Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, 1936
Bosque del Apache, which means "woods of the Apache", was named for the people who often camped in the riverside forest. Today it is known as one of the most spectacular Refuges in North America.
Bosque del Apache is 57,331 acres and straddles the Rio Grande Valley in Socorro County, New Mexico. It ranges in elevation from 4,500 to 6,195 feet above sea level. It receives approximately 8 inches of precipitation each year. Within the refuge borders lie three wilderness areas totaling approximately 30,850 acres and five research natural areas totaling 18,500 acres.
Each autumn, tens of thousands of birds, including sandhill cranes, geese and ducks, make the Refuge their winter home. Some year-round residents at the refuge include mule deer, coyote, porcupine, muskrat, turkey, quail, pheasant, and roadrunner. Each season at Bosque del Apache NWR offers unique wildlife viewing opportunities. The peak season is in winter, when cranes, bald eagles, and light geese are present. During the spring and fall, visitors can see warblers, flycatchers, and shorebirds. The summer months are a good time to see nesting songbirds, waders, shorebirds, and ducks.
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| Mostly Snow Geese with a few Sandhill Cranes thrown in. |
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| Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese Close Up |
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| Sandhill Cranes |
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| Sandhill Crane Closeup |
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