Salton Sea & the Imperial Valley - Jan 4, 2008
by
Henry Detwiler
Joan, Dean, and I spent a fine day birding this avian paradise
94 species--bird list is at the bottom of the page
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized photos.
| I met Joan and Dean in El Centro, and we were soon en route to our first stop of the day--Sheldon Reservoir. It was a true disappointment, with exactly 0 birds floating on the water. Fortunately our next destination, Obsidian Butte, was a little more productive. California, Herring, and Ring-billed Gulls mingled with Willets, sandpipers, and Marbled Godwits. |
Joan and Dean |
Peregrine Falcon
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At the refuge headquarters were numerous Gambel's Quail, sparrows, and doves. In the nearby fields were Snow and White-fronted Geese. Along Garst Road was a most obliging Peregrine Falcon peering around a telephone pole.
Gambel's Quail |
Numerous Northern Shovelers were in the ponds east of Garst Road, and in the Salton Sea west of the road. The shoreline has retreated far from the road due to lack of water, so the gulls at the mouth of the Alamo River were too far away to see without a hike. An Osprey perched above the approach to Red Hill, munching on a fish.
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Osprey |
Mud Pots
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Along Davis Road we toured the bubbling mud pots, evidence of the extreme geothermal activity in the area. |
We saw several Burrowing Owls along the drains; this one shuffled backwards behind the levee on Sinclair Road as soon as we stopped to admire it. The mandatory hike in the Bermuda grass fields failed to produce any Sprague's Pipit, but we did find Greater Roadrunner, Western Meadowlard, and Savannah Sparrow. |
Burrowing Owl |
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Yellow-footed Gull
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Along the Salton Sea wall (levee) we were fortunate to see this adult Yellow-footed Gull dining on a fish carcass. We watched it feed for several minutes and then moved on.
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Other fine birds we spotted from the levee were numerous Ruddy Ducks and Eared Grebes. Farther out were a couple of Common Goldeneyes and Lesser Scaup. At the south end of the Sea were huge rafts of Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, and Green-winged Teal.
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Ruddy Ducks & Eared Grebe
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Mountain Plover
Mountain Plover
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At the corner of Lack and Walker was a newly emerging field with chunks of fertilizer and lots of Mountain Plover. There were probably a couple hundred scattered over several acres. The neat thing about them was their odd behavior, many were fanning and pumping their tails. Whether this behavior was aggression, territorial, or attraction, we don't know. I've got to do a bit of research!
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At Willey Reservoir we saw numerous Gadwall, Canvasback, and Double-crested Cormorants. Our last stop as the sun was sinking in the west was Unit 1 of the Salton Sea NWR. As we passed one of the fields we spotted this Merlin standing on a furrow..
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Merlin
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Ross's Geese (White & Blue Morph)
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In the refuge fields were thousands of Snow and Ross's Geese, including this rare blue morph Ross's Goose. After watching them for a while, we headed back to El Centro, satisfied with a great day of birding. |
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