Category Archives: Albuquerque

Albuquerque

Albuquerque has great paved trails for wheels and feet

ABQJournal Sports » CYCLE CITY

By Rosalie Rayburn / Journal Staff Writer on Nov. 1, 2012

Improvements in trail system around Albuquerque are providing a boost to all recreational users

Albuquerque’s network of bicycle trails, bridges and dedicated on-street bike lanes have become a kind of alternative roadway enabling two-wheeled commuters, recreational and sports riders to navigate the city, often with minimal exposure to motor traffic.

Now covering more than 400 miles, the network’s routes and bridges connect sectors of the city north and south of Interstate 40 and east and west of the Rio Grande. …

Although a city-produced bike route map and the heavily used Rio Grande Bosque Trail date back before 2000, the pace of large bicycle-related projects has accelerated since then, said Chuck Malagodi, the city’s community recreation coordinator who specializes in bicycle education.

Since 2000, city or county projects have extended the Bosque Trail deep into the South Valley and north as far as the Balloon Fiesta Park, repaved an 11-mile section of the trail from Bridge Boulevard to Alameda, created a limited-speed “bike boulevard” on a section of Silver, enhanced and extended bike trails and lanes on the east and west sides of the city, built new bicycle/pedestrian bridges and four underpasses that route bicycle traffic beneath roads that cross the North Diversion Channel.

ABQJournal Sports » CYCLE CITY

Albuquerque, drought

Another dry year : jfleck at inkstain

Science guy John Fleck lives not far from me, although far enough to have somewhat different precipitation. My unscientific method leaves me shocked that we’ve actually had more rain this year than last, but it’s still less than in one storm in other parts of the country. Yes, it’s dry.

Another dry year : jfleck at inkstain

Sept. 30 is the end of the “water year”*, and it’s been another dry one at the Heineman-Fleck house. With data back to the 1999-2000 year now, this is the fourth consecutive dry year relative to my personal long term mean here in Albuquerque’s near northeast heights:

Water year rainfall at the Heineman-Fleck house

Water year rainfall at the Heineman-Fleck house

Another dry year : jfleck at inkstain

Albuquerque, wildlands

Two New National Wildlife Refuges in New Mexico: Valle de Oro and Rio Mora

Salazar Dedicates Two National Wildlife Refuges in New Mexico: Valle de Oro and Rio Mora Become Nation’s 559th and 560th Refuges | New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today dedicated the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque, making it the first urban refuge in the Southwest and one of a handful across the nation. Salazar was joined by Senator Jeff Bingaman, Representative Martin Heinrich, Bernalillo County Commissioner Art De La Cruz, and other local stakeholders and partners, including the Trust for Public Land.

Later today, Salazar will travel to Wind River Ranch near Mora, N.M. for a signing ceremony establishing the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area on over 4,200 acres donated by the Thaw Charitable Trust.

“Today we celebrate two new jewels in the National Wildlife Refuge System — Valle de Oro, an urban oasis for people and wildlife just five miles from downtown Albuquerque, and Rio Mora, which will serve as an anchor for cooperative conservation efforts in the Rio Mora watershed,” Salazar said. “Both refuges exemplify the goals of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative to establish a 21st century conservation ethic built on partnerships and to fuel economic growth in local communities.” …

For more information on these two new refuges, please visit http://www.fws.gov/southwest/

Salazar Dedicates Two National Wildlife Refuges in New Mexico: Valle de Oro and Rio Mora Become Nation’s 559th and 560th Refuges | New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

Albuquerque, birds

Dive-bombing hawks fly into metro study

I’d like to know if being handled and wired makes hawks more aggressive. mjh

Dive-bombing hawks fly into metro study

Dive-bombing hawks fly into metro study

Umbrella best defense during nesting season

Updated: Thursday, 14 Jun 2012, 5:56 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 14 Jun 2012, 5:56 PM MDT

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – An unusual study is going on in northeast Albuquerque involving Cooper’s Hawks and tiny bird backpacks.

The New Mexico Department of the Game and Fish and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are teaming up to see just how aggressive the hawks are during their nesting season, which runs from May to July.

Each year there are about 20 calls in the city of Albuquerque about aggressive hawks, and almost all of those calls are about the Cooper’s hawk.

If a hawk in your neighborhood is dive bombing you, there are two things you can do: yell and shoo them away or simply use an umbrella when you are close to the tree where they are nesting. Cooper’s won’t see you as a threat if you are under an umbrella.

The aggression will stop once the babies are out of the nest.

Biologists have found 60 nesting pairs of Cooper’s hawks in northeast Albuquerque, and there are many more around the city.

The first step in the research requires capturing the hawks. That’s where Eve, the rehabilitated great horned owl, is put to work.

Horned owls are the enemy of the Cooper’s hawk, so Eve is put on a perch and an invisible net is set up. The Cooper’s are captured, banded and data gathered.

The hawks play an important role in urban ecology. State Game and Fish biologist Kristin Madden says they are fantastic for rodent control and pigeon and dove control as well.

When the fledglings are ready to fly, they will be fitted with tiny bird backpacks. The tracking device has Teflon straps that fit right under the birds feathers, with a tiny transmitter.

The data gathered will help biologists learn more about nesting, survival rates and disease in the birds as well as migration.

Interestingly, Albuquerque’s Cooper’s hawks like it here. They don’t migrate but stay here year round.

The data gathered on the Cooper’s hawks also help scientists learn more about other raptors, such as bald and golden eagles.

Dive-bombing hawks fly into metro study

Albuquerque, wildlife

Protest the Bear and Cougar proposals at NM Game and Fish in Abq 6/15 10am

NM Game and Fish is proposing changes to the bear and cougar rules that will harm these animals. Trapping is in there too as you can see. Sandia Mountain BearWatch is organizing a protest at the Albuquerque NM Game and Fish office because they want an unconscionable number of bears to be killed. In addition, they want to add a provision that with only the say-so of the Department Director mountain lion trapping can be authorized without any oversight from the Game Commission. Currently, the Department Director is himself a trapper. The Department also wants to allow year round cougar hunting which will result in orphaned kittens and to increase the bag limit from one cougar to two.

What: Protest the Bear and Cougar proposals at NM Game and Fish in Abq.

When: Friday, June 15, 10 AM to noon

Where: NM Game and Fish office in ABQ

3841 Midway Pl. NE.

Directions:

Take I-25 to the Jefferson Exit
west on Jefferson away from the freeway to Singer (stop light)
left/west on Singer, go 1/2 block to Office Blvd.
right/north on Office Blvd
go 1 block to end of street to Midway Pl
The NMG&F office is at the end of the street at 3841 Midway Pl. NE


View Larger Map

Albuquerque, wildlands

Albuquerque has many great parks [ParkScore Project]

Albuquerque ranks #11 with a park score of 65/100. And our wonderful undeveloped bosque.

ParkScore Project

Comparing Albuquerque, Denver, and Tucson

ParkScore Project

Rio Rancho Explores Possibility of Adding Open Space | KUNM

In a newly released ranking of city park systems, Albuquerque came in 11th, just below major metropolises like Seattle and Philadelphia.  [mjh: and higher than Denver or Tucson, with similar population size ~500K]

In terms of developed parkland– that is, space including amenities like basketball courts and swing sets– Rio Rancho isn’t doing that badly.   The city boasts 3.5 acres of developed parkland per thousand residents, compared to Albuquerque’s 5.5.

When open space is factored into the equation, Albuquerque’s grand total comes to 61 acres of parkland per thousand residents.  Rio Rancho’s is just six. 

Rio Rancho Explores Possibility of Adding Open Space | KUNM

Albuquerque, daytrips, my soul, photos, wildlife

Birds and more in Alameda Bosque, north of Albuquerque, New Mexico

We visit the area around Alameda frequently. There is a large free parking area just southeast of the bridge. This area is the northern end of the miles-long Paseo del Bosque bike trail through the bosque. Within an easy walk are the old bridge, now closed to cars but used by walkers, cyclists, and equestrians, as well as unpaved trails radiating east, south, and north along both sides of the river. In fact, there are multiple levels of trails along the acequias and closer to the riverbank. What a fabulous area to hike, especially early in the day. (The shade is great but may not be cool enough by late afternoon, even in late spring.)

Birds are an an added bonus to the other natural beauty of the area, which includes wonderful views of the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande river,

On our most recent hike, we saw blue grosbeaks and summer tanagers, among other birds. On previous occasions, we’ve seen hawks galore, as well as porcupines and a camel.

Albuquerque

It blows

The average wind speed for Albuquerque in March is 9.8mph. Winds peak in April with an average speed of 10.6mph. By May, they begin to tapper with an average of 10.3mph.

Albuquerque

“Nation’s Urban Forests Are Losing Ground” and Albuquerque is among the worst!

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Nation’s Urban Forests Are Losing Ground: Green Spaces Turning Brown in Cities | Living Green Magazine

National results indicate that tree cover in urban areas of the United States is declining at a rate of about 4 million trees per year, according to a new U.S. Forest Service study.

Tree cover in 17 of the 20 cities analyzed in the study declined while 16 cities saw increases in impervious cover, which includes pavement and rooftops. Land that lost trees was for the most part converted to either grass or ground cover, impervious cover or bare soil.

Of the 20 cities analyzed, the greatest percentage of annual loss in tree cover occurred in New Orleans, Houston and Albuquerque. Researchers expected to find a dramatic loss of trees in New Orleans and said that it is most likely due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Tree cover ranged from a high of 53.9 percent in Atlanta to a low of 9.6 percent in Denver while total impervious cover varied from 61.1 percent in New York City to 17.7 percent in Nashville. Cities with the greatest annual increase in impervious cover were Los Angeles, Houston and Albuquerque.

The study was published recently in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, and is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866711000999

“Our urban forests are under stress, and it will take all of us working together to improve the health of these crucial green spaces,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.  “Community organizations and municipal planners can use i-Tree to analyze their own tree cover, and determine the best species and planting spots in their neighborhoods. It’s not too late to restore our urban forests – the time is now to turn this around.”

Nation’s Urban Forests Are Losing Ground: Green Spaces Turning Brown in Cities | Living Green Magazine

Albuquerque, birds, daytrips, photos

The Rio Grande Bosque is a treasure we all need to visit more

We’ve walked in various parts of the bosque (riparian woods, primarily cottonwoods) within Albuquerque over the years. A year ago, our walk resulted in one of my favorite photos of the year (coyote with ducks, a prize winner). This year, we watched a Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk) stand in the river, one foot pinning its prey in the current. And there was a disheveled merlin, a handsome shoveler, a snipe, and a plethora of robins. I’ve added 9 pictures to the album (19 total).

A Walk in Albuquerque’s Bosque
Albuquerque

The 41st Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta will take place October 6-14, 2012 — plan ahead

balloonfiesta (balloonfiesta) on Twitter

balloonfiesta Exciting news: The 41st Albuquerque International #Balloon Fiesta will take place October 6-14, 2012! #BalloonFiesta

balloonfiesta (balloonfiesta) on Twitter

@BalloonFiesta releases 2011 stats: 737,466 estimated visits during the 9-day event. Less than last year’s 811,484 due to rain & wind. [per susanmbryanNM]