiu, Rio Chama, NM

As always, thank you for looking. G

Arroyo Hondo Valley, Mountain Moonrise, NM

Geraint October 29, 2020 2 Comments

Arroyo Hondo Valley and a Mountain Moonrise, northern New Mexico. We went out to watch the moon rising and pick up some peach pie. On the way home, we stopped numerous times to photograph the moon and landscape. We pulled over in the Arroyo Hondo Valley with one of its residents enjoying a cool drink in the snowmelt and munching on some soft green shoots with the moon watching over it all. Remember the “blue moon” on Saturday, the second full moon of October. Thanks for looking. G

Taos Mountain, Arroyo Hondo, Cottonwood

Geraint February 15, 2020 4 Comments

Taos Mountain, cottonwood, red willows in the Arroyo Hondo valley. I’ve said it before, some times it’s just about what’s there in front of you. This scene presents itself often. So, while the cottonwood is front and center, with scattered homes on the hill sides, it’s not so bad a feast for the eyes. All capped off by Taos Mountain. (Pueblo Peak). Thanks for looking. G

Red Willows, Cottonwood Tree, Arroyo Hondo

Geraint January 11, 2020 No Comments

Red willows, cottonwood tree, Arroyo Hondo, NM. In fact, the willows were so hot, I had to back off the reds and yellows that came out of the camera to make them look less cooked! I love it when the soft reds of early winter start turning towards the orange spectrum. They make the countryside feel warmer on these very cold days. Thanks for looking. G

Sangre De Cristo Mountains, Last Light

Geraint October 28, 2019 No Comments

Sangre De Cristo Mountains, last light from the Arroyo Hondo Valley, NM. On the drive home this evening we pulled over a few times. When the sun had set, the light levels on the mountains gave “twilight” a whole new meaning. Thanks for looking. G

Taos Mountain Moon Rise

Geraint May 17, 2019 1 Comment

Taos Mountain Moonrise. The moon rose well to the south this evening, so we didn’t have to go very far to watch the moon rise over Taos Mountain. A few wispy clouds and the last light on the mountain made for not only a nice photo op, but also a beautiful evening. Thanks for looking. G

Hawk Tree, Arroyo Hondo, NM

Geraint April 21, 2019 No Comments

Hawk tree, Red-tailed Hawk in Arroyo Hondo, NM. Our resident Red-tailed, frequents three locations. A high cottonwood with a view of the east and west valleys. This tree, with a more specific view of the meadows, supplemented with an old snag on the opposing, west side of the highway with grand coverage of the marsh lands and horse pastures. If these are the only places, then it has got the valley covered. I’m sure it knows more than I do. Thanks for looking. G

Prayer Flags With Crescent Moon

Geraint December 9, 2018 No Comments

Prayer flags with the crescent moon this evening over Arroyo Hondo, NM. A crystal clear sky with the waxing moon. Such a beautiful, simple composition, nothing wanting or lacking. Thanks for looking. G

Geraint Smith Photography

Tag: Arroyo Hondo Valley