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Birders flock to see 2024 Festival of the Cranes
The annual migration of sandhill cranes also brings a massive migration of their admirers from San Diego on the west coast to across the country in Ohio to take part in the annual Festival of the Cranes at the Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
"What's that sound? Is it a water pump in the distance or maybe a train?' a festival attendee asks.
"It's the ducks," an experienced birder answers.
It's Friday, day two of the festival. Several thousand ducks were laced among the sandhill cranes at the Bosque Del Apache's "third loop," which is a seasonal trek and closed for much of the year.
The ducks' very light quacking and smacking as they forged for food did indeed give off a noise, much like a train rattling on railroad tracks in the distance.
In addition to the stars of the Festival of the Cranes, tens of thousands of other kinds of migratory birds are present, accompanied by predatory hawks and the occasional bald eagle that likes to perch in a tree on the north loop of the refuge.
Festival goers hit the ground running on Thursday and filled the parking lot of the Wetlands Roost just off NM Highway 1 to get the best photographic lighting and views of the sandhill cranes. Last year, a couple of hundred cranes were on view at the Roost, but bone-chilling temperatures (22 degrees) this year kept the majority of the birds in the interior of the refuge.
For first-time attendee Lourdes Araiza of San Diego, the 11.5-hour drive to Socorro County was worth every bit of the $3,000 she spent in her weeklong stay. The trip also had a special meaning for the professional photographer who came with friends to celebrate the life of the man who introduced them all to the Bosque Del Apache.
"Our friend Nobby Colburn passed away from cancer, and he's the one that introduced all of us to Bosque Del Apache. So, four of us are here to celebrate his life and to take one particular photo with a crane by the full moon," Araiza said.
As a full-time photographer working events and weddings, nature photography is Ariaza's mental health escape. The Festival of the Cranes had much to offer, including classes on crane behavior that can help capture better images.
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Long days in the field led to big appetites, and the visitors listed Jackson Ranch Steak House, Taqueria Mi Jacalito, and Yo Mama's as some of their memorable places to eat.
"They were really, really good, especially the steakhouse," Ariaza said. "Visiting, you eat out pretty much three times a day, and you buy souvenirs, especially right there at the wildlife reserve. It's just beautiful. You can sit there and relax."
From boosting one's photographic portfolio to traveling and sharing a love of photography, there are those like Ohio's Bob Atkins, who is fulfilling a life-long dream with a more than a month-long trip to watch the full migration of winter fowl to the south.
Bob's a retired telephone lineman who has seen his fair share of landscapes, but none like he has encountered while in New Mexico.
"My favorite part? Number one is the different landscapes, and then just the volume of ducks, geese, and wildlife here," Atkins said. Then, this whole refuge system is laid out well. It's better than I expected."
One of the most exciting photography/video moments of his trip so far has been watching a coyote take down a snow goose for its supper. Continued sightings of the Bosque Del Apache's mule deer buck population have extended Atkins' plans to stay longer.
Thanks to a Mercedes Sprinter van he outfitted himself, Atkins can change his plans when he wants. He likes to slip into town to enjoy some great hamburgers a fellow photographer told him about.
"I like the Lottaburgers," Atkins said. "I will probably stay at the Holiday Inn Express in town pretty soon. I got some points with them. I've spent hundreds of dollars on diesel fuel while I've been here."
