San
Diego Audubon Society's Salton Sea trip
Jan
26-27,
2002
Guide-Bob
Miller
An annual overnight, winter field trip to the Salton Sea and the
Imperial Valley.
110
species (list follows at end
of page)
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
|
Thirty some birders from San Diego, Imperial
Valley and Yuma, we all met at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR on a
brisk, beautiful morning for a valley wide adventure. Our first
destination was Blair Rd. where we had Mountain Plover...and
Prairie Falcon...hhmmm. |
|
|
|
|
Burrowing Owl
|
We spotted
this Burrowing Owl was in it's den on our way to the Salton Sea.
Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs gave us comparison views with Stilt,
Least and Western Sandpipers at Obsidian Butte. |
|
|
|
|
We worked our way along the
sea wall back to the SBSSNWR for a picnic, with most people opting
to sit out in the sun rather than in the picnic area. A bit cool
under there! This nice Sharp-shinned Hawk checked us out from atop
the visitors center.
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk
|
|
|
|
|
Watching Sandhill Cranes
|
After lunch we birded our way down to the New River Wetlands
project for many participants first visit to the site. The birding
was so good we were a bit late catching the Sandhill Cranes flying
out of the granary.
|
|
|
Aububoners!
|
|
|
We got to
the grain warehouse just as another large Audubon group was
leaving. The Sandhills this time of year have a couple roosts that
they prefer. The other group was headed for Dogwood Rd. so we
headed for Osterkamp Ponds. Besides, I know the shortcuts! ;-Þ We
arrived in time to see a good number of Sandhills fly in to roost.
Dinner at Su Casa afterwards was superb!
|
Hey Jeff
|
Lesser Nighthawk
|
Sunrise the next morning found us eyeing Lesser
Nighthawks, Loggerhead Shrike and Black-tailed Gnatcatchers at
Finney Lake. From there we wound our way into Brawley's Riverview
Cemetery which was notoriously un-birdy this year.
|
|
We all parted ways from here so Jeff and I went to
the north end and explored our way down from Wister Waterfowl
Area. We birded down Davis to English and ended up back at Finney
Lake for a most spectacular (typical) Imperial Valley sunset!!
|
Loggerhead Shrike
|
|
Sunset on Finney
Lake
|
|
|
