One of the booths we stopped at during the Festival of the Cranes featured the area’s newest refuge, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.
Designated as a wildlife refuge in 2012, Valle de Oro is located only seven miles south of downtown Albuquerque on the Rio Grande’s east bank. The sanctuary, occupying 570 acres of a former dairy farm, is the Southwest’s first urban wildlife refuge.
We visited Valle de Oro on a Saturday in mid-December. The sky was overcast, and the temperature was in the mid-40s. We dressed warmly and put sweaters on Sadie. The cold air would not stop us from getting much-needed ‘outdoor therapy.’
The refuge didn’t have a visitor center yet, and native habitats were in the process of restoration. However, that didn’t stop migratory fowl from making this new refuge a winter home.
We drove on the road along the field to reach the parking lot near the Outdoor Campus. On the way, we stopped for a few pictures of the sandhill cranes along the Barr Interior Drain.
The trailhead is a short distance from the parking lot. Max and Sadie were ready to get out of the car and hit the trail!
We walked the gravel trail that ran parallel to the drain until we saw a path that led into the wooded area.
The dirt trail led us through the trees and into a sandy area near the Rio Grande. Along the way, I saw Canadian Geese flying overhead.
When we reached the water’s edge, we found more geese.
We heard the distinct call of a sandhill crane and automatically looked toward the sky.
After completing the trail and getting back in the car, we drove along the field toward the entrance. In the distance, this lone coyote was watching the geese. He turned to leave when we stopped to take pictures.
While at the refuge, we saw joggers, fishermen, and other dog lovers exercising their pets. As restoration is completed, the popularity of the urban wildlife refuge will certainly grow.
For more photos of sandhill cranes, check out Corrales New Mexico’s Winter Guests – Sandhill Cranes.