Compare New Mexico by Speyside Wildlife

Day 1 to 3:

We arrive in Albuquerque and have a short transfer to our first base for three nights, close to the Rio Grande. Nearby is the delightful Rio Grande Nature Center, a great place for our introduction to the birdlife of New Mexico. The visitor centre looks out over ponds filled with ducks, geese and turtles (we saw Porcupine last time!) Ring-necked Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Hooded Merganser, Green-winged Teal and delightful Wood Duck will start the list and wooded riverside trails lead to Northern Flicker, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch and Black Phoebe.

At Petroglyph National Monument, we’ll admire the rock carvings from New Mexico’s indigenous people, as well as revelling in the desert landscape, with birds such as Rock Wren, Canyon Towee, and maybe our first Greater Roadrunner (Meep! Meep!) Next, we’ll explore the heights of Sandia Crest that rises above the desert to a summit of over 10,000 feet. Its slopes are covered in extensive pine forests, home to Steller’s Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Williamson’s Sapsucker and rare Three-toed Woodpecker. At the summit, much-prized Rosy Finches attend feeders (with Tassle-eared Squirrels) and we’ll hope for all three species: Brown-capped, Black, and Gray-crowned.

Day 4-6:

We travel south to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, a highlight of our holiday. Based at nearby Socorro, we’ll schedule early morning and late afternoon visits to the refuge, to witness a true wildlife spectacle: tens of thousands of Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes fly to and from their roosts, to a cacophony of clattering wings, honking and bugling! Smaller Ross’s Snow Geese mingle with the flocks and other waterfowl include Bufflehead, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup and Canada Geese. Raptors are attracted to the area and we’ll look out for Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Merlin, Northern Harrier and striking Ferruginous Hawk. As the light fades Coyote, Collared Peccary and Great Horned Owls stir!

In the Magdelena Mountains, west of Socorro, we’ll search open areas for smart Pronghorn Antelopes and Golden Eagles. Higher, in wooded areas, we’ll look for Acorn Woodpeckers, Red-naped Sapsucker, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Western Scrub Jay, Juniper Titmouse and Red Crossbill.

Day 7

Leaving Socorro we drive south to Elephant Butte, the largest lake in New Mexico. Staggering numbers of duck winter here, with tens of thousands of American Wigeon, Redhead, Pintail and American Coot, attracting groups of Bald Eagles. We’ll have fun separating Western and Clark’s Grebes and we should also find White-fronted Geese, Olivaceous Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Duck and Great Blue Heron.

Patches of scrub close to the dam hold Black-throated Sparrow, Verdin, White-winged Dove, and Pyrrhuloxia and further south, at Percha, we’ll search for other species of the arid regions: Scaled Quail, Crissal Thrasher, Phainopepla, and Western Bluebird are present. Finally we arrive at Las Cruces.

Day 8 to 9:

From Las Cruces we’ll explore the woods, thickets and fields of Mesilla Valley. Wintering birds such as American Pipit, Loggerhead Shrike and Green-tailed Towhee join local Burrowing Owls to enjoy the winter sun. Dominating the eastern skyline are the imposing Organ Mountains and, at Dripping Springs, residents include Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Cactus, Canyon and Rock Wren, plus Black-tailed Gnatcatcher - there are Mountain Lions too! Winter sparrows include Rufous-crowned, Sage and Black-chinned.

Crossing the Tularosa Basin, we reach one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world and another highlight. Snow-capped mountains surround the arid basin of White Sands National Monument - a photographer’s paradise, with the juxtaposition of white dunes, rugged peaks and blue skies. Birds will be small players on a grand stage, but we’ll look out for soaring Chihuahuan Raven, Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon.

Day 10 to 12:

Leaving Las Cruces we return north, birding enroute, to Socorro and a final evening visit to Bosque del Apache for a farewell to the spectacular crane and geese flocks. Well, we can’t get enough of them! After a last morning birdwatching, we travel to Albuquerque for our return flight, arriving UK on the morning of Day 12.