The last day of the 31st Annual Festival of the Cranes at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge was Saturday, November 17. Excited to see sandhill cranes up close, we loaded the dogs in the car and drove 115 miles south from Rio Rancho to the wildlife refuge.
The Bosque del Apache Refuge, located in San Antonia, New Mexico, is known for the tens of thousands of cranes, geese, and ducks that winter there each year.
We arrived at the Visitor Center parking lot at about 1:30 pm. Because we saw other dogs on leashes, we brought the girls into the festival area.
Inside the large tent, we saw owls and other wildlife.
After we had walked through the festival tents and displays, we went back to our car to drive through the refuge on the auto tour loop. The first place we stopped was the Boardwalk, where we walked the Sparrow Loop Trail with the dogs.
On the ranger’s advice, which gave us the map, we took the south loop’s seasonal road, hoping to see some cranes. We saw a few through the
We continued on the scenic drive, hoping to get a better view of the sandhill cranes. Stopping at the parking lot near the Coyote Deck, overlooking the Rio Grande, we saw many people at the shoreline. Snow geese and sandhill cranes were feeding near the shore.
The Rangers were trying to keep onlookers behind the signs. However, with more cars constantly stopping, it wasn’t easy to keep everyone back. Photographers were setting up to capture the beautiful sight.
Suddenly, the snow geese rose as one into the air. They swooped down towards the water, then rose again, some flying east, others flying west. Then, the two groups flew back towards us, swooping and rising again and again. It appeared as if they were performing for the crowd gathered along the shore.
When they had settled back into the water, we returned to the car and completed the north loop tour.
On our way out of the wildlife refuge along Hwy 1, we stopped one last time at the Wetland Roost. It was close to sunset, and the sandhill cranes were starting to gather for the evening. According to the Bosque del Apache website, the migratory fowl overnight in the water for protection from predators
As the sun neared the horizon, the number of cranes flying overhead increased.
If you get a chance to visit the Bosque del Apache in November, December, or January, we recommend that you stay until sunset. Watching the birds fly in, and land is an amazing experience.
For more pictures of the Sandhill Cranes, check out our post, Corrales New Mexico’s Winter Guests – Sandhill Cranes. We captured pictures of them walking the streets!
You can also find Sandhill Cranes at the area’s newest wildlife refuge, located on the south side of Albuquerque. This post provides an overview of the area – An Urban Oasis – Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
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