In late December 2018, we drove from the RV park in Rio Rancho to nearby Corrales, New Mexico. We had previously walked into Corrales along the Bosque Trail from Trailhead Park. However, from there, we could see only the backsides of ranches and farms from the trail.
We wanted to take a closer look at this village along the Rio Grande.
What we didn’t expect to find were sandhill cranes. They were walking along the neighborhood streets. They were on front lawns, in fenced backyards and orchards.
Late January 2018, when we began our first assignment in Rio Rancho, we didn’t see the cranes. Shortly after arriving, we started hearing them. At first, we didn’t know what bird was making that distinct sound. We looked around the arroyo near the RV park and never saw them.
We didn’t find them because they were flying overhead — way over our heads. While researching the birds, we discovered they could be heard over two miles away and fly so high it is often hard to see them.
The cranes were already migrating north and wanted to see the birds making these sounds. When we returned to New Mexico in November 2018 and went to the Festival of the Cranes, we were hooked.
You can hear the sandhill cranes in the video we shot at the Festival of the Cranes.
Cranes in Corrales
Andy took many pictures of the sandhill cranes in Corrales during our December 2018 visit. Below is a sampling of our favorites. Click on the pictures to see full-size images.
Check out All About Birds for more information on the Sandhill Cranes. There are pictures of their chicks on this site!
Sandhill cranes were not the only fowl we saw in Corrales, New Mexico. This mallard was swimming in an irrigation drain.
