Kayaking
        at the Salton Sea 
         
        Feb 24-25, 2001 
            
        The San Diego Natural History Museum brought out 11 of their members to
        kayak and bird the Salton Sea and Imperial Valley.  
         
        Guides: Bob Miller from Southwest Birders and Jen from Aqua Adventures 
        85 species total
        (see bird list at bottom of page) 
         
         
        by Bob Miller
         
        The morning began with a clear
        blue, cloudless sky and barely a breeze.  Eleven adventurous
        kayaking birders set out to explore the Salton Sea. 
         
        
          
            
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      The weatherman only missed the
      arrival time of the predicted storm by two days, and the sky full of
      American White Pelicans quickly became full of clouds. 
      
       
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      The die-hard
    naturalist never gives up!  If you have to be in with the fishes you
    might as well point them out to others.
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    | Saturday
                afternoon we put in at the much calmer Ramer Lake. Paddling around the
                islands of vegetation with four species of swallows buzzing by
                in all directions was magical.
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        Salton Sea Kayaking 
        
          
            
              
               
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              We hauled up on shore to
              watch wave after wave of the White-faced Ibis and Cattle Egret fly
              into their evening roost.
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                Sunday morning we were
                there for the same thousands of ibis and egrets to start out the
                day.  So was the rain. | 
              
               
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                Watching the sky fill with birds is most memorable and the rain
                did not dampen the spirits of these adventurers! 
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        The weather wasn't much better later in the week--here I am in a
        freak hailstorm in El Centro! 
         
         
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