eBird users are asked to not submit Eagle Nest Lake State Park observations for the town, nor town observations for the State Park.

The village elevation is 8,200 feet, and the local climate borders on subalpine, with very large day-night temperature variations, very warm afternoons and chilly mornings in summer, and extremely cold mornings in winter. Snowfall averages over five feet, so most bird lists will be from mid-May through mid-September. Afternoons are often windy during this season; birders are advised to get out early despite the coolness. The hotspot was created just in spring 2023, meaning eBird species-frequency data is still sparse. Some lists will merely be incidental birding as listers pass through town between the state parks or on their way to Angel Fire and Red River. A large percentage of species listed are likely to be waterfowl flyovers, but birders should inspect village trees for a variety of birds one might not expect in an “urban” environment.

The village of Eagle Nest is located in the Moreno Valley at the junction of the Cimarron, Taos, and Red River roads, lying at the north end of 5-mile long, 2-mile wide Eagle Nest Lake. Founded as Therma in 1920, upon completion of the dam and lake, the village was renamed in 1935. There are only about 300 permanent residents, though summer brings an influx of anglers visiting Eagle Nest Lake State Park and Cimarron Canyon State Park.   Visitors not camping in the parks themselves find lodging at the village's motels, cabins, and privately-owned RV parks, all but one of the latter being outside the town proper, which covers some 16 blocks north of US-64 and an equal area south. 

Called Therma Street through town, US-64 is the main thoroughfare, lined with shops, restaurants, motels, and cabins, fronted by flower gardens and interspersed with ponderosa pine as well as Engelmann spruce. Signage provides an interesting walking tour of less than a mile along this route, between the Enchanted Circle Gateway Museum in the east and the Post Office in the west. A small park sits in front of the fire station mid-town, while a more westerly,  larger park extends northward up Willow Creek Drive.