When I started doing bird photography I kept hearing stories about this place in New Mexico that was simply amazing.  The stories I heard seemed too good to be true and though I did see lots of beautiful photos of the place I kept putting off a visit.  It took me several years to get there but when I eventually did, it exceeded my expectations and I ended up going back twice that same year.

While the refuge has achieved legendary status, it isn’t the only show in town.  Within an hour of the refuge there are reservoirs and mountains offering chances to see many species of birds beyond the Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese and waterfowl that make Bosque famous.  Some of the birds we will be on the lookout for include Phainopepla, Pyrrhuloxia, Scaled Quail, Gambel’s Quail, Green-tailed Towhee, Brewer’s Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Verdin, Crissal Thrasher, Clark’s Grebe, Western Grebe, Greater Roadrunner, Ferruginous Hawk, Merlin, Sage Thrasher, Western Bluebird, Pine Siskin, Townsend’s Solitaire, Juniper Titmouse, Pinyon Jay, Northern Flicker (red-shafted), Bald Eagle and more.

This trip is designed for photographers at all skill levels and will be an excellent opportunity to enhance your photography skills while having a lot of fun.  To get the most out of the trip, participants should have a digital SLR camera with at least at 300mm telephoto lens.  It will also be useful to bring along a wide-angle lens as the scenery can be breathtaking. 

What to expect

Late November in New Mexico can bring a wide range of weather conditions from freezing temperatures and snow storms to warm sunny days.  For this reason it is important to bring warm cloths including a good winter jacket, warm hat, gloves and long underwear and to dress in layers.  The majority of our birding will be close to our van so there shouldn’t be a lot of walking.  We will be based out of a comfortable hotel in Socorro, about 20 minutes from the refuge.  Mornings will start early in hopes of catching the geese and cranes as they wake up from their roosts and head out to feed.  With luck we can catch one of the famous Bosque “blast offs.”  Once the morning excitement calms down we will spend most of the day exploring the area for various birds and we will return to the refuge for the evening “fly in” when the cranes return to their roosts.  Since our group will be small we can modify our plans to take advantage of any exciting birding/photography opportunities that might present themselves. 

As this is a photography trip we will limit the number of guests to four.  This not only helps to keep from getting in each other’s way but also offers participants more personal attention for photographic assistance.

Cost and other particulars

The cost of the trip is $1100/person for double occupancy, for a private room there will be an additional fee of $180.  This cost includes transportation starting from and ending at the Albuquerque Airport and all transportation in New Mexico.  It also includes all lodging and entrance fees.  Guests will be responsible for their own food.

The trip will depart the Albuquerque Airport (ABQ) on Tuesday the 17^th at noon and will end at noon on Saturday the 21nd at ABQ.  This gives us three full photography days in New Mexico as well as an evening and morning of photography at the refuge.  We will also have plenty of time to discuss birding and photography.

Those interested in securing a spot on this trip please send a deposit of $250 by September 15.  The balance will be due by November 7.  The trip will “make” as few as two participants.  To sign up for the trip please contact Greg Lavaty at greglavaty@yahoo.com