New Mexico and Bird Photography

[scott_fairbairn]

I will be in New Mexico in a few days to go to Bosque del Apache. I

will be staying for about 8 days and plan to spend most of it at

Bosque. My primary goal is bird photography and I was wondering if

anyone had suggestions for other areas within a couple hours drive of

Bosque for birds. From the state map it seems there are many refuges

and parks, any suggestions or specialities that you know of?

[joe_fuhrman1]

Scott, I have photographed at Bosque del Apache NWR many times. I always end up in Albuquerque and make a visit to Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. It is located at the west end of Candelaria Road. There is excellent riparian habitat with several nature trails. There are some bird feeders by the visitor's center which can be good for some common birds like sparrows, finches, and woodpeckers. The visitor's center also has a small pond with many species of waterfowl. I have photographed many times at the park with success.

 

Another place to check out though not for bird photography but landscape photography is Valley of Fires Recration Area. It is located approx. 60 miles east of Bosque del Apache NWR. It is a very scenic yet stark desert setting. There are huge lava flows & lava beds with many interesting desert plants growing right out of the lava, similar to what you would find in Hawaii.

[wallace_newman]

The Bosque del Apache is your best bet because of the density and variety of wildlife that is somewhat accustomed to the presence of people and vehicles. The management of the Bosque is in the process of clearing out some areas previously overrun with salt cedars and adding more grain fields and ponds both to reduce the density of the migratory birds and the density of the visitors. The tour route is being extended off to the southeast but I'm not sure if the extension is open yet. I haven't been down to the Bosque for several weeks.

 

The new observation blind on the northwest end of the tour loop overlooking a pond looks like a well-situated effective blind for photographing ducks, coots, grebes and herons.

 

I have a number of images taken at the Bosque posted at www.wenewman.com. Click on the Bosque button on the home page to access them. Ignoring the quality of the images, they at least indicate the wide variety of wildlife on display at the Bosque.

 

There is an area of grain fields just northeast of Bernardo off I25 which is favored by cranes and geese but I confess I've never gone over to look at it. The mountains west of Socorro are a possibility. You may see antelope in the fields along Hwy 60 between Socorro and Datil and the forest road up Water Canyon might be worthwhile. The Very Large Array radio telescope 52 miles west of Socorro on Hwy 60 is interesting if you want a break from bird photography.

 

Joe Fuhrman's suggestion of the Rio Grande Nature Center is a good one. There are other areas of scenic interest in central New Mexico, but for birds it's hard to beat the Bosque!

[bob_royse]

I just got back from that area myself. I was there for 8 days and burned a lot of film. I found the bird photography to be just as good in the mountains west of Socorro as in the NWR. In the San Mateo Mountains I found a juniper tree with abundant fruit. There were approx. 300 Mountain Bluebirds in the area. Other species I photographed in that one tree included Townsend's Solitaire, Western Bluebird, various Dark-eyed Junco sub-species, Evening Grosbeak, Cassin's Finch, Mountain Chickadee, Juniper Titmouse, and of course Cedar Waxwing and American Robin! E-mail me privately if you want to know the exact location. In the pinyon/juniper habitats west of Magdelena, there are some impressive roaming flocks of Pinyon Jays and Red Crossbills, but they can take some effort and luck to find.

 

Water Canyon has some good birding (I saw my first Williamson's Sapsucker there), but photography was limited. Acorn Woodpeckers are somewhat approachable in the campground and there are many hundreds of Bushtits in the area to test your patience and reflexes to try to photograph. The road is good to the campground now, after that it's best to explore by foot.

 

Just go exploring. At the incredibly crowded Bosque NWR there are just too many photographers standing in the same spot with big lenses to really feel that you're doing something interesting. Sure, get your shots of cranes, geese, and sunsets, but there's a lot more to find in the mountains.

[bob_royse]

I have recieved nearly 20 requests for that spot and haven't responded to most inquirers. I have drawn the line at ABA membership. If you aren't a member, then sorry. If you are a member, then you are most likely a birder who already has the where-with-all to find good photo locations and probably don't need my advice. I just saw too many big-lens toters at Bosque without good binos around their neck to make this public knowledge.

 

Basic birding technique should be learned at home.<div></div>

[karl_lehmann]

Great shot Bob!

[chad_swinson]

Whats the blue diamond looking thing in the birds mouth.