Yuma
Elderhostel Tour
Jan
12-17, 2003,
Outstanding weather!
- narrated
by Henry Detwiler
Heidi, Jeff and I took 26 fellow bird enthusiasts birding for 5 days
along the Colorado River and at the Salton Sea.
129
species total
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
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Townsend's Solitaire
Senator Wash
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Rails were our first goal, and at the north end of
West Pond we squeezed our three vans in a small pull-out. It
took them a few minutes to warm up, but then Virginia and Sora
really opened up, as well as a single call from the tiny Black
Rail. At Senator Wash we spotted the trusty wintering
Townsend's Solitaire and a flock of Common Goldeneyes.
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| At Betty's Kitchen we turned up Phainopepla, Gila
Woodpecker, and Abert's Towhee. On Mittry Lake we spotted many
American White Pelicans, Vermilion Flycatcher, and lots & lots
of waterfowl. |
American White Pelican
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Searching for the Sora
Sora at Imperial Ponds
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Tuesday we motored over to the Imperial Valley. The New
River Wetlands produced Blue-winged Teal, hundreds of Yellow-rumped
Warblers and many fine marsh birds, including several Soras like
this one in plain view! From here we went north to the Sonny
Bono Salton Sea NWR headquarters. |
Here we enjoyed lunch and views of this Fox
Sparrow. From there we headed over to Obsidian Butte and were
rewarded by seeing an adult Yellow-footed Gull! Numerous
waders & waterfowl completed the birdy day!
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Fox Sparrow at SBSS NWR |
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Wednesday was a half day, and we spent the morning
at Martinez Lake and running the Colorado River with Ronnie
Knowlton.
We had great looks at Osprey and both Clark's & Western
Grebes. After lunch an adult Bald Eagle soared overhead. |
Ron explaining about Herman
the Great Egret
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Thursday was another
Imperial Valley day. Sandhill Cranes, American Redstarts, a
Spotted Towhee, and both Green-winged & Cinnamon Teal.
We missed the sapsucker that drilled the holes on the right, but
we did see a Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
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Sapsucker holes in
eucalyptus tree
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Whimbrel & Harbor Seal
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Lunch was again at the headquarters, where I watched
this hungry Cattle Egret swallow a writhing field mouse. Along
English Road we picked up Mountain Bluebirds and Mountain
Plover. At Eddins & Sperry we snagged two of the Ruddy
Ground-Doves and 50+ Eurasian Collared Doves.
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| At Red Hill Marina, in the famous cormorant trees,
were no cormorants--just this lonely Peregrine Falcon. We
watched him in the scope for some time, but no visitors came to
socialize... We made a stop to see the bubbling mud pots and
watch the mini volcanoes being formed.
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Peregrine Falcon at Red Hill
Marina
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Some of our crew at the bubbling
mud pots.
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At Brandt and Eddins we didn't have to wait very
long before spying this Lewis' Woodpecker flying between a
telephone pole and a palm tree. |
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On Friday
morning we headed east to Tacna. In among the 4-winged
saltbush, we found a pair of LeConte's Thrashers willing to perch
for views. Sage Sparrows, Verdins, and gnatcatchers rounded
out the desert birds! It was an awesome week. :-)
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LeConte's Thrasher
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