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
MARCH 2025
Durand Open Space – South Valley
Date: March 6, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Meet in the Open Space parking lot located at 4736 Isleta Blvd. SW. From I-25, exit on Rio Bravo. Blvd., Exit 220. Drive west on Rio Bravo and turn south on Isleta Blvd. Drive two miles to the property. Click here for map: Durand Open Space
Description: The walk is about 1 mile in length and will end by noon. Mostly flat sand/gravel trail. Walk in and out on same path.
Facilities: None
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Russell Dawson
Ebird Hotspot: Durand Open Space and adjacent bosque trails
SPRING BREAK – no walk
Date: March 13, 2025
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
Date: March 20, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Bird blind at NE corner of parking lot of nature center., 2901 Candelaria Road, NW, Albuquerque. Click here for map: Rio Grande Nature Center | Visitor Center
Description: Behind the scenes walk, then through garden. ♿ accessible. Afterward, walk through bosque to river.
Facilities: At Visitor’s Center – opens at 10:00 a.m.
Fees: $5.00, State Park Pass, or Friends of RGNC park pass
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1+ miles on flat; potentially narrow sandy trails; mostly ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Brian Anderson and Peter Neils
Ebird Hotspot: Rio Grande Nature Center SP, Bernalillo, US-NM
East Ella Drive – Corrales Bosque
Date: March 27, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Meeting Location: due to limited parking on Ella Drive, meet at Vision City Brewstillery (formerly Boxing Bear Brewery) to carpool, 10200 Corrales Rd, Click here for Vision City Brewstillery.
Description: Walk along arroyos in bosque.
Facilities: None
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: Mostly flat, sand/gravel trails along arroyos. ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Darlene Benedict
Ebird Hotspot: Corrales Bosque–La Entrada/East Ella, Sandoval, US-NM
APRIL 2025
Sanchez Farm Open Space – South Valley
Date: April 3, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 – 11:00
Meeting Location: Parking lot at 1160 Arenal Road, SW, Albuquerque. Click here for map. Sanchez Farm Open Space
Description: .6 miles of loop passing small gardens and a pond with marsh. We will most likely choose a second location and will announce at a later date.
Facilities: None
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: Easy walk on flat trails; ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Pete Chandler
Ebird Hotspot: Sanchez Farms Open Space, Bernalillo, US-NM
San Antonio Oxbow Open Space
Date: April 10, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Parking lot to open space – 99999 Namaste Rd NW, Albuquerque. Click here for map: San Antonio Oxbow Open Space
Description: Short path on bluff overlooking the Oxbow Wetland Area. Poole property to the north, then an optional walk down the concrete arroyo to the wetlands.
Facilities: None
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: Trail down to river is somewhat steep; partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Perrianne Houghton and Shannon Caruso
Ebird Hotspot: San Antonio Oxbow Open Space, Bernalillo, US-NM
Bosque del Apache NWR
Date: April 17, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:20 am – 3:00 pm if carpooling; If meeting at Refuge, meet at 8:30.
Meeting Location: South Valley Rail Runner Station parking lot, Camino del Tren Ave. Click here for parking location. Carpooling is encouraged. But if driving directly, take I-25 approximately 9 miles south of Socorro to Exit 139. Go East a few miles to the small town of San Antonio, then make a right on Highway 1 and go south to Bosque del Apache. Meet us just past the Visitor’s Center area at the main gate on the left, at 8:30 a.m.
Description: We will drive around the Farm Loop (North Loop) and Marsh Loop (South Loop), stopping at various locations. Bring a picnic lunch.
Facilities: Flush toilets are located adjacent to the visitor center. Flush toilets are open from 8am – 4pm. Vault toilets are located at the parking lots for the Flight Deck and the Rio Viejo/Bike Trails. Vault toilets are open when the tour loop is open.
Fees: $5.00 per passenger vehicle or National Park Access pass. Also, there is a yearly pass to this park $15.00.
Difficulty/Accessibility: 90 mile drive each way, plus driving and some short walks at the Refuge. Some viewing platforms have steps. ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): TBA
Ebird Hotspot: Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro, US-NM
Tingley Beach – ABQ Biopark
Date: April 24, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 8:20 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: North parking lot, Click here for map: Tingley Beach
Description: 1-2 miles on mostly flat, sometimes narrow, sandy trails. Paved path at fishing ponds.
Facilities: Located at fishing ponds at beginning or end of walk
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: Some mildly uneven ground to bosque ponds; partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Mary Raje
Ebird Hotspot: ABQ BioPark–Tingley Lagoon (for the fishing ponds) and Rio Grande Valley SP–Tingley Beach bosque ponds