new mexico: bosque nwr & sandhill crane photo tour
Photography Tour by Wildside Nature Tours
DATES: Dec 8-12, 2025
TRIP LEADERS: JENNIFER LEIGH WARNER
COST: $3,150PP
GROUP SIZE: 4-6
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge provides one of the greatest bird and wildlife experiences for nature photographers in the United States. With flocks numbering into the 1,000’s and sometimes the 10,000’s Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese lifting off each morning and returning in the evening will overwhelm the senses and provide incredible photographic opportunities.
Combined with beautiful sunrises and sunsets the color palette can lend a dramatic flair to wildlife images. Lucky days we may also see and photograph Coyotes stalking at the edge of flocks or a Bobcat walking along a trail or dike. A local pond provides excellent opportunities to get low and shoot waterfowl at eye level.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Participants should arrive in Albuquerque by 1:00 p.m. and the group will drive to Socorro to check-in at the Holiday Inn Express. There will be a group dinner to cover tour plans, expectations, and preparations.
Days 2-4 – Mornings will be spent photographing at Bernardo Wildlife Area or Bosque del Apache NWR depending upon where the birds are roosting and/or foraging. Each day the group will return to Socorro for lunch on your own or with the group, or may enjoy a famous green chili cheeseburger at San Antonio, NM if destination was Bosque. Evenings will be spent photographing at Bernardo Wildlife Area or Bosque del Apache NWR depending upon where the birds are roosting and/or foraging. Return to Socorro for dinner on your own or with the group.
Day 5 – Photographing waterfowl at local pond and then head to Albuquerque for flights home.
