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
MAY 2025
Coyote del Malpais Golf Course – Grants
Date: May 1, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: southeast corner of Lowe’s parking lot I-40 and 12th St NW, Lowe’s Home Improvement. Alternate meeting: southeast corner of Sky City Travel Center parking lot, I-40, exit 89, Sky City Travel Center
Description: Bird the golf course, bring a picnic lunch or buy lunch in clubhouse
Facilities: Sky City Casino, golf course clubhouse
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: 75 mile drive and 3 mile walk on golf course, partially ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: 15 people – Email thursdaybirders@gmail.com at least a week beforehand to reserve your spot and let us know where you will join the group
Leader(s): Peter Niels and Susan Chavez
Ebird Hotspot: Coyote del Malpais Golf Course
Pueblo Montano Trail
Date: May 8, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Pueblo Montano Picnic Area, Pueblo Montaño Picnic Area and Trailhead
Description: walk dirt road by irrigation ditch to cut-off to river, then smaller path through bosque to second river view. Continue to wetland, then return beside irrigation ditch. Distance about 2 miles.
Facilities: restrooms nearby at Sprouts Grocery
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: two miles; mostly flat dirt road, but a short trail might be sandy and a bit narrow in one place. Should be ♿ accessible to all.
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Mary Raje
Ebird Hotspot: Rio Grande Valley SP–Pueblo Montano Bosque Trails, Bernalillo, US-NM
Water Canyon – Magdalena Mountains
Date: May 15, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at South Valley Rail Runner Station on Camino del Tren Ave off Rio Bravo, Rail Runner parking lot at 7:00 a.m.
Description: Bring a sack lunch. The trip should end in mid-afternoon. Water Canyon (campground location) is located at the north end of the Magdalena Mountains west of Socorro. As an island of mountains surrounded by arid country, Water Canyon tends to draw in plenty of birds
Facilities: vault toilet in campground
Fees: $3 per vehicle or national interagency park pass
Difficulty/Accessibility: Walk along a rough road with questionable ♿accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Bob Wilcox
Ebird Hotspot: : Cibola NF–Water Canyon, Socorro, US-NM
Candelaria Nature Preserve
Date: May 22, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: West end of Arbor Road NW, off Rio Grande Blvd NW. Candelaria Farm
Description: Level trail. Gravel/packed soil.
Facilities: None
Fees: No fee
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1-2 miles on mostly flat dirt trails. ♿accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Claude Vallieres
Ebird Hotspot: Candelaria Nature Preserve (restricted access), Bernalillo, US-NM
Capulin Springs Picnic Area & Balsam Glade Picnic Area (optional)
Date: May 29, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Meeting Location: For those of you who would like to carpool, meet at the NE corner of the parking lot at Sprouts on Tramway and Central, SE Sprouts Farmers Market parking lot; at 7:45 am. If you would like to meet us there directly, in the Capulin Springs Picnic area parking lot, approximately one and a half miles past the Sandia Ski Area on the right side of Sandia Crest Road, at approximately 8:25 am. Capulin Springs Picnic Site
Description: At Capulin Spring, we can bird in the area of the picnic tables, and a few birders at a time can walk down to the Log. For those wanting to add on a visit to Balsam Glade area, and walk the Nature Trail to the Madera Canyon Overlook, you can drive and stop at the Balsam Glade picnic area on the way back.
Facilities: Restrooms at both locations.
Fees: $3.00 fee or National Park Service pass.
Difficulty/Accessibility: Capulin Springs and Balsam Glade areas are mostly ♿accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Perrianne Houghton
Ebird Hotspot: Cibola NF – Capulin Springs and Balsam Glade
JUNE 2025
Feltz Family Cabin – Jemez Mountains
Date: June 5, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at the south side of the Sprouts parking lot at San Mateo Blvd. and Academy Blvd. NE. Meet here. Please email thursdaybirders@gmail.com if you would like to drive there directly. We will provide you with a map.
Description: The Feltz family’s Jemez Mountain cabin at 8,600 feet near La Cueva with Lou and Arlene Feltz. One may view birds from the back deck or nearby meadows. Bring a sack lunch and a folding chair.
Facilities: You may use the restroom at the cabin.
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: Driving on some unpaved roads approaching the cabin, some walking in housing development if desired, no access to the closed-off forest, and sitting comfortably waiting for birds to arrive. The walk through the meadows is fairly level terrain but then begins to slope upward but not a steep grade. Difficult for ♿ on walk but some nice birding from the cabin as well.
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): No leader
Ebird Hotspot: No hotspot
Cienega Canyon, Sandia Mountains
Date: June 12, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: meet at Four Hills Shopping Village on Central in front of Sprouts Grocery park here Alternate meeting place Cienega Picnic Grounds at the canyon.
Description: The group will park in the lower parking lot in Cienega Canyon and walk up the road (south) to the springs.
Facilities: pit toilets are available
Fees: $3 per vehicle or national interagency park pass
Difficulty/Accessibility: Going north, the trail is wide and level. Going south, there are some mild slopes and a narrow trail. ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Russell Dawson
Ebird Hotspot: Cibola NF–Cienega Canyon Picnic Area
Villanueva State Park
Date: June 19, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 6:50 a.m. at Sprouts; or 8:00 a.m. at Clines Corners Truck Stop. Returning to Albuquerque approximately 1:30-2:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at 6:50 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. departure from the Northeast parking lot of Sprouts at Tramway and Central, Four Hills Village Shopping Center. Here is a map: Sprouts Farmers Market. A secondary meeting place will be at Clines Corner’s truck stop Clines Corners Travel Center at 8:00 a.m. NW side of I-40. Bring a sack lunch.
Description: State Park with campgrounds along the Pecos River. Mostly flat, easy walk. ♿ accessible
Facilities: Restrooms and vault toilets
Fees: $5.00 entrance fee or State Park pass
Difficulty/Accessibility: ♿accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Sara Jane Cole and Lannois Neely
Ebird Hotspot: Villanueva SP, San Miguel, US-NM
Carlito Springs Open Space
Date: June 26, 2025
Departure/Finish Time: 7:50 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Meet us at the open space. Carlito Springs Open Space at 82 Carlito Springs Road, Tijeras. Since the renovation, there are now two parking lots. The first, original lot and another further up the road on the left.
Description: This is a 1.75 mile loop trail that is generally considered to be an easy walk. There is apparently poison ivy in the area so it is recommended to wear close-toed shoes and long pants. Nice hike through the trees on dirt path or take the paved road up which extends from the second parking lot.
Facilities: None
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: Some inclines and dirt path with the alternate route up the asphalt road. Somewhat ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Russell Dawson
Ebird Hotspot: Carlito Springs Open Space, Bernalillo, US-NM