Northern Pintail at Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro County, New Mexico.

There's not a lot going on at Bosque del Apache during the day, the big shows happen early (the fly-out) and late (fly-in). There are a few hikes in the area that we've done too many times already and one we hadn't . We'd been putting off hiking the Chupadera Trail because 1: It's on the longish side for us, and 2: Until recently, the trail stopped short of the top. Volunteers have been working on #2, and now the trail goes all the way to the top of Chupadera Peak. We did, too. It was one of those completely overcast days (that's two in a row, we must be on vacation), not good for pictures but comfortable for hiking.

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A highlight of a winter visit to Socorro is the return of the Sandhill Cranes and Light Geese to the wildlife management areas on the Rio Grande, most notably the Bosque del Apache NWR.

Every evening the birds return from the feeding grounds and flock together in protective manmade ponds. Known as the "fly-in", it's truly a spectacle as the elegant birds drift in in groups of varying numbers.

We try to make it down there at least once a year if we can.

I'm taking a break from posting the summer photos. At the rate I'm going, it's gonna take the rest of the year to get 'em done anyway, so why not take a break and post something timely?

This is a series from a weekend getaway to Socorro.

Bewick's Wren at Bosque del Apache, NWR, Socorro County, NM.

Javelina at Bosque del Apache, NWR, Socorro County, NM.