Birding close to Albuquerque? (1 Viewer)

[Marley]

Hi all, with special focus on the NM forum members,

I live in Albuquerque and spend most of my time birding in the Bosque forest along the Rio Grande. I know that there is world-class birding to be done during the migration seasons at the Bosque Del Apache (2 hours south), but does anyone know of other good birding spots close town?

As we are in the high desert (5-6k feet MSL), there typically isn't much water and therefore not bunches of obvious life. What does exist is well adapted to low water conditions.

I just wondered if there are some good birding spots within a hour or so from town that provide a good selection of birds.

Thanks for any insight.

Rgds,

Steffan

 

[Steve Gross]

I found this site that might be helpful:

http://www.peacocklaw.com/nmac/cnmas/

If you regularly bird Bosque del Apache, I recommend a visit to Water Canyon, about 20 west of Socorro. It has a nice campground and plenty of birds, including Acorn Woodpecker and Red-faced Warbler in season.

Best of luck.

Steve in Houston

 

[bobsofpa]

I found this site that might be helpful:

http://www.peacocklaw.com/nmac/cnmas/

If you regularly bird Bosque del Apache, I recommend a visit to Water Canyon, about 20 west of Socorro. It has a nice campground and plenty of birds, including Acorn Woodpecker and Red-faced Warbler in season.

Best of luck.

Steve in Houston

Can you give a little more information on the location of Water Canyon? The only thing I can find on my maps west of Socorro is Box Canyon Road.

 

[cjwolf]

Hi Steffan,

Bosque del Apache is definately great for birding, I'm heading down there tomorrow, it's only 80 mi. away. ABQ has great birding around it. The Rio Grande Nature Center at the end of Candeleria is a good spot, there is some water there. The Sandia Mts. are great in the summer, Grace's Warblers, Warbling Vireos, White-throated Swifts, Pygmy Owls, Flam Owls, and lots of other monate species. Sandia Crest is the best spot in the world of Rosy-Finches, all 3 species are easy there (they just left). Cochiti Lake, which is off I-25, 40 or 50 miles north of ABQ is a nice deep lake, I was just up there and had Franklin's Gulls, Curlews, and thousands of swallows. Just east of the northernmost Belen exit (I believe it is 191) there is a small marsh that is good for shorebirds and Burrowing Owls, I was there a week ago and had about 50 Black-necked Stilts and a Wilson's Phalarope. I live up in the foothills, right near Emubdito Canyon, which can be great to hike and bird for Black-chinned Sparrows, Rufous-crowned Sparrows, and many other foothill birds. Elena Gallegos is also good for foothill birds, there is a tiny pond therebut I've only ever seen Mallards on it.

If you plan on birding NM, buy the NM birdfinding guide, it's great:

http://www.nmosbirds.org/bfg.html

Bob, I have not been to Water Canyon, but I know it is great, Box Canyon Road sounds right, but I will look it up in the birdfinding guide and get back to you. I'm planning a trip soon so I can get RFWA for NM.

 

[Steve Gross]

Here's some information about Water Canyon Campground

http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/southwst/cibcmp.htm#water canyon

 

[Marley]

Cole, Steve,

Thanks for the information!

Cole,

I am curious as to your mention of the Sandias. My birding experiences have been limited to the western and southern slopes, with specific hiking on Pino, Embudito, Embudo and Three Gun Springs trails. Since these are rather dry trails, the birding has been rather light. Does the birding on the eastern Sandias produce more birds? I hear that the 10K and Tree Spring trails are a better bet than those on the western slopes.

I did try the Albuquerque Rio Grande Nature Center the other day and I was delightfully surprised. I have lived in Albuquerque for 13 years and had never explored that part of the Bosque. They have done a very nice job of attracting a wide variety of birds.

I asked the original question as birding here seems to required multiple hours of driving and with gas approaching $3 per gallon, that can start to get expensive.

Thanks again for your insight.

Regards,

Steffan

 

[bobsofpa]

Here's some information about Water Canyon Campground

http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/southwst/cibcmp.htm#water canyon

Steve,

Thank you for the link. I was able to locate Water Canyon Road from the infromation on the Forest Service site. I will be out that way in about a month and may stop there.

 

[cjwolf]

Hi Steffan,

Glad you liked the nature center, on weekends in the fall they have bird walks and banding, sometimes I help out w/ the banding. Some really good rarities have been recorded there (though infrequently).

The east side of the Sandias is more accesible and a larger area. NM 536 snakes its way 13 miles from Sandia Park to the Crest. There are many trailheads along it that are good for birding. Tree Springs is good for Saw-whet Owls, especially in the winter. Capulin Springs Snowplay area is a very good place, there is a man-made source of water that attracts just about everything. Grace's Warblers should be arriving now. (They are in Water Canyon) There is too much information for me to go into, once again I'd reccomend the NM birdfinding guide, which has a chapter for each county. For now try this site, which has a mile-by-mile guide to the 536 in the Sandias, and also information about the Rosy-Finch project I'm involved in:

http://www.rosyfinch.com/

Another good spot is a newly discovered area called the "Tramway Wetlands" You may have seen it. Heading SW on Tramway from the Sandia Casino and I-25, you see a large bridge and drainage after only a mile or so (don't know the exact distance, but it isn't far) turn east immeadiately north of the bridge onto a small dirt road. You overlook a large arroyo that usually has water and mudflats. It usually has some waterbirds and shorebirds in season. Recentally Least Sandpiper and Avocet have been seen here. In fall there has been Pectoral Sandpiper.

Correction: the marsh in Belen (refered to as the "Taco Bell Marsh" since it's behind a Taco Bell) is off exit 195 not 191. I was there today and had ducks and many Stilts. I was also a Bosque del Apache today, 80 sp., including Lucy's Warbler, many shorebirds, Franklin's Gulls, and lots on Western Kingbirds.

If you've never been birding in the Corrales Bosque, wait a month, then go, there should be lots of migrants and Gray Catbirds.