The gorgeous “desert-scapes”, mountains and wetlands within the Land of Enchantment offer up a remarkable winter destination. This is when the legendary Bosque del Apache NWR is jam-packed with waterbirds, with countless thousands of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese in particular. It is also the time when the mountains near Albuquerque host three different species of Rosy finch at a single site, Sandia Crest, too. Along with the landscapes, the blur of geese, cranes and other waterfowl, and close ups rosy finches, comes a wealth of southwestern species available at this time, such as Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Northern Pygmy Owl, and Vermillion Flycatcher, a bird to brighten up any winter day. For many who have overlooked New Mexico, you are undoubtedly going to leave with a newfound respect for the state, and in particular the premier standard of winter birding available in this so-called “Land of the Delight Makers”.

 

The diversity of New Mexico during wintertime deserves two tours, a Birding tour to cover different corners of the state, and a Photo Workshop centered around Bosque del Apache NWR, where the masses of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese are a natural focus for this.