Southern
California w/ Robert & Janet
Dec
09-13, 2003
Guide Bob Miller
Day One
Four days of target
birding from below sea level and over the peaks then down the coast!
144
species (list follows at end
of page)
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
Calipatria, CA |
We actually started our trip the night before as
Robert joined Lea Anne, Sandy, Kathi and I on a search for Western
Screech-Owls in Brawley. We heard two and had some
eye-shine! Home base for the first two nights was the
Calipatria Inn. Robert snapped a nice pic of our city's
claim to fame. The flagpole is currently draped with
Christmas lights and can be seen for miles. |
| Our first targets were Mountain Plover and
Chestnut-collared Longspurs which we found just east of town on a
clear, brisk morning. Long-billed Curlews and Cattle Egrets
joined us in the field and the field over was being irrigated
which brought in lots of gulls and Greater Yellowlegs. |
Mountain Plover
|
Robert and Janet |
Janet spotted a lone female Mountain Bluebird that
posed nicely. It even perched within ten feet of Robert,
allowing him to get the quick shot below! The next stop was Sperry
and Eddins where we loaded up on doves and had nice looks at Ruddy
Ground-Dove. |
Mountain Bluebird |
Mountain Bluebird
|
|
| An added treat at Cattle Call Park in Brawley was
this Gray Flycatcher which was just as beautiful if not as bright
as this brilliant male Vermilion Flycatcher in the same
area. On to the Salton Sea where we saw the
"large-billed" subspecies of the Savannah Sparrow. |
Gray Flycatcher
|
|
Vermilion Flycatcher
|
"Large-billed"
Savannah Sparrow
|
| As we continued along the sea wall, I noticed the
Reddish Egret flying alongside us and as I was calling it out,
Robert was calling out the adult Yellow-footed Gull that was
flying even closer alongside us!! Great way to spot a
lifer! We stopped and set up our scopes and quickly picked
out a first-year and second-year Yellow-footed Gull
also. |
Yellow-footed Gull
|
Mew Gull |
As we continued around the corner we were surprised
by an adult Mew Gull that circled in front of us for great looks
at another lifer! A little farther and we came on the same
Yellow-footed Gulls but know there were two first-year
birds! These might well be the only YFGU wintering here this
year. Robert was able to digiscope the nice shot of the adult
below and he also stepped out and got a nice shot of the two young
and the adult together. |
Yellow-footed Gulls |
Yellow-footed Gull
|
|
