Date: 3/17/25 5:58 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 15 Mar 2025
I spent Saturday 15 March 2025 (6:45 AM to 3:15 PM) with Therese R. Clawson
looking for birds at a few select locations in the Imperial Valley and along
part of the south shore of the Salton Sea. We started the day at Fig Lagoon
then drove north to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge,
stopping at Sheldon Reservoir on the way. From Unit 1 we drove northeastward
towards Obsidian Butte and the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ,
stopping at the area north of the west end of Young Road and the north end
of Lack Road on the way. After looking around the headquarters buildings at
the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, we then drove east to the
Calipatria State Prison. From the prison we headed southward through
Calipatria into Brawley. In Brawley we only looked briefly at Riverview
Cemetery. We then drove southward to the southeast corner of El Centro,
stopping at the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road and in Evergreen
Cemetery on the way. After spending time near the southeast corner of El
Centro, we drove west to San Diego, stopping at Fig Lagoon before leaving
the Imperial Valley.
Cle0a0r with 8-10 mph wind from the west in the early morning, and with
temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 degrees.
Earlier rain left some unpaved roads, particularly those within Unit 1 of
the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, unsuitable to drive.
Species seen and/or heard - Blue-winged Teal (2), Cinnamon Teal (25),
Northern Shoveler (5000), Gadwall (10), American Wigeon (25), Mallard (5),
Northern Pintail (2), Green-winged Teal (50), Redhead (15), Ring-necked Duck
(50), Lesser Scaup (2), Hooded Merganser (2 - a pair together at the
Calipatria State Prison), Ruddy Duck (20), Pied-billed Grebe (5), Eared
Grebe (5), Western Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (75), Eurasian Collared-Dove
(200), Inca Dove (10), Common Ground-Dove (10), Mourning Dove (50), Greater
Roadrunner (5), Anna's Hummingbird (6), Rufous Hummingbird (1 - one
first-year male near the southeast corner of El Centro), Common Gallinule
(1), American Coot (150), Black-necked Stilt (100), American Avocet (250),
Black-bellied Plover (10), Killdeer (15) Semipalmated Plover (1), Snowy
Plover (2), Whimbrel (40), Long-billed Curlew (100), Least Sandpiper (500),
Western Sandpiper (15), Long-billed Dowitcher (10), Lesser Yellowlegs (1),
Willet (15), Greater Yellowlegs (30), Ring-billed Gull (1500), California
Gull (150), Herring Gull (5), Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 - one adult with
other gulls at the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road), Caspian Tern (1),
Forester's Tern (1), Double-crested Cormorant (15), Neotropic Cormorant (2),
American White Pelican (150), Great Blue Heron (5), Great Egret (15), Snowy
Egret (15), Cattle Egret (1500), Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron
(5), White-faced Ibis (500), Turkey Vulture (5), Northern Harrier (10),
Swainson's Hawk (9 - nine dark-morph birds in an irrigated field adjacent to
Forrester Road west of Imperial), Red-tailed Hawk (5), Burrowing Owl (2),
Gila Woodpecker (3), American Kestrel (15), Black Phoebe (6), Say's Phoebe
(1), Vermilion Flycatcher (3), Loggerhead Shrike (1), Common Raven (3),
Verdin (6), Horned Lark (2), Tree Swallow (100), Violet-green Swallow (1 -
one with other swallows at Fig Lagoon), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2),
Barn Swallow (50), Cliff Swallow (75), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1),
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (1), Marsh Wren (5), Northern Mockingbird (5),
European Starling (150), Western Bluebird (1 - one female in Evergreen
Cemetery), House Sparrow (10), American Pipit (50), House Finch (10), Lesser
Goldfinch (2), Chipping Sparrow (2), Dark-eyed Junco (1), White-crowned
Sparrow (75), Savannah Sparrow (15), Song Sparrow (5 - including one
probable montana near the southeast corner of El Centro), Abert's Towhee
(5), Western Meadowlark (15), Red-winged Blackbird (500), Brown-headed
Cowbird (5), Brewer's Blackbird (25), Great-tailed Grackle (200),
Orange-crowned Warbler (3), Common Yellowthroat (1) and Yellow-rumped
Warbler (30) - 103 species.
