Cranes del Bosque

These Sandhill Cranes were hanging out at Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

This federal refuge, is near Socorro, NM, a short 2-hour drive South of Santa Fe. It's named after the Apache tribe because early white visitors noted the Indians camped here.

At night, the birds come to the water ponds, flooded to protect them from predators. During the day, they forage in surrounding areas, where food is grown to attract them.

In the visitor center, I noticed a display that said some of them fly all the way from Alaska or Siberia, ignoring those pesky political boundaries, to spend the winter in mid-New Mexico.

The wife, former obstetrics nurse, noted: "Now I know where the storks who deliver babies come from!"

Tomorrow morning early, more "storks".