Every year, six of us rent a van and drive to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, south of Socorro, New Mexico. We usually make this trip closer to Christmas, but this year it was a sunny, warm day in February. We stopped at Bernardo State Wildlife Area, a beautiful area closer to Albuquerque. Birding is our official mission, but camaraderie and good food matter more. We picked up the world’s best fudge in San Antonio, shared a gourmet potluck lunch at the last remaining picnic table, and had green chile cheeseburgers for dinner at the Buckhorn after sunset, including a chat with Bobby Olguin, proprietor. We were back a little more than 12 hours after we started. Here are some pictures. (See all 47.)

 
The group: mjh, Kathleen, Melissa, Lew, Merri, and Dave, our ornithologist.

Sandhill cranes are usually more abundant than on this trip.

This was quite a gaggle.

Sunset is always worth waiting for.

47 photos