PC: Doreen Lawrence/sharetheexperience.org
- Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico is a popular spot for viewing and photographing sandhill cranes. The cranes migrate to the refuge for the winter, typically arriving in mid-October and peaking in late November and mid to late January. The refuge offers a variety of landscapes and opportunities to capture the cranes in their natural habitat, including during sunrise and sunset. Other highlights include sandhill cranes, snow geese, and various duck species. You can also observe other birds like hawks, eagles, and blackbirds, as well as mammals like mule deer, coyotes, and jackrabbits. The refuge also offers unique opportunities for birdwatching, wildlife photography, and enjoying the scenic beauty of the Rio Grande valley.
A few housekeeping items for this trip:
- The trip is limited to 12 people. If you are a couple that travels together, both people must be members AND both people must sign up for the field trip at the same time. There will be a waitlist for this event.
- You are responsible for your own travel arrangements AND your own hotel accommodations.
- The closest town to stay in with accommodations is Socorro, NM. It is 20 miles from the refuge. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g47216-Socorro_New_Mexico-Vacations.html
- A proposed itinerary for the trip will be sent out when the trip gets closer. The plans will include, but are not be limited to, sunrise and sunset shots at the refuge, and night sky if the conditions warrant it. You can easily fill your time in the middle of the day with sightseeing and hiking around towns close by.
- Albuquerque, NM is the best airport to fly into and is approximately a 2-hour drive to the refuge.