BOSQUE DEL APACHE WILDLIFE REFUGE

Our 3-day tours are perfect for those of you who don't have much time to go and explore our beautiful state of New Mexico, as well as practice photography. This is your opportunity to do both, with the guidance of a professional photographer who knows the area quite well, having spent ten years in NM.

November 15-17, 2019
January 10-12, 2020
3days/2nights, $1150 (based on double accommodations)
Group size: 2 to 8
Airport: Albuquerque NM
You provide your own transportation.

The Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge gives fantastic opportunities for spectacular photography. Thousands snow geese and sandhill cranes migrate to the refuge every winter and roost at night on several ponds. Possibility of seeing mule deers, coyotes, bald eagles and a variety of bird life. This expedition offers us the opportunity to exercise our way of looking at nature, to test our patience, to practice our skills at capturing elusive subjects, to see what is not obvious, to be one with nature.

Friday (D)
We meet in afternoon in Socorro (meeting point to be announced).
Check into hotel.
Drive to Bosque del Apache and stay until sunset to photograph the thousands snowgeese and Sandhill cranes coming back to the ponds for the night after a day of feeding in the corn fields. No two days are alike at the Bosque and we cannot predict the weather, however we're sure to get beautiful as well as unusual shots.
Dinner in Socorro.

"Do not shorten the morning by getting up late; look upon it as the quintessence of life..." Arthur Schopenhauer

Saturday(B,L,D)
Drive before dawn to the Bosque for sunrise and fly-out of the birds. We have breakfast in the field.
There will be time for checking your morning shots, viewing Refuge's screen presentations at the Visitor Center, critiques by tour leader.
Gourmet picnic lunch at the Bosque as geese and cranes feed in front of us in the cornfields or as ducks dive for food in the shallow lake (depending on our lunch location).
Informal laptop digital presentation of select works by tour leader and discussion on Bosque photography.
The afternoon is spent at the Bosque until sunset/twilight (5:45pm).
Dinner at the quaint Owl Cafe in San Antonio.

Sunday (B)
Check-out and drive before dawn to the Bosque for one more sunrise and fly-out of the birds. We have breakfast in the field.
By mid-morning drive back to Albuquerque for flight back home.

Tour Cost: $1150
If you are traveling by yourself and cannot be paired up, the cost is $1275 for single accommodations.

Reservations: A $300 per person deposit is required to secure a place on our tours, which can be paid via Paypal or by check. The balance is due 60 days prior to beginning of tour.
If less than 3 participants sign up, a small-group supplement of $200 p.p. will apply, or the tour may be cancelled.

Cost includes:Best Western accommodations; meals as indicated (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner); services of tour leader.

Cost does NOT include: Airfare from/to your home city, ground transportation (own car or rental car or carpool), entrance fees at Bosque ($5 per car per day - America-the-Beautiful passes accepted), beverages (whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic), items of personal nature and incidentals, gratuities.

NOTE 1: Since we'll be leaving the hotel before dawn to be on site for sunrise, we may not be able to have breakfast at the hotel. Fruit, snacks, granola bars will be available in the tour leader's vehicle. Bottled water will be available at all times.

NOTE 2: It can be below freezing in the early morning. Verrrrry cold! Dress accordingly, with layers you can take off during the day, hat, scarf, and extra socks (still, day temperatures will be in low 50's). Ski overpants are not too much. Don't forget gloves - hand and foot warmers are also a great idea. While waiting by a tripod, one can become very, very cold, and there is a lot of standing and not much walking. But it's totally AWESOME and you won't regret it!



For complete details, see our General Information page.