General Information
The Thursday Birders is a dedicated, inquisitive, jovial, and friendly group of birdwatchers. They embark on field trips nearly every Thursday throughout the year. Any exception to this regular schedule is posted on the BACNM Calendar. Thursday Birders is open to anyone interested in birds regardless of their experience. Trips last between 2.5 and 3 hours. For most trips, you don’t need to let the leader know you will be attending – just show up at the meeting spot no later than the specified time. You are encouraged to check this page before heading out in case of schedule changes or weather cancellations. For trips with limited numbers of vehicles or people, or for any other questions you have, contact thursdaybirders@gmail.com.
Please consider a voluntary $1 donation collected at the start of each trip that helps fund nature-related organizations.
Click here – Checklist Archive – for eBird Checklists from past Thursday Birder trips
Click here – Thursday Birder Checklist – for a printable Thursday Birder Checklist or click here for how to print eBird checklists
Click here – History of Thursday Birders – for a history and more information on Thursday Birders
SEPTEMBER 2024
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Date: September 5, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 7:50 am – 3:00 pm
Meeting Location: South Valley Rail Runner Station parking lot, Camino del Tren Ave. Click here for parking location.
Description: We will drive around the Farm Loop and Marsh Loop, stopping at various locations. Bring a picnic lunch. We would prefer no more than 6 carloads of people, otherwise the dust clouds along the road are endless. Also, there are probably mosquitos, especially at the water features at the visitor’s center (horrible!) If anyone has a spotting scope, it would be most welcome. Can we make the departure time to 7:30 am? If people miss the departure, we will wait for them at the entrance of the refuge for a few minutes and then move on the Boardwalk. Call or text us at 505 235-2638 or 505 239-8830 if running late.
Facilities: Restrooms at the Visitor’s Center
Fees: National Park Access Pass or $3.00 per car
Difficulty/Accessibility: 90 mile drive each way, plus driving and some short walks at the Refuge. ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Susan and Jim Hunter
ebird Hotspot: Bosque del Apache NWR
Angostura/Algodones Diversion Dam
Date: September 12, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 7:50 am – 11:00 am
Meeting Location: Sandia Rail Runner Station on Highway 313 just north of Roy Ave. Click here for carpool meeting location. Or drive yourself: 313 north 12 miles to Algodones. The birding area at Angostura Dam is the first left after passing the sign for Algodones City Limits and crossing over a ditch. A one lane dirt road that follows the ditch berm to the diversion dam parking.
Description: Walk the service road to the dam, cross over the dam and continue to the edge of the water below the dam, returning along the service road and bosque to the parking area.
Facilities: None
Fees: No fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1 – 2 miles on relatively flat wide trails and roads. ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: No limit
Leader(s): Sara Jayne Cole
ebird Hotspot: Angostura/Algodones Diversion Dam
Elena Gallegos Trail
Date: September 19, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 am – 11:30 am
Meeting Location: After entering, drive counter-clockwise around the entry station rondo, turning right at 2nd exit. Continue north past the Kiwanis Group Area to Cottonwood Springs Trail. Parking lot at Cottonwood Springs Trailhead. Click here for parking location.
Description: Loop through grasslands, pinyon/juniper with a stop at the spring’s bird blind.
Facilities: Vault toilets
Fees: $1.00 fee per vehicle
Difficulty/Accessibility: Easy 1.5 mile walk on packed dirt, gravel, and paved trails. Bikes use some of the trails we will walk.
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Barbara Hussey
eBird Hotspot: Elena Gallegos Open Space
Jemez Road trip
Date: September 26, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 7:20 am – 3:00 pm
Meeting Location: Meet at US Eagle Federal Credit Union 53, Jemez Canyon Dam Rd, Bernalillo, NM 87004. Click here for meeting location.
Description: This trip will take us up the Jemez River with stops at San Diego Fishing Area (no facilities), Jemez Ranger Station (restrooms), Fenton Lake State Park marsh/lake and if time allows, Seven Springs Fish Hatchery. Bring folding chairs and lunch as this will be a pretty long day. Lunch location will be dependent on how long we spend at each site.
Facilities: at Jemez Ranger Station and Fenton Lake
Fees: $5.00 per car at Fenton Lake
Difficulty/Accessibility: 120 miles total, possibly quite uneven footing, 7,000+ elevation.
partially ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: There will be a maximum of 6 cars and no more than 12 people. As always carpooling is encouraged.
Leader(s): Sarah and Tom Peterson
ebird Hotspot: San Diego Fishing Access, Fenton Lake SP, Seven Springs Hatchery
Rio Grande Nature Center
Date: September 26, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 am – 11:00 am
Meeting Location: Meet at the blind at the northeast corner of the parking lot. Click here for meeting location.
Description: An alternative trip for those unable to join the original Jemez road trip.
Facilities: restrooms open at 10:00 am in the Visitors Center
Fees: $3 parking fee, State Parks pass or Friends of the RGNC pass is required per car
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1-2 miles some on flat; potentially narrow, uneven, sandy trails, partially ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: No limit.
Leader(s): Bob Wilcox
ebird Hotspot: Rio Grande Nature Center SP
OCTOBER 2024
Manzano Pond, possibly Arthur Park (Estancia) or Quarai Ruins
Date: October 3, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 am – 2:00 pm or later
Meeting Location: Carpool from Sandia Ranger Station, Tijeras. Click here for carpooling area: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KfFVSBF8GiQoL2kT9, It will take about one hour to get to Manzano. Click here for Manzano Lake location.
Description: Walk around Manzano Pond. Time permitting go to either Estancia to Arthur Park or Quarai Ruins.
Facilities: None
Fees: No fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1-2 miles on mostly even sandy trails, muddy after raining or washed out a bit. Wear sturdy shoes. Partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Susan and Jim Hunter
eBird Hotspot: Manzano Pond, Estancia–Arthur Park, Quarai Ruins
Sandia Mountain Natural History Center – Cedar Crest
Date: October 10, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 am – 11:30 am
Meeting Location: SMNHC is at 60 Columbine Lane, ¾ of a mile off NM-14 in Cedar Crest. Please obey the posted 15 mph speed limit driving through the neighborhood. Ample parking. Click here for parking location.
Description: We will hike the Mud Spring Loop from the parking area. The trail is 1.3 miles with under 300-foot elevation gain/descent. The habitat travels through pinon-juniper woodland and a forest of fir and ponderosa pine.
Facilities: Yes
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: Portions of the unpaved trail are steep and may be difficult. The trail is sometimes narrow and rocky with large steps and some stairs. Wear sturdy boots and bring trekking poles if needed. There are several trail intersections so please stay with the group.
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Brian Anderson
eBird Hotspot: Sandia Mountain Natural History Center
Romero Road, Corrales Bosque
Date: October 17, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 am – 11:30 am
Meeting Location: due to limited parking, meet at Vision City Brewstillery (formerly Boxing Bear Brewery), 10200 Corrales Rd to carpool, click here for parking location.
Description: walk along ditches and through bosque
Facilities: no restrooms
Fees: no fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: two miles, flat, some uneven and sandy trails, with some ditch bank climbing necessary, partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Phil Dickinson
ebird Hotspot: Corrales bosque–Romero Rd
Albuquerque Open Space Bosque Trails
Date: October 24, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 am – 11:30 am
Meeting Location: Sagebrush Church Parking Lot (near “Bosque Trail Access” signs), 6440 Coors Blvd NW. Click here for meeting location.
Description: Walk on Bosque Trails behind the Sagebrush Church on Coors.
Facilities: none
Fees: no fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: flat, some sandy, uneven trails; mostly ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Pete Chandler
eBird Hotspot: Rio Grande Valley SP–Open Space Visitor Center Bosque Trails
Pueblo Montano Trail and Open Space
Date: October 31, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 am – 11:30 am
Meeting Location: Pueblo Montano Picnic Area, click here for Pueblo Montano Picnic Area location.
Description: walk along large ditch returning through bosque
Facilities: restrooms nearby at Sprouts Grocery
Fees: no fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: two miles some on flat; potentially uneven sandy trails with some ditch bank climbing necessary, partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Mary Raje
eBird Hotspot: Rio Grande Valley SP–-Pueblo Montano Bosque Trails
NOVEMBER 2024
Willow Creek Bosque Open Space
Date: November 7, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:50 am – 12:00 pm
Meeting Location: Willow Creek Rd NE, Rio Rancho, click here for map to Willow Creek parking. Go east on Willow Creek Rd NE from 528, 1.8 miles south of 550 in Bernalillo. After
0.1 mile, turn left after Spruce Mountain Rd NE. – gravel road marked Bosque Trail leading to
trailhead parking lot.
Description: Explore bosque trails and river
Facilities: No facilities
Fees: No fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: one and a half miles – flat with some uneven trails. partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Perrianne Houghton
eBird Hotspot: Willow Creek Bosque Open Space
Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Date: November 14, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:50 am – 12:00 pm
Meeting Location: to carpool, meet at 8:30am in north parking lot of Embassy Suites, 1000
Woodward Pl NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Click here for Embassy Suites location. If driving directly, meet at 9:10am at Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, Click here for Whitfield location.
Description: Walk the loop around the property. 1.4 miles of mostly flat sand and gravel trail with an elevation gain of 6 feet.
Facilities: Restrooms at Visitor’s Center
Fees: No fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1-2 miles on mostly even sandy trails; partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Asher Gorbet
eBird Hotspot: Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Los Poblanos Fields Open Space
Date: November 21, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:50 am – 12:00 pm
Meeting Location: 6000-6018 Los Poblanos Field Trails off Montano, click here for map to Los Poblanos Fields parking.
Description: Loop around fields looking for waterfowl, grassland birds, visit community gardens.
Facilities: Port-a-cans at community gardens
Fees: No fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1-2 miles on mostly flat wide trails and roads. ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Angela Hawthorne and Deanna Nichols
eBird Hotspot: Los Poblanos Open Space
THANKSGIVING
Date: November 28, 2024 No walk today.
DECEMBER 2024
Holiday Get-together and Birdwalk/Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
Date: December 5, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 8:50 am – 12:00 pm
Meeting Location: At the site, 2901 Candelaria Rd NW, northeast corner of parking lot. Click here for meeting location.
Description: behind the scenes with Nature Center volunteer, followed by get-together in
Education Building. PLEASE BRING COOKIES OR OTHER DESSERT. WE WILL PROVIDE COFFEE, TEA AND HOT CHOCOLATE.
Facilities: restrooms open at 10:00 am in the Visitors Center; restrooms in Education Building.
Fees: $3 parking fee, State Parks pass or Friends of the RGNC pass is required per car
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1 mile some on flat; potentially narrow, uneven, sandy trails, partially ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: None
Leaders: Claude Valliere
eBird Hotspot: Rio Grande Nature Center SP
Bosque del Apache NWR/Festival of the Cranes
Date: December 12, 2024
Departure/Finish Time: 7:50 am – 3:00 pm
Meeting Location: South Valley Rail Runner Station parking lot, Camino del Tren Ave. Click here for parking location. Carpooling is encouraged.
Description: We will drive around the Farm Loop and Marsh Loop, stopping at various locations. Bring a picnic lunch.
Facilities: Restrooms at the Visitor’s Center
Fees: National Park Access pass or $3.00 per vehicle
Difficulty/Accessibility: 90 mile drive each way, plus driving and some short walks at the Refuge. ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: None
Leader: Bob Wilcox
ebird Hotspot: Bosque del Apache NWR