Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge

Monday: Moved to San Antonio and the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Before we left on this trip, Johnna said she wanted to stop at the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge 20 miles south of Socorro New Mexico. So Monday November 1st we drove the 200 or so miles from Taos, past Socorro, to San Antonio and settled into an RV park five miles north of the park entrance.

The refuge is 57,191 acres of arid foothills and mesas, permanent wetlands, seasonal wetlands, cultivated areas and riparian areas adjacent to the Rio Grande river. The primary tourist area is about 12,900 acres of moist bottomlands accessed by a 12 mile graded road. In addition to the main roads there are over ten miles of walking trails. Observation decks are located at strategic locations for viewing and photographing.

We had lots of time in the afternoon so we visited the information center and took a preliminary drive around the refuge to familiarize ourselves with access roads and get some idea of the best times to see the birds.

This time of year there are hundreds of Sandhill Cranes and snow Geese to observe and photograph. We were too early for The Festival of the Cranes, held this year November 16th through the 19th. It might be for the best, local residents told us that upwards of 200,000 visitors come into the area during the festival. There weren't very many visitors while we were there and we didn't have to fight for road side parking or viewing spots. The only thing we battled were the mosquitos; gazillions and gazillions of the little critters. We sprayed our hats and long sleeve shirts with deet and avoided the worst attacks. Every time we stepped out of the truck a black cloud would go into orbit around our heads. The last time we encountered so many mosquitos was in Alaska.

The access road is wide and split into two one way sections. We could drive slowly along, looking for birds close enough to photograph, and stop when we found something interesting.

Into the sun.

Sandhill Cranes spend afternoons browsing for leftovers in corn patches and other cultivated fields. A large portion of the refuge consists of corn and various kinds of grain fields, which feed the birds and serve as night time roosts.

We were able to creep fairly close to this flock, until a pickup truck came along, scattering the cranes and a flock of blackbirds. The pickup was an official refuge vehicle with two rangers; they chased us back to the main road, claiming we were in a restricted area. Perhaps we shouldn't have been so close, but the area wasn't posted, that we could see anyway.

A lone Sand Crane.

Taking flight.

We decided the  best times to observe and photograph the birds would be either early morning or at dusk. As it turned out, late afternoons were not that good; by the time birds come in to roost, there is insufficient light to take clear photos.

On our last day, we got up before dawn and took our best shots while the cranes were still roosting in the marsh. We never got very close to the geese. I have a 300 mm lens, which is not much good for birding, farther than 50 yards away.  Johnna's camera can't be fitted with a zoom lens. It has a maximum 8x optical zoom so she has to get within 25 yards or so to get a good shot.

Sun just coming up. This is the real color. Beautiful!

A few minutes later.

I couldn't get closer than this, 80 yards or so, to the Snow Geese. Further out in the marsh, geese were plentiful. It's really a sight when they take to the air. They rise in large clouds, circle a little until they find the right direction, and fly off for the days foraging in near by fields.

A few geese taking flight.

We could have stayed in Socorro rather than San Antonio. Socorro is twenty miles from the refuge entrance, but the RV parks are better, and there are more places to shop and eat out. But, I'm glad we didn't. If we had parked in Socorro we probably would have missed the world famous -- The Owl Bar & Cafe. What makes it famous you ask? Well ... The first atomic bomb was tested at the Trinity Site in, what is now, the White Sands Missile Range. Anyway, San Antonio had the closest bar, so military and Manhattan Project personal would make the thirty five mile trip to The Owl Bar and let off a bit of steam. The Owl Bar didn't originally serve food , but at the request of their military customers, they started cooking up hamburgers and became The Owl Bar & Cafe.  The current owner claims that Robert Oppenheimer was a frequent customer. Anyway, we ate there twice and would recommend the rib eye steak or hamburger. In fact there isn't much else on the menu. But, what they do serve, is good food. I really enjoyed the pinto beans; cooked without a lot of unnecessary condiments, just lightly salted, peppered and a bit of chili.  Like most veggies, pinto beans have a unique flavor, which all too often suffers from heavy handed cooks.

This is the place.

Our stay in San Antonio was enjoyable, although I didn't think much of he RV park. We're coming back in April 2007 to visit the Trinity Site, which is open twice yearly to tourists. I think we'll park in Socorro this time.