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

OCTOBER 2026

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Date: October 1, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: South Valley Railrunner Parking lot, Camino del Tren Avenue.  Click here for parking location. Meet at the Visitor Center at Bosque del Apache at 9:00am.
Description: Drive along South Loop, then North Loop, stopping at various locations along the way and then short walks. Bring a picnic lunch for eating at the Visitor Center picnic tables. If the weather is inclement, we will go out to lunch somewhere.
Facilities: Restrooms at Visitor’s Center. Vault toilets off junction of South and North Loops.  We will make a stop at this location.
Fees: National Park Access Pass or $5.00 per vehicle
Difficulty/Accessibility: 90 mile drive each way, plus driving and some short walks at Refuge.  ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: None but carpooling is encouraged
Leader(s): Susan and Jim Hunter
eBird Hotspot: Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro, US-NM

East Ella Drive, Corrales Bosque
Date:  October 8, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: due to limited parking meet at Calavida Cantina (formerly Boxing Bear Brewery/Vision City Brewstillery) to carpool, 10200 Corrales Rd, Click here for Calavida Cantina Corrales
Description: walk along ditches and through bosque; mostly flat sandy trails
Facilities: none
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: two miles some on flat; potentially uneven sandy trails; partially ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Rodney Rienhardt
eBird Hotspots: Corrales Bosque–La Entrada/East Ella, Sandoval, US-NM

Durand Open Space, South Valley Albuquerque
Date:  October 15, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 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 about 2 miles in length.
Facilities: none
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: Flat sand and gravel trail.  ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Russ Dawson
eBird Hotspot: Durand Open Space & adjacent Bosque trails, Bernalillo, US-NM

San Antonio Oxbow Open Space
Date: October 22, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Open Space Parking lot – 99999 Namaste Rd NW, Albuquerque.Click here for: San Antonio Oxbow Open Space
Description: For about 1.5 miles, walk the crusher-fine path, with occasional benches, up to the bluff overlooking the Oxbow Wetland Area; return to Open Space Pavilion area and walk the Suzy Poole Nature Trail loop. For those wanting to go farther, drive or walk to Andalucia Park and access the concrete arroyo to the wetlands, River, and trail through bosque.
Facilities: none
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: mostly ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Perrianne Houghton
eBird Hotspot: San Antonio Oxbow Open Space, Bernalillo, US-NM

Los Poblanos Fields Open Space
Date: October 29, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: 6000-6018 Los Poblanos Field Trails, off Montaño Road. 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 parking lot and community gardens
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1-2 miles on mostly flat wide trails and roads. ♿accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Pete Chandler
eBird Hotspot: Los Poblanos Open Space, Bernalillo, US-NM

NOVEMBER 2026

Willow Creek Trailhead and Open Space
Date: November 5, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Willow Creek Rd NE, Rio Rancho, click here for map to Willow Creek parking
Description: Explore bosque trails and the river along a mostly compact easy walk with a few short sandy spots. Walk distance is 1.5 to 2 miles.
Facilities: none
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: partially ♿accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Phil Dickinson
eBird Hotspot: Willow Creek Open Space, Sandoval, US-NM

Ojito de San Antonio Open Space
Date:  November 12, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: Meet at the Ojito de San Antonio Open Space parking lot at 8:00. Click here for parking area.
Description: Ojito de San Antonio Open Space takes its name from two springs that supply water to the existing fruit tree orchard and local wildlife. The area is characterized by a grassy meadow surrounded by piñon-juniper foothills. The riparian area stands in contrast to the upland piñon-juniper woodlands making for a fantastic birding spot.
We’ll meet at the parking lot and begin walking the access road and see the birds in the old orchard. Depending on the group size, one group can look for birds along the 1-mile loop that heads up onto the piñon-juniper ridge, and the other group can stay in the lower area in the meadow near the Acequias.
Ojito de San Antonio trail map:https://www.bernco.gov/community-services/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2021/03/Ojito-Trail-Map.pdf
For folks interested in medicinal plants in this area, please check out this link:
https://www.bernco.gov/community-services/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2021/03/Wild-Plant-Traditions_Final.pdf
Facilities: none
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: The upper ridge loop trail is approximately a 1.25-mile walk with an elevation gain of about 120 feet. This trail is not wheelchair accessible. The access road and meadow area are  ♿accessible  
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Amy Mathis
eBird Hotspot: Ojito de San Antonio Open Space, Sandoval, US-NM

Tingley Beach Trails and Pond
Date: November 19, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Location: north parking lot, Tingley Drive SW, park north of fishing ponds, click here for map
Description: : Walk south along the riverside to ponds returning through bosque
Facilities: Restrooms at central fishing pond inside Tingley Cafe
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: 1-2 miles on mostly flat, sometimes narrow, sandy trails, partially ♿ accessible.
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Lee Hopwood & Asher Gorbet
eBird Hotspot: ABQ BioPark–Tingley Lagoon (for the fishing ponds) and Rio Grande Valley SP–Tingley Beach bosque ponds, Bernalillo, US-NM

No walk – Thanksgiving
Date: November 26, 2026

DECEMBER 2026

Zia Pueblo – Zia Reservoir 
Date: December 3, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Meet by the Tuff Sheds at The Home Depot, located west of the US-550 & Highway 528 intersection, or near the southeast corner of Hwy. 550 and Safelite Blvd. NE –  https://maps.app.goo.gl/UCJ1yxvbVWWdsrpj6. (For those wanting to meet in Albuquerque and carpool to the Tuff Sheds at The Home Depot, meet in the northwest section of the parking lot at Target on Paseo del Norte near I-25 at 7:40 a.m. – click here for Target) From The Home Depot we will carpool to Zia Pueblo’s Department of Environmental Resources office 702 Riverside Drive, Zia,  sign a waiver and get permits ($6/person for daily, $20 annual, plus additional $2 photography permit for those wanting to take pictures).
Description: We’ll go to Zia Reservoir. There are no defined trails but we can walk along the flat, sandy beach. For those wanting to walk around the reservoir, the distance could be up to a mile and a half. Driving to the other side is also an option.
Facilities: Vault toilets at Reservoir
Fees: $6 permit and optional $2 photography permit
Difficulty/Accessibility: flat, sandy surface, ♿ accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Dave Eslinger
eBird Hotspot: Zia Reservoir, Sandoval, US-NM

Alameda Bosque Trails, Alameda Open Space – a.k.a. Paseo del Bosque Trail
Date: December 10, 2026
Departure/Finish Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting location: south side of Alameda Blvd. just east of the river, click here for parking
Description: Walk along north valley ditches and through bosque
Facilities: Restrooms on south side of parking lot
Fees: none
Difficulty/Accessibility: one to two miles, some on flat, sandy trails; some on uneven sandy trails, partially ♿accessible
Attendance Limit: none
Leader(s): Darlene Benedict
eBird Hotspot: Rio Grande Valley SP – Alameda Bridge Bosque Trails (including Alameda Open Space), Bernalillo, US-NM

Annual Thursday Birders Holiday Get-together
Date: December 12, 2026
Location and Time: TBA

Open, TBA – Walk planned if there’s interest
Date: December 17, 2026

No walk – Holiday Season
Date: December 24, 2026

No walk – New Year’s Eve
Date: December 31, 2026