Former Resident of Elephant Butte
We kayaked around the butte this week. Well, not all the way around. Elephant Butte Lake is so low that the eastern side of the butte is now connected by very dry land to the shore. The resident bighorn sheep and attendant goats were no where to be seen – they have probably crossed this isthmus for better grazing, but now are more likely to become prey. Nature does adapt.
The butte is the eroded core of an old volcano. This rock face shows the twisting columns and blocks formed when the lava cooled.
We saw a huge unoccupied bird nest on the cliff. My guess is that it belonged to an osprey, but I’m not positive. The nest is about three feet in diameter and very nicely made. Tidy, you know. Not one of those scraggly sticks-sticking-out-everywhere constructions.
Nest on ledge
Next year, I want to go when the nest is in use. Surely they will re-use it – it’s so well designed!
The arrow points to the nest on the ledge about 1/3 of the way in
Always Backroads 
What a beautiful place, so different from where I live. I hope you get to see the nest in use next year.
Yes, I believe you have ‘humidity’ – a rare commodity here! And you have lush, green growing things! Thanks for stopping by.