Yuma
Elderhostel Trip
Apr
22-26,
2002
-
67-89
degrees
page
by Henry Detwiler
A group of fifteen nature enthusiasts from all parts of the country
converged on Yuma to search for birds along the Colorado River and the
Salton Sea. The tour was led by Bob Miller & Henry
Detwiler.
146 species (list follows at end
of page)
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
|
Looking for the Hermit Warbler
at Betty's
Kitchen
|
On Monday we started off at a couple of migrant
traps along the Colorado River. At Mittry Lake we were happy
to locate 10 warbler species, a Plumbeous Vireo, and many
flycatchers.
|
|
Tuesday morning was
spent on Martinez Lake & the Colorado River with Ron and his
Yuma River Tours. We were fortunate to see the Clark's
Grebes doing their mating "dance" on the lake.
|
Herman the Great Egret
|
|
female Anna's Hummingbird
|
The following day we started before breakfast and
ended up with a trip back to Mittry Lake after dinner. We
heard Black Rails, watched Poorwills and a Great-horned Owl, and
Bob called in a Barn Owl with a rabbit distress call.
|
Both Thursday and Friday were spent in the Imperial
Valley, and we weren't disappointed with the wonderful number of
birds. At the Wister Waterfowl Management Refuge we were
rewarded by 10 species of warblers, flycatchers, Western Tanagers,
and many more.
|
Pacific-slope
Flycatcher
|
Sunset from the Coronado
Motor Hotel |
|
Eared Grebe
at Imperial Ponds |
The Imperial Project Ponds, which are helping to
clean the New River, were also alive with warblers and passerines,
and we spent several hours looking over the hordes. We
almost missed this Eared Grebe. |
|
Yellow-headed Blackbird -
breeding and noisy as ever.
|
New River Wetlands
|
|
As in times past, we visited an area of great
geological activity--the bubbling mud pots. Here, carbon
dioxide and other gases escape from the earth, causing the liquid
mud to bubble and churn.
|
Bubbling Mud Pots
|
|
Wilson's Phalarope
|
At Obsidian Butte, we were treated to hundreds of
phalaropes--mostly Red-necked (for a change), but also several
dozen Wilson's. Also in attendance were scores of beautiful
and graceful Black Terns, hawking over the surface of the
pond.
|
Black Tern at Obsidian
Butte
|
