The Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge is the wintering ground for several species of large migrating birds. Chief among these are the Sandhill Crane and the Snow Goose whose flocks arrive in November each year and leave to begin their northward migration in late February or early March. Since 2017 was unusually warm, the flocks had nearly all departed ahead of our visit. The refuge is occupies a 10 mile stretch of the floodplain of the Rio Grande River south of Socorro, New Mexico.