Date: 11/21/24 6:47 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 20 Nov 2024
I spent part of Wednesday 20 November 2024 (6:00 AM to 3:00 PM) with Therese
R. Clawson looking for birds at a few select locations in the Imperial
Valley. We started the day at Fig Lagoon, then moved east to the Rio Bend
Golfcourse (birds no longer being fed at the Activity Center so nothing to
attract the Curve-billed Thrasher). We then drove east to Evergreen Cemetery
in El Centro. After spending time in Evergreen Cemetery (major tree
trimming/tree removal in progress) we moved south to near the southeast
corner of El Centro. We then drove north to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea
National Wildlife Refuge, stopping to look at Sheldon Reservoir on the way.
From Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge we drove south to Fig
Lagoon, then west to San Diego.
Clear with no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Snow Goose (3000), Ross's Goose (150),
Blue-winged Teal (1) Cinnamon Teal (15), Northern Shoveler (500), Gadwall
(5), American Wigeon (15), Mallard (75), Northern Pintail (50), Green-winged
Teal (250), Redhead (4 - four with Ring-necked Ducks on Fig Lagoon),
Ring-necked Duck (15- fifteen on Fig Lagoon), Lesser Scaup (20), Ruddy Duck
(35), Pied-billed Grebe (10), Eared Grebe (2), Western Grebe (10), Clark's
Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (25), Eurasian Collared-Dove (150), Inca Dove (6),
Common Ground-Dove (5), Mourning Dove (50), Anna's Hummingbird (5),
Ridgway's Rail (1), Common Gallinule (4), American Coot (75), Sandhill Crane
(200 - about two hundred at Unit 1 and near the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge), Black-necked Stilt (150), American Avocet (50), Killdeer (10),
Marbled Godwit (25), Stilt Sandpiper (2 - two with Long-billed Dowitchers at
Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Least Sandpiper (50),
Western Sandpiper (2), Long-billed Dowitcher (750), Greater Yellowlegs (5),
Ring-billed Gull (50), California Gull (2), Herring Gull (3), Caspian Tern
(5), Double-crested Cormorant (30), Neotropic Cormorant (2), American White
Pelican (20), Great Blue Heron (5), Great Egret (30), Snowy Egret (25),
Cattle Egret (1500), Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron (5),
White-faced Ibis (500), Turkey Vulture (5), Northern Harrier (3), Cooper's
Hawk (1), Red-shouldered Hawk (1 - one in flight over the Even Hewes Highway
in Dixeland), Red-tailed Hawk (6), Gila Woodpecker (5), American Kestrel
(25), Gray Flycatcher (1 - one at the Rio Bend Golfcourse known present
since 21 October), Black Phoebe (10), Say's Phoebe (10), Vermilion
Flycatcher (4 - including a male at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge), Loggerhead Shrike (2), Common Raven (6), Verdin (5),
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2), Cedar Waxwing (1 - one at Evergreen Cemetery in El
Centro), Phainopepla (2 - two together at Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro),
Marsh Wren (5), Northern Mockingbird (10), European Starling (150), Western
Bluebird (5 - five at Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro), House Sparrow (15),
American Pipit (5), House Finch (15), Lesser Goldfinch (10), Chipping
Sparrow (15), Dark-eyed Junco (10 - ten together with Chipping Sparrows at
Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro), White-crowned Sparrow (25), Savannah
Sparrow (10), Song Sparrow (5), Abert's Towhee (5), Western Meadowlark (25),
Red-winged Blackbird (500), Brown-headed Cowbird (1), Brewer's Blackbird
(75), Great-tailed Grackle (100), Orange-crowned Warbler (5), Common
Yellowthroat (1), American Redstart (1 - one female near the southeast
corner of El Centro known present since 22 October so probably attempting to
winter locally) and Yellow-rumped Warbler (25) - 89 species.
