What a great road trip Front Range Birding had to Bosque del Apache, New Mexico with Reefs to Rockies. Bosque is one of the premier winter destination for birders. Our small group of 9 travelers drove the 1,500-mile round trip and took in the sights of the southwest and observed and photographed 94 species of birds! I loved them all but here are some that we don’t see in the Denver, Colorado area much:
Tundra Swan Black-throated Sparrow
Snow Goose Cactus Wren
Ross’s Goose Juniper Titmouse
Gambel’s Quail Canyon Towhee
White-winged Dove Sage Thrasher
Greater Roadrunner Curve-billed Thrasher
Sandhill Crane Pyrrhuloxia
Acorn Woodpecker Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Ladder-backed Woodpecker Black Rosy-Finch
Chihuahuan Raven Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
A great treat on the 2nd day of the trip was the dawn “Fly Out” of thousands of Sandhill Cranes, Ross’s Geese and Snow Geese.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the trip was the Sunday Rosy-Finch banding experience at Sandia Crest House overlooking Albuquerque, NM.
Our group at the Sandia Crest House watching rosy-finch banding.
Everyone had a great time! This month, we are heading to Minnesota with a group to see the boreal winter birds at Sax Zim Bog outside of Duluth. Be sure to watch for more of our adventures as we partner with the good folks at Reefs to Rockies tour company.