Tuesday, December 28

BOSQUE DEL APACHE #2 AND #3.

Day 78 – The best time to view the birds is usually around sunrise and around sunset. Since we had a LONG day yesterday, we went back to the wildlife refuge today after the sun rose, but we do hope to get up really early one morning and catch the “fly-out”, when the cranes, geese, and ducks that are leaving to go to the fields depart mostly all at once. It can be quite a spectacle.

Before we left the RV this morning we got an e-mail from our friend, Cathie. Some of you might remember Cathie and her dog, Pete, from a trip earlier this year in Vermont, when we camped near them and went kayaking with Pete? Anyway, Cathie and Pete have been on the road since August and we’ve been wanting to meet up somewhere. They are arriving at the Chupadero Campground this afternoon, and later we’ll be taking Pete birdwatching. Pete’s a lucky dog.

After watching the Sandhill Cranes being fed breakfast at the RV Park, an awesome sight, Rob & I headed back to the wildlife refuge. It was 8:30 a.m. when we arrived, well past the fly-out, but there were still plenty of birds there for us to watch. It was 35 degrees last night, so we blasted the heat and rolled down the windows, making our snail’s-pace-creep through the southern portion of the refuge. We were there for four hours. One of the highlights was when we were approaching the end of the wildlife drive. The road in front of us was covered with Snow Geese. Some were just sitting on the gravel, others were nibbling at the rocks on the gravel road, and others were still in the water right by the road. Thousands of them. A few cars had stopped – you had to, they were in the road. But we got there before it got crowded and were able to walk among them. Soon thereafter, Refuge rangers arrived to divert traffic so the geese wouldn’t get hurt. We were lucky to arrive at the right time.

We had lunch at the RV. Cathie and Pete arrived fairly soon thereafter. Petey always remembers us, and he was glad to see us. After she got checked in and had settled into her campsite, we got to see her Airstream trailer. It was awesome, perfect for the two of them, and they both seem happy and content. We visited a bit, then we left to get gas for the Honda in San Antonio. It was a very small town, very “New Mexican” with the older adobe houses and buildings. You could imagine a couple of cowboys on horseback trotting into town followed by a couple of tumbleweeds and a dust storm, hitching up the horses at the local tavern.

Back at the RV, Cathie & Pete joined us for a trip to the wildlife refuge. Because both her vehicle and ours were packed with trip gear, they were in her truck; we were in the Honda. They followed us thru about 1/3 of the refuge auto tour drive, both vehicles moving slowly to see as much as we could. Pete’s first birdwatching trip. We found out later that Pete loves cows. They are more exciting than birds. The scenery was beautiful as the sun set and the lighting was perfect.

It was dark when we got back to the campground. Cathie put Pete to bed, then she came over to visit, bringing her dinner of leftovers, and we had our own dinner. We sat around for hours talking about places we’ve been and the things we’ve seen. It was a good day. The high today was 60 degrees and it was a little windy.