Carlsbad, New Mexico Birding Trip
- Vicki Wilmarth
- May 26
- 3 min read
It is hard to imagine as one is driving through the fields of pump jacks and cholla cactus that birding oases exist near Carlsbad, New Mexico. But as several members of The Panhandle Bird Club discovered at the beginning of May, birding in the desert offers many surprises. Both Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park feature several prolific birding spots within their boundaries. There are forests, elevation changes, flowing springs and other attractions that make migrating birds temporarily stop over in that area during May, and the bird club members were excited to see those birds.
Peggy Trosper has birded and guided birders in this area on numerous occasions. She planned a trip packed with fabulous birding opportunities. Almost everyone on the trip had a "lifer" (a bird seen for the first time in a lifetime). Mine included the Grace's Warbler and Lucy's Warbler.
We started at Rattlesnake Springs, which is within the boundaries of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, but located about nine miles south of the main entrance to the caverns. It is a green and lush picnic area covered in tall Cottonwood trees that were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. The area is watered by a natural spring and naturally attracts many migrating birds to this riparian rest stop.
One of the funniest sights at Rattlesnake Springs was watching Wild Turkeys stretch for unripe fruit on a Mulberry Tree.
The next day was spent at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Peggy led a five-mile round-trip hike in McKittrick Canyon.
Then we birded Frijole Ranch, which also has a natural spring attracting all kinds of bird species.
That night, while some were resting in their hotel rooms and others were playing cards in the lobby, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake occurred very near the spot where we were birding just a few hours before in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It added a thrill to an already outstanding day, particularly for my geologist husband!
On Saturday, May 3, we got up early for the long drive around to the west side of the mountains and forests around Carlsbad to check out Sitting Bulls Falls. The breathtaking waterfall occurs when spring water pools above and then drops 150' into the canyon. The falls are surrounded by trees and vintage picnic shelters added the CCC in 1940. The birds were plentiful in this oasis.
We continued on that day to Dog Canyon, a camping area on the western part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We were greeted by a bright blue Scrub Jay while eating our lunch in the picnic area.
We returned to Rattlesnake Springs on Sunday morning before heading home. On the way home, we discovered one of the "craziest" birding spots in eastern New Mexico, the aptly-named Loco Lagoon. Built by Conoco in the 1960's to provide a fishing and recreation area to its employees, it now remains even after the plant closed. Dropped in the middle of a desolate pumpjack desert, Loco Lagoon is a three-acre freshwater pond that the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish stocks several times per year. The afternoon we visited, we discovered some exciting migrant birds, including a Northern Waterthrush and several other warblers.
This trip reaffirmed my belief that birders are enthusiastic and hilarious traveling companions, and that multi-day field trips are absolutely the best way to hone birding skills, see the country and enjoy creation.
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