Thursday Birder and CNMAS Field Trips, Winter 2011-12

[Rosyfinch]

From the Central New Mexico Audubon Society Burrowing Owl newsletter


Thursday Birders Winter Schedule

DECEMBER 1

Hike the open space at the east end of Copper, then attend a
Holiday Pot Luck with Toys for Tots gifts with Rebecca Gracey:
<email> 242-3821. Meet at 10:00 a.m.
in the open space parking area for an easy one mile walk.
Afterwards attend a potluck lunch at the home of Cindy and
Joe Harris. Soup, coffee and tea will be provided. Everyone else
should bring other dishes to share with the group. Unwrapped
gifts for the Toys for Tots program will be collected from those
wishing to contribute. Directions to the pot luck location will be
handed out at the hike.

DECEMBER 8

Have a late lunch in Los Lunas and then view the Sandhill Crane
fly-in at the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area (WWCA) near
Belen, NM, with Linda Heinze: H. 565-1441, C. 270-1779, <email>
Meet at 12:50 p.m. for a 1:00 departure
behind the Hawthorne Suites on Gibson and University or 1:40
p.m. at the Green House Bistro and Bakery in Los Lunas. The
address is 5 Thomas Road, on the west side of NM 47, 1.7 miles
south of the El Cerro and NM 47 intersection.
WWCA is located on the west side of NM 47, 7.5 miles south
of the restaurant. The group should arrive at Whitfield around
3:00 p.m. and will probably be back in Albuquerque before
7:00. p.m.
For those not driving, the shared gas expense is $3.50 at five
cents per mile.

DECEMBER 15

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge with Judy Liddell:
271-0912, <email> Meet at 7:50 a.m for an
8:00 departure behind the Hawthorne Suites on Gibson and
University. Bring lunch. This is an all day trip. (Admission fee or
pass required per vehicle.) For those not driving, the shared gas
expense is $10 at fi ve cents per mile.

DECEMBER 22

Various locations in the village of Corrales and a walk in the
bosque with Rebecca Gracey: 242-3821,
<email> Meet at 8:50 a.m. for a 9:00 departure in the shopping
center parking lot north of Alameda Road/NM 528 and
east of NM 448/ Coors/Corrales Road near Little Anita’s restaurant.
Lunch afterwards at Village Pizza in Corrales.

DECEMBER 29

Shining River Bosque Open Space with Lannois Neely: 890-
7881, <email>
Meet at the trailhead in the open space parking lot at 9:00 a.m.
for a walk in the bosque. It is located south of Paseo del Norte
and north of El Pueblo Road on Rio Grande Boulevard. (There is
no exit from Paseo del Norte to Rio Grande Boulevard. Take the
2nd Street exit and take El Pueblo west to Rio Grande.) The walk
will end before noon.

JANUARY 5

Raptors on the eastern plains of Torrance County with Bonnie
Long: 379-1985, <email> Meet at 8:50
a.m. for a 9:00 departure from the parking lot of the library in
Tijeras, NM, on Route 66/NM 333 (north side of the highway).
The group will drive south of Moriarty past Estancia to look for
several hawk species and a possible Golden Eagle. Lunch at the
Old Mill in Estancia. The group should be back in Albuquerque
by 5:00 p.m. For those not driving, the shared gas expense is $5
at fi ve cents per mile.

JANUARY 12

Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center with Rebecca Gracey:
242-3821, <email> Meet at 9:00 a.m. in
the center’s parking lot on the east side of Coors Boulevard, 1.3
miles north of Montano and 1 mile south of Paseo del Norte. It
will be an easy 1.5 mile walk ending before noon.

JANUARY 19

Los Poblanos Fields Open Space with Lefty Arnold: <email>,
514-9398. Meet at 8:57 a.m. in the
open space parking lot. From east or west bound Montano turn
north on Tierra Viva just east of the river. There will be a sign for
Rio Grande Community Farm. It will be an easy one mile walk
ending before noon.

JANUARY 26

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park with Gale Owings: 505-
255-8333. Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the Nature Center parking lot at
the end of Candelaria N.W. There is a $3 parking fee if you don’t
have a state parks pass or Friends of the RGNC pass. Both may
be purchased inside the visitor’s center after 10:00. The walk
will end before noon.

FEBRUARY 2

Hike Embudo Canyon with Donna Royer: 869-6882, <email>
Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot nearest the trail head which
is located at the east end of Indian School Road N.E. It is an easy
1.5 mile walk ending before noon.

FEBRUARY 9

Sandia Crest to look for the Rosy-Finches with Karen and Gary
Boettcher: 281-6726, <email> Meet at 9:20 a.m.
for a 9:30 departure from the Sandia Ranger Station in Tijeras,
NM, on NM 337 to arrange car pooling. Snacks or lunch may
be bought at the crest restaurant as the group waits inside for
the Rosy-Finches to arrive at the feeders. (Parking fee or pass
required.) The trip will end in the early afternoon. For those not
driving, the shared gas expense is $2 at fi ve cents per mile.

FEBRUARY 16

Longspur quest on the plains east of Albuquerque with Gary
Shirk: 717-330-7063, <email> Meet at 8:50 a.m.
for a 9:00 departure from the Four Hills shopping center near
the Carl’s Jr. on the south side of Central, between Juan Tabo
and Tramway. Bring lunch. The trip should end mid afternoon.
For those not driving the shared gas expense is $5 at fi ve cents
per mile.

FEBRUARY 23

Alameda Open Space with Judy Liddell: 271-0912,
<email>
Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the open space parking lot on the south
side of Alameda Boulevard. It is directly east of the Rio Grande
River and west of the traffi c light on Alameda and Rio Grande
Boulevard. Lunch at Village Pizza in Corrales.

Thursday Birder Trip Reports

Judy Liddell’s blog: www.wingandsong.wordpress.com
Joe Schelling’s blog: http://joeschelling.wordpress.com
Matt O’Donnell’s blog: http://abqbirding.wordpress.com
Phil Trine’s photographs: www.fl ickr.com/photos/thbirds

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CNMAS Weekend Field Trips - Winter 2012

Check for updates or additional field trips on our website:
www.newmexicoaudubon.org/cnmas

Saturday, December 3: Bosque del Apache NWR

Leader: Robert Munro, <email>
Meet at the refuge visitor center at 9:30 a.m. or, to arrange
carpooling from Albuquerque, at the parking lot at the southwest
corner of Lomas and University Blvds at 8:00 a.m. The trip
will consist of some light walking and driving both loops in
search of winter resident birds. Dress for variable weather and
bring a scope if you have one. We may stop at Turtle Bay Park in
Socorro on the way back.

Sunday, January 22: Sandia Mountains

Leader: Raymond VanBuskirk, <email>
505-217-8514
Meet in front of Starbucks in the Four Hills parking lot (south
of Central and west of Tramway) at 7:30 a.m. We’ll start at the
morning at Doc Long Picnic Area, and from there we’ll work
our way up the mountain looking for winter fi nches and other
forest birds. At the crest we’ll search for Three-toed Woodpeckers
and fi nish the trip in the Crest House where we’ll watch the
Rosy-Finch banders while we sip hot chocolate.

Saturday, January 28: Maxwell NWR

Leader: Jim Mosley, <email>
This trip will focus on winter raptors (targets include Ferruginous
and Rough-legged Hawks, falcons, and eagles) and waterfowl.
Maxwell is also one of the best spots in the state to see Northern
Shrike and American Tree-Sparrow. The trip will conclude at
around noon, which can aff ord us the opportunity to perhaps
bird Las Vegas NWR on the return. You will be **required** to
contact me if you are going on this trip. Dress for possible extreme
cold. Bring snacks and water as well. Participants can meet
at the gas station across from Sandia Casino for carpooling at
5:30 a.m. or at the refuge headquarters at 8:00 a.m.

Saturday, February 11: Alameda Open Space

Leader: Judy Liddell, <email>, 505-220-7998
Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the open space parking lot. We will be looking
for wintering waterfowl on the river, checking the fl ocks
of gulls for any vagrants and scouting for wintering sparrow,
as well as enjoying normal winter species, e.g. Yellow-rumped
Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and American Goldfi nches.
This is a trip that can be enjoyed by all levels of birders.

Saturday February 25: Rattlesnake Springs & Carlsbad

Leader: Cole Wolf, <email>, 505-553-4831
We’ll be focusing on winter eastern NM specialties including
Field Sparrow, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and Brown Thrasher.
The relatively milder climate of the southeastern part of the
state also makes it a great place to fi nd rare warblers, sparrows,
and others in winter. Contact the leader for a meeting time on
Saturday morning and information on carpooling from Albuquerque
on Friday evening. More adventurous participants
should ask the leader about visiting the Guadalupe Mountains
on Sunday.

Central New Mexico Audubon Society assumes no responsibility
for injuries, personal or otherwise, incurred while attending society
sponsored activities and will not be held liable for such accidents.
You attend at your own risk.

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NM Rare Bird Alert - www.nmbirds.org
Rare Bird Alert for all states - www.birdingonthe.net

To report NM rare birds, contact Matt Baumann at
[e-mail] , 505-264-1052