Bitter Lake Refugewildlife
Wildlife refugeJuly and August are the usual peak for dragonflies and damselflies, per the Fish and Wildlife Service: usually July and August. Its usual window for this year has passed.
Sources for this timing ↓About Bitter Lake Refuge
- What it is
- A wildlife refuge in New Mexico
- A little history
- In 1937, to give migratory birds winter habitat. The 24,563-acre refuge is key to wetland conservation in the southwestern desert.
- What you'll see
- Dragonflies and damselflies · usual peak July and August
Right now at Bitter Lake Refuge
Right now in Bitter Lake Refuge · October
- Sandhill cranes, October to December (peak around Thanksgiving) · Oct–Dec
- Ducks: pintails, mallards, canvasbacks, gadwalls, shovelers and four kinds of teal · Oct–Mar
- Visitor center open Mon–Sat, 9 am–4 pm (early September to early June) · Sep–Jun
Next 7 days at Bitter Lake Refuge
- TodaySunny76° / 55°10% rain
- FriMostly Cloudy70° / 52°13% rain
- SatMostly Sunny75° / 54°1% rain
- SunSunny80° / 54°9% rain
- MonMostly Sunny78° / 53°10% rain
- TueSunny82° / 54°11% rain
- WedSunny84° / –10% rain
Heads up: Windy (winds up to 20 mph): Thursday, Thursday Night, Friday.
Today: sunrise 6:53 a.m., sunset 6:43 p.m., light until 7:08 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 67% lit (our calculation)
Your guide to the area
- Bitter Lake RefugeUsually: July and AugustThis page
Where to watch
- Wildlife DriveA 6.5-mile drive past moist soil units, wetlands, slow springs, shrubs and grasslands
- Pajáro Bird BlindA permanent photo and birding blind off the Wildlife Drive's southeast side, looking onto a wetland unit for wading and dabbling birds
Worth the drive
- Attwater Prairie Chicken RefugeWildlife refuge546 milate February through early AprilSatShowers And Thunderstorms Likely
- Sequoyah RefugeWildlife refuge554 miMarch – SeptemberSatChance Rain Showers
- Padre Island National SeashoreSeashore594 mimid-June through AugustSatShowers And Thunderstorms
- Loess Bluffs RefugeWildlife refuge682 miJune - August are good timesSatSunny
- Tijuana Slough RefugeWildlife refuge739 mifrom mid-March to mid-SeptemberSatSunny
- CabrilloNational park745 miMid-January is the peak time for migration, but whales are visible from mid- to late December through MarchSatSunny
The year at Bitter Lake Refuge
- Visitor center open Mon–Sat, 9 am–4 pm (early September to early June)NowSep–Jun
- Sandhill cranes, October to December (peak around Thanksgiving)NowOct–Dec
- Ducks: pintails, mallards, canvasbacks, gadwalls, shovelers and four kinds of tealNowOct–Mar
- Snow geeseNov–Mar
Bitter Lake Refuge in pictures
Questions people ask
When is the best time to see wildlife at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
July and August are the usual peak for dragonflies and damselflies, per the Fish and Wildlife Service: July and August. That's the usual peak in the source's own words, not a forecast.
Is it the season at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge right now?
Not now: its usual wildlife window for this year has passed. Next time: July and August, usually.
When was Bitter Lake Refuge established?
In 1937, to give migratory birds winter habitat. The 24,563-acre refuge is key to wetland conservation in the southwestern desert.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Where are the best spots in Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Wildlife Drive: a 6.5-mile drive past moist soil units, wetlands, slow springs, shrubs and grasslands; Pajáro Bird Blind: a permanent photo and birding blind off the Wildlife Drive's southeast side, looking onto a wetland unit for wading and dabbling birds.
What is Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge like through the year?
Sandhill cranes, October to December (peak around Thanksgiving) (Oct–Dec), Ducks: pintails, mallards, canvasbacks, gadwalls, shovelers and four kinds of teal (Oct–Mar), Snow geese (Nov–Mar) and Visitor center open Mon–Sat, 9 am–4 pm (early September to early June) (Sep–Jun).
How we know · Sources (4)
How we know
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge (opens in a new tab) (Oct 1) · National Weather Service forecast and alerts (opens in a new tab) (Oct 1) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bitter Lake NWR: Visit us (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bitter Lake NWR: Species (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)