Bosque del Apache

Driving along the empty highway at pre-dawn, I witness a looming dark patch in the sky. Flocks of sand hill cranes coming down to roost in the Bosque del Apache national wildlife refuge.

I’m not normally a bird watching type of soul, but the beauty in the sky pulls me toward the refuge, and I end up spending a perfect Sunday winter’s day exploring one of our Nation’s spectacular wildlife refuges.

Signs at the entrance to each trail warn of mountain lions. A stark reminder of the wilderness I find myself in. I tread quietly along the trails, listening and observing.

The sand hill cranes are exquisite creatures to watch. They observe you with a keen eye, moving in groups as they find safety in numbers. I am no threat, and they carry on with their day to day existence, eating and moving.

I find a wooden wall, built as an Observation blind so that humans can observe nature without blatant intrusion. There is a subtle and intimate connection one feels as you lower the wooden window to peek through to an uninterrupted world.

As the suns sets on another day, I turn to witness the glow upon the water and the twinkling of leaves and reeds in this pristine land.

I find myself more of a bird lover than I previously thought.