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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A Return to Bitter Lake

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a relatively unknown wildlife refuge located on the Pecos River near Roswell, New Mexico. Because I am from Roswell, I grew up going to Bitter Lake on a regular basis. In May I went to Roswell to visit with some friends, and of course I could not wait to make a trip out to the refuge. Bitter Lake is a winter home to many Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese and other winter migrants. My Birding is Fun! post last month was about my trip to Bitter Lake in February.

I was surprised by the number of Black-necked Stilts that were at the refuge when I returned. It appeared that there were at least 100 of them in the ponds. I had a lovely time watching and photographing them. Here are some of my favorite photos:








What lovely birds! I love their elegant black and white plumage and their long pinkish-red legs.

There were other birds present as well, although many of them were in areas that were too far away for photographs. I am accustomed to seeing White-faced Ibis there, and I love the way that the sun highlights their plumage.


There were quite a few Killdeer running around on the refuge, and I was disappointed that I did not see any little fluffy chicks.



Red-winged Blackbirds sang from the marshy edges of the ponds.



Western Meadowlarks sang in the grass.



I enjoyed watching Turkey Vultures walking around near one of the ponds.



And it is always a delight to see Great Egrets.




Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a very different place in summer than it is in winter. It is a lovely place to visit any time of year.

All photos © Linda Rockwell. Contact corralena@gmail.com for permission.

22 comments:

  1. Dan HuberJuly 18, 2012 at 7:05 AM

    Wonderful post Linda, and super photos. I love the stilts. I have only seen once (in Puerto Rico) but they are such neat looking birds.

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    1. UnknownJuly 18, 2012 at 10:53 AM

      Thanks Dan. I grew up going to Bitter Lake for picnics and other functions. It still feels like "home" to me. :-)

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  2. Bird Collision DeterrentJuly 18, 2012 at 8:48 AM

    Great looking pictures Linda. I've never heard of the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge but I see it's a great place for bird-watching with some lovely birds congregating there.

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    1. UnknownJuly 18, 2012 at 10:54 AM

      Thank you very much. It's a relatively-unknown area, but it really is quite lovely. I recommend it for a visit at any time of year. I'll be going back there for the dragonfly festival in September.

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  3. Kathie BrownJuly 18, 2012 at 8:57 AM

    Bitter Lake looks like a wonderful place to visit! Perhaps I can go there once I move back to Tucson. I love your photos of the stilts. They are, indeed, elegant!

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    1. UnknownJuly 18, 2012 at 10:55 AM

      Thank you Kathie. It's always nice to travel to Roswell to visit my home NWR and to visit friends. I did love seeing the stilts! :-)

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  4. Debbie Miller @HooootOwlJuly 18, 2012 at 9:09 AM

    Wonderful post! Love those stilts! Lots of good birds on this trip, great shot of the redwinged blackbird in flight :)

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    1. UnknownJuly 18, 2012 at 10:56 AM

      Thank you Debbie. I love the stilts too. I just couldn't get enough of photographing them! I was pleased with the way the RWBB BIF photo turned out, and thanks for commenting on it.

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  5. Isidro OrtizJuly 18, 2012 at 9:23 AM

    Bonitas fotos de esta aves del Lago Bitter.Saludos

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  6. UnknownJuly 18, 2012 at 10:59 AM

    Muchas gracias! Me alegro de que se gustan las fotos. Bitter Lake es un lugar encantador para visitar.

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  7. Laurence ButlerJuly 18, 2012 at 11:09 AM

    Very cool Linda Rockwell from Roswell : )

    That third Black-necked Stilt shot is priceless. They're such interesting birds, walking the fine line between gracefulness and gangly awkwardness all the time.

    Thanks for sharing.

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    1. UnknownJuly 18, 2012 at 8:30 PM

      Thank you Lawrence. I love the way the stilts maneuver their legs through the plants at the edge of the lake. I was happy to have captured this particular pose. Thank you very much for your kind comments. :-)

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  8. ashokJuly 18, 2012 at 11:15 AM

    great shots!

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  9. Julie G.July 18, 2012 at 3:28 PM

    Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge looks like a lovely area to visit! Those elegant Black-necked Stilts are certainly a sight for sore eyes. I can't imagine what it would be like to see a least 100 of these stunning birds in one birding trip. Awesome Red-winged Blackbird in-flight capture. Your photographs are wonderful, Linda!

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    1. UnknownJuly 18, 2012 at 8:33 PM

      Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful comments Julie. I do love the stilts, and the RWBB was a lucky shot. I'm happy to share my photos of more remote places that other people might not be able to see.

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  10. Hilke BrederJuly 19, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    Beautiful shots of the stilts. In the first three, such posture, such grace... like ballet dancers.

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    1. UnknownJuly 23, 2012 at 9:14 AM

      Thank you very much! Yes, I agree that the stilts are very elegant and graceful. :-)

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  11. UnknownJuly 19, 2012 at 1:59 PM

    Thanks for taking us back to Bitter Lake a few months later. Interesting how the actors and scenery on the stage change as we consider the birds in their various seasons. Wonderful post!

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  12. UnknownJuly 23, 2012 at 9:13 AM

    Obrigado por seu comentário gentil. Estou feliz que você gosta do blog. :-)

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  13. UnknownJuly 23, 2012 at 9:15 AM

    Thank you Robert. I am happy that you enjoyed the follow up. I do enjoy going to Bitter Lake. I will go back again in September for the Dragonfly Festival.

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  14. eileeninmdAugust 10, 2013 at 3:27 AM

    Linda, I am glad I found this post. I love the Stilts. I was looking up Bitter lake NWR on google and found this post. It is nice reading about the Bitter Lake refuge and its birds. I plan on visiting in October, Thanks for sharing. Great shots!

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