More Wildlife: Bosque Del Apache

Thursday and Friday, April 17 and 18

We left Roswell after lunch and drove across the state

For miles and miles....

(ok, it felt like across the state) to Bosque del Apache wildlife preserve. This is site along the Rio Grande ( and I-25!) that is quite literally world-famous for the migrating birds that winter here. It's one of the holy grail spots for birders and nature photographers. April is not a popular time here as the Sandhill Cranes that have given this site its popularity have already returned to their northern homes. Nonetheless, we saw our share of birds and mammals too!

We arrived an hour before sundown. Ducks, turkeys, shorebirds and egrets were all represented. I saw a beaver, tons of huge turtles, and other little critters that I couldn't identify. We had a great conversation with some staff that joined us at an overlook to see the evening activity.

In the morning we returned before sunrise. The plan: see mother nature in action until the sun came up, then jump on the bikes and ride the the areas we missed. A perfect morning! Here's a small sample of the result:

We left about 10, checked out of our nice little motel in Socorro and headed north to Albuquerque.

Surprising sight: hundreds of people walking on I-25 --on the shoulder and in the median-- making a pilgrimage for Good Friday.
Question: Has anyone actually seen a Havalina? They're supposed to be everywhere. Ok, so why haven't we?