Date: 3/28/24 7:26 am From: Guy McCaskie <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 27 March 2024
I spent Wednesday 27 March 2024 (6:00 AM to 5:00 PM) at a few select
locations in the Imperial Valley and along part of the south shore of the
Salton Sea. I started the day at Fig Lagoon and the Rio Bend golf course. I
then drove north into Brawley, stopping to look at Sheldon Reservoir on the
way. In Brawley I looked at the hummingbird feeders on Willard Avenue,
Cattle Call Park and in Riverview Cemetery. From Brawley I continued north
through Calipatria to the intersection of Highway 111 and Sinclair Road,
stopping to look at Young Reservoir and the Calipatria State Prison on the
way. I then drove west to the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ. At the
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge I looked at the ponds adjacent to Rock
Hill and briefly around the entrance. I then drove southwestward to Unit 1
of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, looking along the "seawall" on
the way. After spending time at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge, I drove southeastward to El Centro, stopping at the flooded area
adjacent to Neckel Road on the way on the way. After spending time near the
southeast corner of El Centro, I drove west to San Diego, stopping at Rio
Bend Golfcourse, Sunbeam Lake and Fig Lagoon before leaving the Imperial
Valley.
Mostly Clear with no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 50 to 85
degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Snow Goose (65), Blue-winged Teal (6), Cinnamon
Teal (25), Northern Shoveler (150), Gadwall (25), American Wigeon (2),
Mallard (25), Northern Pintail (10), Green-winged Teal (25), Redhead (2 -
two at the Calipatria Prison), Ring-necked Duck (200 - at least two-hundred
on Fig Lagoon), Lesser Scaup (10), Red-breasted Merganser (1 - one adult
male near the west end of Young Road), Ruddy Duck (150), Gambell's Quail
(6), Pied-billed Grebe (6), Eared Grebe (150), Western Grebe (5), Clark's
Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (75), Eurasian Collared-Dove (150), Inca Dove (10),
Common Ground-Dove (10), White-winged Dove (5 - five in the southwestern
part of Brawley), Mourning Dove (35), Greater Roadrunner (3), Anna's
Hummingbird (10), Costa's Hummingbird (3), Ridgeway's Rail (2), Virginia
Rail (1), Sora (1), Common Gallinule (2), American Coot (35), Black-necked
Stilt (25), American Avocet (25), Black-bellied Plover (125), Killdeer (10),
Snowy Plover (6), Marbled Godwit (150), Stilt Sandpiper (5 - five with
Long-billed Dowitchers at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge), Dunlin (6 - six, including one acquiring black on the belly, at
Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Least Sandpiper (350),
Western Sandpiper (75), Long-billed Dowitcher (1500), Spotted Sandpiper (1),
Willet (25), Greater Yellowlegs (1), Bonaparte's Gull (5), Ring-billed Gull
(150), California Gull (50), Gull-billed Tern (35 - three at Unit 1 of the
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge and about thirty-five at the recently
formed islands near the west end of Young Road), Double-crested Cormorant
(35), Neotropic Cormorant (2), American White Pelican (2), Least Bittern
(1), Great Blue Heron (15), Great Egret (30), Snowy Egret (15), Cattle Egret
(750), Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron (2), White-faced Ibis
(1000), Turkey Vulture (10), Northern Harrier (1), Cooper's Hawk (1),
Red-tailed Hawk (1), Burrowing Owl (15), Gila Woodpecker (6), Ladder-backed
Woodpecker (1), American Kestrel (15), Peregrine Falcon (2), Western
Kingbird (1 - one at the Rio Bend Golfcourse is the first that I have
encountered this spring), Black Phoebe (10), Say's Phoebe (1 - one at a nest
at the Salton Sea National Wildlife HQ), Vermilion Flycatcher (6), Plumbeous
Vireo (1 - one near the southeast corner of El Centro was most likely the
same bird first seen here by Kenneth Z. Kurland on 17 November 2023), Common
Raven (1), Verdin (5), Tree Swallow (25), Northern Rough-winged Swallow
(10), Barn Swallow (1 - one with Cliff Swallows at the intersection of
Carter and Fites Roads southwest of Brawley), Cliff Swallow (250), Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher (1), Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (2), Marsh Wren (10), Northern
Mockingbird (5), European Starling (350), House Sparrow (25), House Finch
(15), Chipping Sparrow (15), White-crowned Sparrow (25), Savannah Sparrow
(3), Song Sparrow (10), Abert's Towhee (10), Yellow-headed Blackbird (2),
Western Meadowlark (25), Bullock's Oriole (1 - one adult male at the Rio
Bend Golfcourse is the first that I have encountered this spring).
Red-winged Blackbird (750), Brown-headed Cowbird (5), Brewer's Blackbird
(25), Great-tailed Grackle (200), Orange-crowned Warbler (6), Common
Yellowthroat (5) and Yellow-rumped Warbler (35) - 104 species.
