Date: 4/10/25 8:34 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 9 April 2025
I spent Wednesday 9 April 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
and Rio Bend, 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 to Obsidian Butte and the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
HQ, stopping north of the west end of Young Road and the north end of Lack
Road on the way. At the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ we looked
around the headquarters building and the ponds adjacent to Rock Hill. After
looking around the headquarters buildings at the Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge, we then drove northeast to Morton Bay and east on McDonald
Road to Highway 111, then south 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 Evergreen Cemetery on the way. After spending time near the southeast
corner of El Centro, we drove west to San Diego, stopping at Rio Bend and
Fig Lagoon before leaving the Imperial Valley.
Clear with no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 60 to 95 degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Snow Goose (15 - fifteen at Unit 1 of the Salton
Sea National Wildlife Refuge)Blue-winged Teal (8), Cinnamon Teal (35),
Northern Shoveler (500), Gad, wall (25), American Wigeon (2), Mallard (25),
Northern Pintail (1), Green-winged Teal (15), Ring-necked Duck (115 -
one-hundred-fifteen counted on Fig Lagoon), Ruddy Duck (20), Gambel's Quail
(10), Pied-billed Grebe (5), Eared Grebe (15), Western Grebe (1), Clark's
Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (50), Eurasian Collared-Dove (200), Inca Dove (10),
Common Ground-Dove (5), White-winged Dove (2), Mourning Dove (30), Greater
Roadrunner (1), Black-chinned Hummingbird (3), Anna's Hummingbird (5),
Rufous Hummingbird (1), Ridgeway's Rail (1), Common Gallinule (1), American
Coot (250), Black-necked Stilt (50), American Avocet (150), Black-bellied
Plover (6), Killdeer (15) Semipalmated Plover (15), Snowy Plover (3),
Whimbrel (50), Long-billed Curlew (40), Stilt Sandpiper (3 - three together
with Long-billed Dowitchers at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge),Least Sandpiper (20), Western Sandpiper (750), Long-billed Dowitcher
(100), Spotted Sandpiper (1), Willet (1), Greater Yellowlegs (1), Franklin's
Gull (1 - one adult in alternate plumage with Ring-billed Gulls in an
irrigated field near the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ),
Ring-billed Gull (500), California Gull (100), Gull-billed Tern (15 -
including one on a nest at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge), Caspian Tern (3), Forester's Tern (1), Double-crested Cormorant
(15), Neotropic Cormorant (10), American White Pelican (20), Least Bittern
(1), Great Blue Heron (5), Great Egret (15), Snowy Egret (15), Cattle Egret
(1500), Green Heron (2), Black-crowned Night-Heron (1), White-faced Ibis
(750), Turkey Vulture (3), Northern Harrier (1), Cooper's Hawk (1), Great
Horned Owl (1), Burrowing Owl (10), Gila Woodpecker (3), Ladder-backed
Woodpecker (1), American Kestrel (15), Peregrine Falcon (1), Western
Kingbird (15), Black Phoebe (6), Vermilion Flycatcher (1), Common Raven (1),
Verdin (6), Horned Lark (1), Tree Swallow (100), Northern Rough-winged
Swallow (5), Barn Swallow (5), Cliff Swallow (150), Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
(1), Marsh Wren (10), Northern Mockingbird (5), European Starling (150),
House Sparrow (10), House Finch (10), Chipping Sparrow (2), White-crowned
Sparrow (15), Savannah Sparrow (3), Song Sparrow (15), Abert's Towhee (2),
Yellow-headed Blackbird (1), Western Meadowlark (10), Red-winged Blackbird
(500), Brown-headed Cowbird (1), Brewer's Blackbird (25), Great-tailed
Grackle (200), Orange-crowned Warbler (1), Common Yellowthroat (2), Yellow
Warbler (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (3) and Lazuli Bunting (2) - 103
species.
