Wildlife Photo Tour

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Area Photography Tours and Workshops are loads of fun. Having five or six other photographers to talk to and get ideas from enhances for me what is already a great experience. During the afternoon lull we set up a computer projector and view some of our favorite photographs critiquing each others work with an eye for improvement.

Bosque is located off I-25 about 20 miles south of Socorro, NM. It is an easy trip to fly into Albuquerque and either rent a car or have your tour guide pick up. Socorro has several nice motels.

From November to March Bosque del Apache is home to 60,000 Snow Geese, 30,000 Sandhill Cranes, thousands and thousands of waterfowl, eight or so Eagles and a variety of mammals.

You want to be set up at least 20 minutes prior to dawn so you don’t miss any of the action at dawn. At dawn 40 to 60,000 Snow Geese take off at once that sounds like a frieght train going by. Just after dawn the Sandhill Cranes begin to lift off and head for the fields to eat.

After you have taken enough photographs to fill a semi you start driving the 20 or so miles of roads to photograph various wildlife like song birds, waterfowl, cranes, and mammals. At about 10:30 the light is a little harsh so it’s back to Socorro for a nap or down load time, lunch and critiques.

About 2:30 we head back to Bosque and photograph geese and cranes as they leave the fields and head back to their roosting areas on the shallow ponds. We get back to Bosque after dark and generally have dinner prior to returing to our rooms to down load again and get ready for tomorrow.

If you have not taken a Bosque del Apache trip you need to consider putting it on your agenda