Salton
Sea International Bird Festival
Feb
18-21, 2005
Guide- Bob
Miller
Photographs from the 8th annual Salton Sea International
Bird Festival.
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
Day 1 - Friday: Sandhill
Cranes Sunset Tour
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Sandhill Cranes
Lots of rain made for tricky access to some of the sunset
locations but we had great looks at Sandhill Cranes, White-faced
Ibis and Cattle Egrets flying to roost. Burrowing Owl, Western
Meadowlark and other area residents were a treat as well.
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Day 2 - Saturday:
Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area Tour
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Algodones Dunes
Wilderness Area
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Sunrise on the dunes was spectacular as we started
out on our trek through the Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area.
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| Daniel Steward, a biologist with the El Centro BLM
office, and I lead two field trips through the wilderness
area. Parts of the dunes were carpeted in wildflowers! |
Algodones Dunes Wilderness
Area
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The above average rainfall had brought out once in
a lifetime wildflower displays across the southwest and the dunes
held some of the best.
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Algodones Dunes Wilderness
Area
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Got sand?
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Never know what you will find out there?! Is this an
indicator of what to expect in August?
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| Someone with a sharp eye spotted the exposed leg of
a Fringe-toed Lizard buried in the sand. Note the special
scales along the toes that allow this lizard to travel freely across
the dunes and practically swim through the sand. |
Fringe-toed Lizard
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Mike
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The dunes form a barrier that catches rain water
flooding out of the Chocolate Mountains. We call these areas
at the foot of the dunes "pockets."
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Some of the other pockets had water standing six feet deep in
them and formed little lakes that lasted for nearly a week!
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Apricot Mallow
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Apricot Mallow
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In some of the pockets the Apricot Mallow grew to over eight
feet high this year and became very difficult to traverse! |
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