Date: 10/10/25 7:53 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea - 8 October 2025
I spent Wednesday 8 October 2025 (6:30 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 near
the west end of Young Road (large numbers of water birds), then looked at
the north end of Lack Road and Obsidian Butte. From there we drove to the
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ (closed), then looking at Morton Bay.
From Morton Bay we drove southwest to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge (very few birds). After looking at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea
National Wildlife Refuge, we headed southeastward through Westmorland into
Brawley. In Brawley we only looked at Riverview Cemetery. We then drove
south to near the southeast corner of El Centro, stopping at the flooded
area adjacent to Neckel Road 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 little to no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 65 to 95
degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Blue-winged Teal (2). Cinnamon Teal (6),
Northern Shoveler (5000), Gadwall (2), American Wigeon (10), Mallard (15),
Redhead (25), Ring-necked Duck (2 - two on Fig Lagoon), Ruddy Duck (5),
Gambel's Quail (15), Pied-billed Grebe (6), Eared Grebe (20), Western Grebe
(10), Clark's Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (25), Eurasian Collared-Dove (30), Inca
Dove (15), Common Ground-Dove (15), Mourning Dove (25), Anna's Hummingbird
(6), Costa's Hummingbird (1), Sandhill Crane (10 - ten together near the
intersection of Dogwood and Keystone Roads), Common Gallinule (1), American
Coot (250), Black-necked Stilt (500), American Avocet (250), Black-bellied
Plover (15), Killdeer (5), Long-billed Curlew (350), Stilt Sandpiper (5),
Dunlin (2), Least Sandpiper (500), Western Sandpiper (750), Long-billed
Dowitcher (250), Spotted Sandpiper (1), Lesser Yellowlegs (5), Willet (15),
Greater Yellowlegs (35), Red-necked Phalarope (10), Parasitic Jaeger (2 - a
dark-bellied and a white-bellied juvenile harassing terns near the west end
of Young Road), Black Tern (750), Common Tern (1 - one in flight showing a
dark carpel bar), Forster's Tern (350), Sabine's Gull (8 - eight juveniles
together on the water near the west end of Young Road ties the largest
"flock" known at the Salton Sea - up to eight near Oasis, Riverside County
5-13 October 1991). Laughing Gull (5), Ring-billed Gull (300), California
Gull (250), American Herring Gull (10), White-faced Ibis (1500),
Double-crested Cormorant (15), Neotropic Cormorant (20), American White
Pelican (250), Brown Pelican (15), Snowy Egret (20), Black-crowned Night
Heron (2), Green Heron (1), Great Egret (15), Western Cattle Egret (500),
Great Blue Heron (5), Turkey Vulture (5), Northern Harrier (3), Red-tailed
Hawk (2), Belted Kingfisher (3), Gila Woodpecker (2), American Kestrel (15),
Western Kingbird (3 - three getting late individuals near Obsidian Butte),
Black Phoebe (5), Say's Phoebe (2), Vermilion Flycatcher (2), Loggerhead
Shrike (1), Verdin (5), Tree Swallow (1000), Barn Swallow (10). Black-tailed
Gnatcatcher (1), Marsh Wren (1), Northern Mockingbird (5), European Starling
(50), House Sparrow (10), House Finch (10), Lesser Goldfinch (2), Chipping
Sparrow (5), White-crowned Sparrow (10), Savannah Sparrow (10), Song Sparrow
(2), Abert's Towhee (5), Western Meadowlark (5), Red-winged Blackbird (500),
Brown-headed Cowbird (5), Brewer's Blackbird (5), Great-tailed Grackle (50),
Orange-crowned Warbler (2), Yellow-rumped Warbler (2) and Common
Yellowthroat (1) - 93 species.
