Rio Grande Nature Center State Park is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico near the Rio Grande River on 38 acres. However, it feels larger than that because it is right next to the Rio Grande River, which is not part of the park, and its accompanying riparian forest which is known as the bosque, which can be followed about 20 miles.
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| The Rio Grande near the state park. Also the photo below. |
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| This photo, and the one below, are part of the bosque which is between the state park and the Rio Grande River. |
There are four constructed ponds which mimic the flood plain of the Rio Grande, several gardens with bird feeders and a visitor center, which is right next to and encroaches one of the ponds.
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| This is one of the artificial ponds near the visitor center and my favorite part of the park. When I visited there was a great concentration of wood ducks. |
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| This is part of one of the gardens. |
I visited in October 2022. It is a beautiful park and I wish I lived closer. I could spend a lot of time there.
While there I photographed the following birds:
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| American wigeon |
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| A black-capped chickadee, the first one I've ever seen. |
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| Canada goose |
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| Gadwalls |
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| Great blue heron |
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| Green-winged teal |
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| House finch |
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| Mallard |
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| Pied-billed grebe |
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| Rock squirrel |
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| Spotted towhee |
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| White-breasted nuthatch |
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| White-crowned sparrow |
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| White-winged dove |
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| Woodhouse's scrub-jay, the first ones I've seen, at least since starting to keep track. |
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| Wood ducks, only the second time I've seen them and I got phenomenal views. |
I love the chickadee. It looks like a stuffed animal toy. The spotted towhee is beautiful. The straight-on headshot of the mallard makes him look like a chipmunk with puffy cheeks.
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