Salton
Sea & Imperial Valley
Aug 17,
2002
Guide - Bob
Miller
A day of HOT birding
with Bruce and Cher from Lompoc CA!
97
species (list follows at end
of page)
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
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Young Verdin
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We started bright and early on a typical summer
day that got hot early. The birding I mean, the temperature was
actually pretty nice for August in Imperial Valley! Our first stop
was Fites Rd. as the sun broke the horizon. Almost the first bird
seen was a Lucy's Warbler! A rare bird in this area and this
individual had summered here.
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We had some early migrants also and a Crissal Thrasher that gave us
all of four seconds as it flew out from our feet and dropped over
the hill. A second Lucy's Warbler was the biggest surprise of the
morning so far. If we had not watched the first one fly far off to
the east of us as this one came in from the west....
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American Rubyspot
Damselfly
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Roseate Skimmer
Dragonfly
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Plenty a damsel & dragon about too! Like this
female Roseate Skimmer. As we were leaving a flash of color caught
or eye along the waters edge. American Rubyspot! The flashiest
damsel you'll ever see. Blue Dasher, Western Pondhawk, Widow
Skimmer, Black Saddlebags, Rambur's Forktail and Familiar Bluet
were some of the other Odes.
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We enjoyed a famous Carne Asada Burrito at Johnny's in Westmorland
and headed for the Salton Sea. Numerous Caspian Tern were around
with young but Gull-billed Terns had left early this year.
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Adult & juvenile
Caspian Terns
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Along the sea wall, this young
(?) Semipalmated Plover held our attention for awhile. Something
about it just seemed odd. Very little white over the eye, the
markings were not black, a lot of brown over the bill... it could be
nothing else but it was still unusual looking. Around the bend we
watched a huge flock of American White Pelicans feeding. Nature's
comedy.
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Semipalmated Plover
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Wood Stork
were notoriously few at the Salton Sea this year so you can
imagine our joy when this juvenile bird gave us a show. How many
places can you photograph Wood Stork and Yellow-footed Gull in the
same frame?!
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Wood Stork
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Wood Stork |
There had
been a Reddish Egret reported a few days earlier near Obsidian
Butte so we were watching every opening. We came around the corner
to find it chasing wildly about in the middle of the pond.
Pelicans, gulls and terns were in the same pond.
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Reddish
Egret, Brown Pelicans &
Yellow-footed Gull
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This young Desert
Spiny Lizard greeted us at the Sonny Bono SSNWR. A quick turn
through Finney/Ramer and then it was Su Casa time. As in
Escalera's Su Casa for a real tasty Mexican plate to end the
day!
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Desert Spiny Lizard
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