Please join HawkWatch International for a winter fieldtrip to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Carpooling, meeting time, and meeting location in Albuquerque will be determined once registration has been closed.  The trip will start in the morning and go through the middle of the afternoon.  In the event of inclement weather (icy road conditions and/or chilly, high wind), the field trip will be cancelled.

Space is limited. Please call Bobbie Posey to register. 505-255-7622

More Info about the Bosque del Apache NWR

Tens of thousands of birds--including sandhill cranes, Arctic geese, and many kinds of ducks--gather in the Bosque del Apache each autumn and stay through the winter. There are always plenty of raptor sightings too!

Bosque del Apache, which means "woods of the Apache," was named for the people who often camped in the riverside forest. Today it is known as one of the most spectacular Refuges in North America.

This 57,331 acre refuge straddles the Rio Grande Valley in Socorro County, New Mexico. It ranges in elevation from 4,500 to 6,195 feet above sea level. Within the refuge borders lie three wilderness areas totaling approximately 30,850 acres and five research natural areas totaling 18,500 acres.

Many cottonwood and willow bosques that once lined the Rio Grande have been lost to human development. Salt cedar, an exotic plant introduced for erosion control, has invaded vast areas of the refuge. In order to restore native bosques that have higher value for wildlife, salt cedar is being cleared and many areas are being planted with cottonwood, black willow, shrubs, and other understory plants.