Bosque is a magical place in winter. I went in Dec-Jan and found the Snow geese and cranes amazing. Its cold, but the opportunities  are brilliant at dawn and dusk.  

Cranes flighting in at dusk

Cranes at dawn

Its a simple flight to Dallas, then onto Albuquerque. A 1 hour drive to Socorro where there are many cheap motels. You need a car and its a 20 min run to Bosque from Socorro. Start with the Geese at dawn, turning left as you enter Bosque. Once they have taken off drive back towards Socorro for a mile or so till you see a series of ponds where the Cranes are roosting. Park and enjoy them as they take of. You can then cruise the road in Bosque to find many other great photo opportunities.