Field Trips
Photo by Michael Hilchey
Field Trip Schedule
CNMAS trips prepared by Cole Wolf
ALWAYS check with the leader before the trip.
Saturday, September 18: Shorebird Migration in Belen
Leader: Linda Heinze and Judy Liddell, jliddell@msn.com
Visit Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, Belen’s newest birding hotspot, and Belen Marsh during shorebird migration. Meet behind the Hawthorne Suites on Gibson and University in Albuquerque at 8:00 AM or at Whitfield at 8:30 AM. We will spend a couple of hours exploring the different habitats at Whitfield and then drive over to the Belen Marsh to check out the shorebird activity there. We should be done by noon. Please contact the leader if you plan on attending.
Saturday, September 25: Ute Creek Ranch
Leader: Christopher Rustay, 505-255-7786
We will meet at the Logan Allsup’s on at 7:00 AM for a onehour drive to Bueyeros. There we will look at the grasslands and riparian areas along Ute Creek on the Ute Creek Ranch. This area has extensive grasslands, a restored riparian area, and abuts some of the Canadian Escarpment. This diversity of habitats can make for some very interesting birding and we will be well positioned to see not only grasslands and shrub birds but also a variety of migrants, such as Clay-colored Sparrow. This ranch is private property and this opportunity is not something that can be done on your own. ! ere will be some long walking on mostly flat terrain. Some climbing up rocks may be done but folks may easily opt out. A stop at Ute Lake State Park may be possible after the field trip. Folks may overnight either in Tucumcari (with more rooms) or Logan (with fewer rooms) or camp at Ute Lake State Park. Contact the leader for further information.
Sunday, November 14: Las Vegas NWR
Leaders: Sei Tokuda, 505-266-2480, (stokuda@juno.com)
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Far North Shopping Center (NE corner of San Mateo and Academy Blvd). ! e back road to Crane Lake will be open and there will lectures at the visitor center. The target birds will include wintering raptors (Bald Eagle, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks), mergansers, Common Goldeneye, and possibly Tree Sparrow. Dress warmly; bring water, food and snacks. The trip should end by 3:00 PM. Contact the leader for further information.
AUDUBON THURSDAY BIRDERS
Audubon THURSDAY BIRDERS trips for Fall 2010
SEPTEMBER 2
Belen Marsh and Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area in Belen with Linda Heinze:
565-1441, manzanogal@gmail.com Meet at 7:30 a.m. behind the Hawthorn Suites on Gibson and University or 8:00 at the marsh, which is one mile east from Exit 195 off
I-25. Park at the Taco Bell. Lunch at Harla May’s Fat Boy Grill on Becker Avenue near Main Street in Belen.
SEPTEMBER 9
Rocky Point Trail in the Sandia Mountains with Melissa Howard: 286-9365, nmflicker@swcp.com Meet at 8:00 a.m. near the Carl’s Jr. in the shopping center on the south side of Central Avenue between Tramway and Juan Tabo or 8:45 at the Ellis Trail parking lot in the mountains. The trail is easy to moderate. The hike will be over by noon. (Parking fee of $3 or pass required in the Sandias.)
SEPTEMBER 16
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge with Sei Tokuda: 266-2480, stokuda@juno.com Meet at 8:00 a.m. behind the Hawthorne Suites on University and Gibson. It will be an all-day trip. Bring lunch. (Entrance fee or pass required per car.)
SEPTEMBER 23
Corrales bosque with Judy Liddel: 271-0912, jliddell5@earthlink.net
Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the shopping area on the east side of Coors/Corrales Road and north of Alameda/NM 528 near Little Anita’s. We will go to a location on the far north end of Corrales. Lunch at Village Pizza in Corrales.
SEPTEMBER 30
Dixon Apple Farm and Cochiti Lake with Donna Royer: 869-6882, dlroyer@earthlink.net
Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the middle of the shopping center parking lot located east of San Mateo and north of Academy Blvd. Bring lunch. The trip should end by mid-afternoon.
OCTOBER 7
Hike Ellis Trail in the Sandia Mountains with Lannois Neely: 890-7881, lfneely@aol.com
Meet at 8:30 a.m. near the Carl’s Jr. in the shopping center parking lot on the south side of Central, between Juan Tabo and Tramway or 9:15 at the Ellis Trail parking lot. It is a level trail. The walk will be over before noon. (Parking fee of $3 or pass required in the Sandias.)
OCTOBER 14
Manzano Mountain trip with Bonnie Long: 379-1985, cantrade_1@yahoo.com
Meet at 9:00 a.m. by the Carl’s Jr. on the south side of Central Avenue between Juan Tabo and Tramway or meet Bonnie at the intersection of NM 337 and NM 55 at 9:50. If the dead trees along the road to the Hawk Watch site have been removed by then and the road is open to the public, the group with go there. If not, the group will go to Fourth of July Campground and Quarai National Monument. Bring lunch. Be prepared for either trip. The trail to the hawk watch site is rocky and the viewing area can be cold and windy. High clearance vehicles are necessary for the road into the site. For Fourth of July and Quarai, there should be less wind and the walking paths are fairly flat. A parking fee of $8 per vehicle is required at the campground, $4 with a Golden Age Pass.
OCTOBER 21
Randall Davey Audubon Center in Santa Fe with Lefty Arnold: 514-9398, hoosierjohnarnold@yahoo.com Meet at 8:27 a.m. in the middle of the shopping center parking lot located east of San Mateo and north of Academy Blvd. To reach the Audubon center, take the Old Pecos Trail exit from I-25, turn east on Alameda just after passing the state capitol and then left onto Upper Canyon Road. At the fork in the road, keep right for .6 miles on a dirt road to reach the center. Bring lunch.
OCTOBER 28
Cedro Campground and Sabino Canyon County Open Space south of Tijeras, NM, with Karen and Gary Boettcher: 281-6726, nmkestrel@yahoo.com
Meet at 9:00 at the Sandia Ranger Station in Tijeras, NM, on Highway 337. The trip will be over before noon.
NOVEMBER 4
Ponderosa, NM, and Paliza Campground near Jemez Pueblo, with Rebecca Gracey: 242-3821, maryrebeccagracey@gmail.com Meet at 8:30 in the middle of the shopping center parking lot located east of San Mateo and north of Academy Blvd. or at the Giant gas station on NM 550 just before turning north onto NM 4 at 9:15. (Let Rebecca know if you plan to meet at the second location in case the trip is canceled due to bad weather.) Bring lunch. We will return in the early afternoon. There is a parking fee at the campground of $8 per vehicle or $4 with a Golden Age Pass.
NOVEMBER 11
Walk in the foothills open space at the east end of Copper with Mary Lou Arthur: 299-2565, marylarthur@yahoo.com Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the trail head. It is a fairly easy 1.5 mile walk. Copper is north of Central Avenue.
NOVEMBER 18
Los Poblanos Open Space with Rebecca Gracey: maryrebeccagracey@gmail.com
242-3821 Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the open space parking lot. From east or west bound Montano turn north on Tierra Viva just east of the Rio Grande River. Turn at the sign for Rio Grande Community Farm. It will be an easy one mile walk. Lunch afterwards at Hannah and Nate’s in the Montano shopping center on Coors Blvd.
NOVEMBER 25 THANKSGIVING- no trip planned