"Bosque Del Apache NWR" New Mexico Travelogue by TropicGirl77

Travelling along I25, minding our own business, and along comes a sign pointing us in the direction of Socorro to a Wildlife National Refuge. Not a planned activity, but it was well worth the detour. It only looked like an adobe style building, so first impression was a small museum. RIGHT! Off the beaten path, and we HAD to stop to get a picture of these birds before going onto the museum.

Hummingbirds in the desert

BUT, once at the museum, we had to pass through dozens of resident hummingbirds! What a bummer ... it just meant that I had to get another several bird pictures!
The museum was small, but held enough information to prepare any traveller for the trail ahead. The gift shop had some really quaint items, but we were able to resist the temptation of spending another buck on useless items.

One big happy family

The 12.5 mile path ahead was boring at times, so you had to be sure to stop and look "beyond" the roadway. Thousands of migratory birds come here, so I was set on finding something, even if it wasn't winter. First stop ... The Boardwalk, and was that a wildlife treat!

Lake Tango

I enjoyed the boardwalk the most throughout the trail ... it was like a warp zone ... Dance anyone?

Blue Dragonflies

There were tons and tons of blue dragonflies all over the reserve! They are quite unlike the big ones we have in Hawaii, and merited a spot on my page.

Swallow Line Up

Then there was the line up! Swallows.

Young Ducks

Bobbing, and going in circles, ducks can be entertaining to a degree. These two youngsters went about minding their own business, bobbing for small fish and playing follow the leader.

Brer Jack Rabbit

Jack rabbits were visible in several areas, but it was the coyote that I wanted to see. I left the trail a little disappointed because the coyote lay hiding. We were also graced with the presence of a mule deer.