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
JULY 2026
Summer break. No walk
Date: July 2, 2026
Pueblo Montano Open Space
Date: July 9, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 7:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Meeting Location: Pueblo Montano Picnic Area, click here for Pueblo Montano Picnic Area location
Description: Walk along large ditch to Bosque trails and River, return through Bosque
Facilities: Restrooms next to parking lot
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: 2 to 2.5 miles mostly on flat, compact trails, some uneven, sandy trails with ditch bank stepping up necessary near the river. Partially ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Mary Raje
eBird Hotspot: Rio Grande Valley SP–Pueblo Montano Bosque Trails
Summer break. No walk
Date: July 16, 2026
Santa Fe NF Mountains (Sangre de Cristo Mountains/Hyde Park Road/Hwy 475)
Date: July 23, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 6:45 a.m. – approximately mid-afternoon
Meeting Location: Meet at the Northwest corner of Target parking lot at I-25 and Paseo del Norte (Abq.) for a 6:45 a.m. departure. Click here for Albuquerque meeting location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZUMyBYQQMsdyvUf19. Or if coming from Rio Rancho or Corrales – meet at 6:45 a.m. for 6:50 a.m. departure from Sandoval County/U.S. 550 Rail Runner Station Lower Level Parking.
Santa Fe meeting place: Little Tesuque Picnic Area just past Mile Marker 8 off Hyde Park Road (northeast of Santa Fe) at 8:00 a.m. Click here for SF meeting location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yLaLeo7aNeeQ3bKRA.
Description: Drive along Hyde Park Road, stopping at various locations. Hike the Norski Trail at 10,000+ feet, looking for Dusky Grouse first thing. Then walk around the ski basin (10,350 feet in elevation). Bring a sack lunch.
Facilities: Restrooms at Little Tesuque Picnic Area and at Ski Basin.
Fees: $5.00 per vehicle or interagency pass.
Difficulty/Accessibility: Approximately 1.25 mile hike around the Norski Trail loop, not much elevation change, but fairly primitive trail. Not really ♿ accessible; then more walking on mostly level ground at ski basin and possibly other areas, time permitting. Partially ♿ accessible for those portions.
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Dave Eslinger
eBird Hotspots: Santa Fe NF–Norski Trail; Santa Fe NF–Santa Fe Ski Area
Sulphur Canyon, Sandia Mts.
Date: July 30, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at Four Hills Shopping Village on Central Ave. & Tramway Blvd. in front of Sprouts Grocery to carpool: park here to meet group in town. Or meet in the lower parking lot of Sulphur Canyon Picnic Area. Click here for Picnic area parking
Description: one and a half miles on paved road/trail (or adjacent parallel dirt trail option) -partly steep incline, downhill return.
Facilities: Pit toilets
Fees: $5 per vehicle or National Interagency park pass
Difficulty/Accessibility: ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: None.
Leader(s): Russ Dawson
eBird Hotspot: Cibola NF – Sulphur Canyon Picnic Area
AUGUST 2026
Fenton Lake State Park, Jemez Mts.
Date: August 6, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Carpool meeting at the Northwest corner of Target parking lot at I-25 and Paseo del Norte (Abq.) for a 7:00 a.m. departure. Click here for Target meeting location. Other carpool location – Meet by the Tuff Sheds at The Home Depot, 7700 US-550 NE, Rio Rancho, located west of the US-550 & Highway 528 intersection, near the southeast corner of Hwy. 550 and Safelite Blvd. NE – Click here for Home Depot Tuff Sheds meeting location. Or for driving directly, meet at Fenton Lake State Park picnic parking area, the 1st left turn off Hwy 126 into the Park, then go 0.4 mile down the road in the day use area. This turn is located just after the cattle guard near the cement barriers, before the bridge.
Description: Bring lunch. Walk near the lake and along the dam. The Hal Baxter Memorial Cross-Country Ski Trail and Biathlon Practice Area is a fairly easy two-mile loop along the bank of the Rio Cebolla.
Facilities: bathrooms are available in the state park.
Fees: $5 per vehicle or National Interagency park pass
Difficulty/Accessibility: ♿ mostly accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Perrianne Houghton
eBird Hotspot: Fenton Lake SP
Summer break. No walk
Date: August 13, 2026
Durand Open Space, South Valley
Date: August 20, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Meet in the Open Space parking lot located at 4736 Isleta Blvd. From I-25, exit on Rio Bravo. Drive west on Rio Bravo and turn south on Isleta Blvd. Drive two miles to the property. Parking location
Description: The walk is a 2 mile loop through the Rio Grande bosque.
Facilities: none
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: Flat sand and gravel trail. ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Lee Hopwood, Asher Gorbet
eBird Hotspot: Durand Open Space and adjacent bosque trails
Summer break. No walk
Date: August 27, 2026
SEPTEMBER 2026
Nine Mile Picnic Area, Sandia Mts.
Date: September 3, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at Four Hills Shopping Village on Central in front of Sprouts Grocery to carpool: park here to meet group in town. Or meet at the Nine Mile Picnic Area around 8:00 a.m., which is on the left, one mile past Capulin Spring Picnic Area. The old Crest Road is located by the entrance, just before a small parking area. Nine Mile Picnic Area.
Description: Our plan is to divide the group into three or four smaller groups and have a “sit” format: that is, to have each group at a different picnic site, recording what they hear and see. After a period of time, perhaps 20 minutes, the groups would rotate to the next site and keep a new list. At the end of the rotations, we would reassemble then compare and compile the lists. This could be good practice for birding by ear or “Slow birding.” Nine Mile is a small picnic ground but has lots of shade, nice picnic tables and two bathrooms. And if time allows, we could descend to the Capulin Spring or Sulphur Spring picnic area for more birding. This might be suitable for birders who might not want to hike or do a long walk.
Facilities: Vault toilets
Fees: $5 per vehicle or National Interagency park pass
Difficulty/Accessibility: ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Susan and Jim Hunter
eBird Hotspot: Cibola NF–Nine Mile Picnic Site
Bear Canyon/Michial Emery Trail
Date: September 10, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Meeting location: Meet at the Trailhead, on the west side of the Sandia Mountains. Trail can be reached from the intersection of Spain Rd. NE and Tramway Blvd. Drive east on Spain Rd. 0.8 miles to where Spain T’s into High Desert Place. Turn right 0.1 mile to parking for the trail on the left. Trailhead Parking lot
Description: We will take the Michial Emery Trail that starts from the south end of the parking lot going east into Sandia National Forest land. There are many loop choices and I will keep the walk to less than 2 miles.
Facilities: Pit Toilets
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: Trail offers a mix of surfaces, from smooth, sandy singletrack to rocky sections. ♿ Partially accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Sara Jayne Cole
eBird Hotspot: F. Michial Emery Trailhead and Trail
Embudito Canyon
Date: September 17, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at the trailhead parking lot. Drive east on Montgomery Blvd. past Tramway Blvd., then turn left on Glenwood Hills. Continue 0.4 miles then turn right on Trailhead Road. Parking lot located here
Description: We’ll follow the trail up the canyon.
Facilities: none
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: This is a 1.5 mile walk up a mostly compacted, sandy arroyo; ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Darlene Benedict and Connie Jo Baca
Ebird Hotspot: Cibola NF – Embudito Canyon
Carlito Springs Open Space
Date: September 24, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 7:50 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at the Tijeras Senior Center parking lot at 7:50 a.m. to carpool. Tijeras Senior Center parking. Or you can meet us at the Open Space. Carlito Springs OS parking Since the renovation, there are now two parking lots. The first original lot, above, and another farther up the road on the left.
Description: There is poison ivy in the area so it is recommended to wear closed-toed shoes and long pants. Nice hike through the trees on the path or take the gravel road up which extends from the second parking lot.
Facilities: at the Senior Center or at the top of the trail near the spring (building not always open).
Fees: None
Difficulty/Accessibility: trail has 2 or 3 sections with several stone steps; ♿ mostly accessible
Attendance Limit: None
Leader(s): Russell Dawson
eBird Hotspot: Carlito Springs Open Space, Bernalillo, US-NM