Imagine a place where the colors of gold dominate the landscape; a place where water rules the desert; a place where tens of thousands of birds mingle and feed alongside one another. It would seem that a place like this could only exist in one's imagination, but in reality such a place does exist. Its name is Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, and it is found in the most unlikely of locations.

Location:
In Spanish, the word bosque means "woodland" and true to its name, this 57,191 acre refuge is a mixture of mesquite and cottonwood stands dispersed along a network of freshwater marshes and sloughs than run along the floodplains of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. Located approximately 70 miles south of Albuquerque and 140 miles north of Las Cruces, these wetlands provide a welcomed water supply in the midst of the barren scrublands surrounding them. In fact, on approaching Bosque it is almost impossible to believe that water, birds, or anything for that matter, could be present in any kind of abundance. But as you travel forward remember, things are not always as they appear.

The closest city to Bosque Del Apache is Socorro, located nine miles to the north. To reach the refuge from Socorro, take I-25 south to exit 139. From there drive US 380 east one-quarter mile into San Antonio. At the flashing light head south on Old Highway 1. The Visitor Center is located nine miles down on the right and the refuge is located one mile further on the left. If arriving from Las Cruces, take I-25 north to exit 124, and continue north to the refuge and the Visitor Center.

Weather:
Although Bosque Del Apache is located in the desert southwest, it is subject to all seasons and the weather that generally typifies each. Fall begins the high season at Bosque, bringing in massive flocks of migrating birds. The falling temperatures spur on the changing of the leaves amongst cottonwoods and mesquites, providing a lovely golden backdrop for photography. Winter is peak high season at Bosque and consequently the photographer's favorite time to visit. One can expect relatively cold temperatures with overnight lows regularly dropping below the freezing point. Winter weather includes a mixture of rain and snow, but sunny days are often common and prevalent. Spring is often pleasantly mild and dry, while summer brings blistering temperatures that commonly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The extreme heat often spawns afternoon thunderstorms, particularly in July and August, which are sometimes followed by spectacular rainbows.

Photo Experience:
Without doubt, Bosque leads the list in top places to photograph large concentrations of birds. Winter provides the heaviest concentrations, as migrants begin to arrive in November and stay through February before moving on. The main attractions are the huge flocks of sandhill cranes and snow geese that come to feed in the grain fields that border the refuge. The sandhills frequently number in the thousands, with a few whooping cranes mixed in, while geese populations easily reach into the tens-of-thousands. Bald eagles also call Bosque home during the winter months.

 

The Tour Loop is a combination of two unpaved auto-tracks, both running primarily one-way and joined by a two-way cut-off. The Marsh Loop encompasses the south end of the refuge and runs seven-and-a-half miles. The Farm Loop encompasses the north end of the refuge. Stretching seven miles, it is the more popular of the two loops. It is comprised of a series of cottonwood stands, grain fields, and freshwater marshes, with observation decks distributed throughout.

Late afternoon in the grain fields provides excellent opportunities to shoot flocks of feeding cranes and geese, both close-up and in group flocks. Because of their proximity to the road, your vehicle will serve as a perfect blind. Watch the flocks of snow geese, as they have a habit of lifting, in mass, from the fields in sudden bursts of flight. Dramatizing the moment further, the sun's low position in the sky reflects gold light onto the birds' white plumage, causing them to appear like glittering confetti cast to the wind.

Bosque's most impressive photographic shows however, occur between sunset and sunrise, and there is only one place to be when the time arrives - the Flight Deck. Located approximately one mile north of the main entrance or at the end of the Farm Loop's one-way route, this observation deck stretches out over a vast marsh and can't be missed. Every evening brings thousands of honking geese and shrilling cranes flying in overhead, transforming the formally tranquil scene into a re-creation of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The shallow waters reflect the rich colors of sunset, creating brightly colored pockets of liquid, each containing the graceful silhouettes of landing and wading birds.

As this becomes the birds' roosting place for the night, it stands to reason they will be there in the morning. If you return to the Flight Deck in the morning just as the first rays of light appear in the sky, you will be rewarded with a truly breathtaking vision. In the cool pastel hues of dawn, the geese, now in compact massive flocks, will suddenly lift up in an explosion of flight. This will occur without fail - and also without warning. As if on some secret signal, the birds begin to rise from one end and in one continuous motion, carry through in a wave until the sky is literally filled with a blizzard of deafening waterfowl. They will circle the area and land once more in the marsh. They may repeat this action once or twice more before heading off to their feeding grounds for the day. This allows plenty of occasions to capture the act throughout the many moods of sunrise - but only if you are set up ahead of time and prepared to capture the action before it happens!

Even without the star attractions, the remainder of the year offers great photo possibilities. Landscapes are beautiful throughout the year and should not be overlooked. Always keep your eyes peeled for herons, cormorants, turkeys, quail, pheasants and roadrunners. Also look for mammals such as mule deer, coyotes, porcupines and muskrats. The mule deer in particular seem fairly habituated to human presence and therefore are easily photographed.

Photo Equipment:
One should come prepared with a primary 35mm camera body that accepts interchangeable lenses. If available, a second back-up body should also be made available. As birds are the focus of any visit to Bosque Del Apache, one should carry with them their longest focal length lens. Telephotos ranging 400mm and higher are perfect for almost any bird or mammal situation encountered here. If you don't own a super-telephoto lens, don't despair. Lenses between the 200mm and 300mm range will garner their share of quality images, as the birds are not shy and frequently stand close to the roads and observation decks. Teleconverters are also useful, especially with the shorter telephotos.

Don't forget to bring shorter focal length lenses also, including wide-angles, to capture the beautiful landscapes surrounding Bosque and to make environmental portraits of the birds. A tripod should be brought for use at sunrise and sunset at the Flight Deck, but for other circumstances, first look at shooting from your car. A car acts as a perfect blind and if used, a window mount or beanbag can be used for camera support. Don't forget to shut off the engine to eliminate unwanted vibration. A flash (and extender for long telephotos), cable release, and polarizing filter will also come in handy.

Film should be a personal choice, but keep in mind that this area is vast and open allowing for plenty of brightly lit situations, therefore fine-grained films with ratings of ISO 100 and lower are perfectly acceptable.

Best Times:
As has already been stated, winter is the best time to visit due to the winter migrants. The cranes and geese are in their strongest numbers between mid-November and mid-February. Every third weekend in November brings the Annual Festival of the Cranes. The four-day event celebrates the arrival of these birds and includes guest-speakers, special group tours, and wildlife displays. Contact Information: Bosque Del Apache NWR, P.O. Box 1246, Socorro, New Mexico 87801. (505) 835-1828.