Festival of the Cranes

Big Crane MoveScene: Driving at the ass-crack of dawn towards the Bosque del Apache Visitor Center on the first day of the Festival of Cranes.Me: I bet it's just a bunch of old farts at this thing. Carissa: What thing?Me: This thing. The Crane thing. Carissa: Why do you say that?Me: Duuuuuude... trust me. This early morning bullshit is stuff only old people do. Old period and weirdos like us, but mostly old people. Carissa: I doubt it. Me: Ok, we'll see...Carissa: *deep sigh*Well, I can unequivocally say that I was right--for once! In the three classes I took, there wasn't one person (beyond myself) who didn't have their AARP card or was within five years of qualifying for it. I mean, yes, technically, there were younger people and families that showed up to the Bosque, but when it came to the classes and such only old people. Not that there's anything wrong with this festival being for old people. Old people who do stuff like this know how to live their lives to the fullest and enjoy what time they have left. Anywho, now that I got that out of the way, let's start the actual review: Festival of Cranes is an annual week-long festival celebrating the annual return of the Sandhill Cranes to their wintering site here at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. It's been held here for 34 years (35 in 2024), usually around the end of November - early December. Here's some tips we picked up on case anyone plans to attend future festivals:*No need to register for classes as anyone can visit the Bosque at this time for free (normally $5). *If you do want to attend a class/seminar, then you'll have to register in August. Classes range from $40-$100/ea (the higher prices classes are usually photography classes fwiw).*Some classes fill up fast, so to get a leg-up on the competition, you can get a membership with the Friends of Bosque for as low as $25/year. You can write this off as a tax deduction, and you get 10%-off at the gift shop. *Best times to see the Cranes are during takeoff at sunrise and landing at sunset at the roosting ponds.*Dress warm! Especially if you're there for early morning and you're a Cali boi or girrrl and ain't used to sub-zero temps. Hands warmers and gloves are highly recommended. *Bring a mask of you're taking classes as they will schlep you around in tiny busses, and inevitably, there'll be someone hacking up a lung right behind you. Fml...*Bring binoculars and if you're bringing a DSLR then make sure you have at least a 400mm zoom lens, as you'll be able to get fairly close to the Cranes, but you'll still need a little reach.*Food vendors show up in the morning and stay there all day, so there is no need to pack ahead for sustenance. *Restrooms are open early, so if you show up for an early morning class, don't worry about the bathroom situation. *Visitor Center is also open early (7:30 a.m.) during the festival. *Buckhorn Tavern and Owl Bar & Café are just outside the preserve, and both serve up cold beer and tasty burgers if you're looking for slightly better dining options. Conclusion: Despite the abundance of our seasoned citizens, this is a swell festival that is honestly must-see TV for anyone who considers themselves a birder, fan of wildlife, or just a fan of spectacular sunsets and sunrises. Highly recommended.

Damn. Climate change has impacted Bosque Del Apache Festival of The Cranes. Years ago in November, thousands of birds would take flight in the morning and return at sundown. Thousands of birds... Yes, you'd freeze your ass off at 5AM. But it was worth it. The sight and sounds of Cranes and Snow Geese taking flight and returning is an experience like no other. 2016, not many birds. The observation decks used to be packed with people. Maybe the dates of Festival will change. Or go in December. Bosque Del Apache is a great, awesome New Mexico place!

Must see if you are in the area. Make sure to wear warm clothes and bring a hot thermos of coffee.

This place is beyond belief! really! Come for the Festival, come the week before the festival, come the week after the festival, but come! The birds are beyond amazing. To see the sky turn black with birds during the morning mass ascension will leave an indelible tattoo on your mind. To sit in the evening and watch wave after wave after wave after wave of birds come in defies description. be sure to stop at the center an learn a bit of the history and seasonal nature of the area. We love it and will come again and again. Even if it is over a thousand miles for us, the birds flew even farther!

The Festival of The Cranes at Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (BDANWR) in Socorro, NM gives one the opportunity to see many more birds than they will see in their backyards and an education focused on sandhill cranes, ducks, snow geese and other migrating avians. In addition, you can meet other birders and support BDANWR. Workshops focus on birding, photography, bird behavior and bird identification.Read the workshop descriptions carefully and read between the lines to be sure the information you gather is at a level that is useful for you. If you are a beginning photographer, taking an advanced lighting class can be a frustrating experience. If you are a photography enthusiast, a workshop covering camera basics can be just as frustrating. Workshop titles can be deceiving as can the statements of festival workers. I was told, "They saw 28 raptors on the tour yesterday," when what they "saw" was 25 dark blobs too far away to see with the naked eye and barely visible with 7x40 binoculars, two red-tailed Hawks hidden in foliage and a bald eagle sitting on top a tree 100 yards away. Tours with various themes are available, for example, Raptor ID, Finding Owls, etc. The tours are taken in a large, old, loud bus (school buses and a refuge owned antique) that is counter productive to both the tour objectives and environmental protection. Any bird worthy of the name vacates the vicinity as soon as the bus comes within hearing distance. This occurs long before the tour arrives and even old, deaf birds flutter off when the bus doors open and dozens of humans disgorge. The festival would be better served by renting two or three 15 passenger vans with good fuel economy and quiet engines. Of course, funding these would require funds that BDANWR does not have.Your best bet is to save your money and spend it on gas for your car to take your own quiet tour. An excellent CD audio tour can be purchased at the BDANWR bookstore for $2.75. Much of the refuge is closed to visitors. This allows birds and other wildlife to escape the madding crowd and difficult or impossible to see, hear or photograph. I suspect that visiting BDANWR outside the festival dates is more conducive to observation and photography.However, the Festival is worth attending. BDANWR has organized the event so that everyone knows what to expect and gives guests the opportunity to register early for event workshops, intensives and experiences. The staff is clear about the rules guests must observe and they try to hold folks accountable. I've attended the events in Kearney, NE as the cranes migrate north in the early spring and things are much less organized and random. Guests in Kearney run amok, scaring birds and other visitors alike. The Festival Of The Cranes has to the potential of being a premier birding event.

I can't believe no one has given this festival a review. I have been coming off and on for at least ten years. It began in 1988 as a one day event with 2,000 in attendance, last year the week long event drew over 6,000 folks from around the country. This year there were at least 45,000 geese, 4,500 Sandhill cranes, and 97,000 ducks to view. We also saw a roadrunner, Bald Eagle, coyote, some javalina and some beautiful fly-outs and fly-ins. If you're not that into watching birds there are tours, lectures, workshops exhibits and hikes and on the weekend there is a Wildlife Art show and a Wildlife Expo. Check out the Friends of the Bosque website for information. The festival is always held the week before Thanksgiving. If you can't get down on the week of the festival the Bosque del Apache NWR is open 1 hour before sunrise and closes 1 hour after sunset, 7 days a week. There is a $5. entry fee. This is one of the best bird festivals in the country and shouldn't be missed.