[TN-Bird] Re: Albuquerque
- From: "Michael Roedel" <Michael.Roedel@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <carrtk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 08:52:28 -0500
Thais,
Where you go depends on what you want to see. This time of year, some
birds get a bit sparse around Albuquerque, but take I-40 east to Highway
14 (Turquoise Trail) north to get to Santa Fe and you'll have a lot
nicer drive. It takes a bit longer, but 14 is a designated scenic
highway and you'll go through the old mining towns of Golden (gold) and
Madrid (coal) and Cerrillos (turquoise, zinc, lead, gold). Common birds
along that road are ravens, pinyon jays (just hang out in Madrid for a
while and you'll hear them in groups of 12-72), golden eagle (at the
prison with the buffalo herd), Swainson's hawk, scrub jay, white-winged
dove, roadrunner, Cassin's kingbird, Bewick's wren, curve-billed
thrasher, scaled quail (near the arroyo in Cerrillos), Bullock's oriole,
lesser goldfinch, canyon towhee, and a bunch of others... I've put
together a printable bird list of that area along with a lot of other
local information at http://www.cerrilloshills.org/ (follow the flora
and fauna link) There are also notes about the majority of local birds
at http://www.cerrilloshills.org/nature/birds.htm.
In Albuquerque, check out the Rio Grande Nature Center at 2901
Candelaria Rd NW. The indoor overlook at the lake there is a good place
to see and hear waterbird that we don't have around here. Bosque Dell
Apache is an hour to the south, a great place for birds too, but much
better in winter. Descriptions and directions are at
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks/PAGES/PARKS/RGNC/RGNC.HTM
Driving away from ABQ airport towards I-25 and downtown, you may get
lucky enough to spot the resident burrowing owls that hang out on the
sculptured retaining walls of the airport grounds. I spotted them again
there just a couple weeks ago. Let me know if there are things I can
clarify for you.
Michael Roedel, State Ornithologist
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747 Nashville, TN 37204
http://www.state.tn.us/twra
>>> "Thais Carr" <carrtk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 09/18/05 1:21 AM >>>
I will be attending a professional convention next week in Albuquerque
next week & hope to get in some birding. I will be staying with a
friend who is a native, so I am trusting her to show me the treasures of
the area. I know we will also get to Santa Fe one day. If anyone has
any suggestions for birding in this region, please email me off-list.
Thanks!
Thais Carr, Thompsons Station
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