It is helpful if listers describe their viewing position or route in checklist comments.

Riner Lake has mostly been birded in late fall and winter, so the predominant observations are Gadwall, American Widgeon, Mallard, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, and American Coot.  A significant variety of waterfowl has been documented in lists as late as mid-May. The most commonly observed species in spring and summer is the Red-Winged Blackbird.

One lister documented Pinyon Jay for this hotspot, but it is unclear precisely where the sightings occurred, likely where NM-161 runs through pines northwest of the lake, a point at which the lake is not viewable.

The Buena Vista Ditch draws its water off the Mora River and eventually flows into 20-24 acre Riner Lake, located on private ranch land and lying behind a barbed wire fence. Roughly oval in shape, on its long axis the lake is oriented north-south. NM-161 runs northwest-southeast, so the viewing distance to the near shore from the state road varies from around 500 feet to over 1500 feet, making species identification without a spotting scope quite challenging. There is nowhere to pull off NM-161 beside the lake property;  though there is considerable unpaved ground between the road and the fence, it slopes down quite a bit and if wet could result in your vehicle getting stuck. However, south of the lake is a dirt-surfaced county road (CR-013) which shows on map satellite views;  on many terrain or road maps the road does not appear. You can park at its intersection with the state road and walk northwest up the fence line. As you go northwest along NM-161 you are going uphill, providing a better view of the lake despite getting farther from it.  The berm at the south end of the lake prevents you from seeing the lake from CR-013.  The lakeshore is fairly open, with cattails at the south end. There are some trees toward the north end, and the area begins to slope quickly upward into pinyon-juniper woodland. The area to the south, across CR-013, is more prairie-like, at least to Rito Cebolla.