Date: 4/11/24 7:28 am From: Guy McCaskie <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 10 April 2024
I spent Wednesday 10 April 2024 (6:00 AM to 5:15 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 Golfcourse. I
then drove north into Brawley, stopping at the intersection of Carter and
Fites Roads 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
McDonald Road, stopping to look at Young Reservoir and the Calipatria State
Prison on the way. I then drove southwest to the Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge HQ, stopping to look at Morton Bay and the north end on
Garst Road on the way. 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 near the
southeast corner of El Centro, stopping at the flooded area adjacent to
Neckel Road and Evergreen Cemetery 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.
Clear with little no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 55 to 90
degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Snow Goose (45 - forty-five together at Unit 1
of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Blue-winged Teal (6 - four at
the north end of Lack Road and two near the west end of Young Road),
Cinnamon Teal (15), Northern Shoveler (100), Gadwall (15), American Wigeon
(3), Mallard (15), Northern Pintail (1), Green-winged Teal (20), Redhead (5
- three together at the Calipatria State Prison and two more together on
Morton Bay), Ring-necked Duck (100 - at least one-hundred together on Fig
Lagoon), Greater/Lesser Scaup (1 - one on the Salton Sea near the west end
of Young Road not identified to species), Bufflehead (1), Ruddy Duck (250),
Gambell's Quail (10), Pied-billed Grebe (6), Eared Grebe (150), Western
Grebe (10), Clark's Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (75), Eurasian Collared-Dove
(200), Inca Dove (15), Common Ground-Dove (15), White-winged Dove (1 - one
near Cattle Call Park in Brawley), Mourning Dove (150), Greater Roadrunner
(6), Black-chinned Hummingbird (2), Anna's Hummingbird (10), Costa's
Hummingbird (3), Ridgeway's Rail (1), Common Gallinule (5), American Coot
(75), Black-necked Stilt (35), American Avocet (25), Black-bellied Plover
(600 - about three-hundred in an irrigated field near the intersection of
Forrester and Larsen Roads and another flock of at least three-hundred along
the shore of the Salton Sea near the west end of Young Road), Killdeer (15),
Semipalmated Plover (1), Snowy Plover (15), Whimbrel (250 - most in an
irrigated field near the intersection of Forrester and Larsen Roads),
Long-billed Curlew (200 - most in an irrigated field near the intersection
of Forrester and Larsen Roads), Marbled Godwit (25), Red Knot (10 - ten
along the shore of the Salton Sea near the west end of Young Road were
obvious spring migrants), Stilt Sandpiper (5 - five together with
Long-billed Dowitchers at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge), Dunlin (6 - six at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge), Least Sandpiper (150), Western Sandpiper (750 - most in
alternate-plumage), Long-billed Dowitcher (500), Spotted Sandpiper (1),
Lesser Yellowlegs (6 - six in an irrigated field near the intersection of
Forrester and Larsen Roads), Willet (20), Greater Yellowlegs (25),
Franklin's Gull (2 - one adult in alternate-plumage near the Calipatria
State Prison and one adult in alternate-plumage with other gulls at the
flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road), Ring-billed Gull (250), California
Gull (150), Herring Gull (1 - one adult with other gulls at the flooded area
adjacent to Neckel Road), Gull-billed Tern (25), Caspian Tern (5), Black
Skimmer (2 - two together at Rock Hill), Double-crested Cormorant (35),
Neotropic Cormorant (10), American White Pelican (25), Least Bittern (1),
Great Blue Heron (15), Great Egret (35), Snowy Egret (35), Reddish Egret (1
- one sub-adult near the west end of Young Road appeared to be the same bird
first seen here on 14 July by Curtis A. Marantz), Cattle Egret (500),
Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron (3), White-faced Ibis (1500),
Turkey Vulture (5), Northern Harrier (1), Cooper's Hawk (2), Great Horned
Owl (2), Burrowing Owl (15), Gila Woodpecker (5), Ladder-backed Woodpecker
(2), American Kestrel (10), Prairie Falcon (1 - one standing in an irrigated
field near the intersection of Forrester and Larsen Roads), Western Kingbird
(15), Black Phoebe (10), Say's Phoebe (1 - one at the Salton Sea National
Wildlife HQ), Vermilion Flycatcher (6), Plumbeous Vireo (1 - one well seen
near the southeast corner of El Centro was most likely the same bird first
seen here by Kenneth Z. Kurland on 17 November 2023), Warbling Vireo (1),
Common Raven (2), Verdin (10), Tree Swallow (50), Northern Rough-winged
Swallow (5), Barn Swallow (30 - including three with Cliff Swallows at the
intersection of Carter and Fites Roads where this swallow has successfully
nested in recent years), Cliff Swallow (250), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2),
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (1), Marsh Wren (10), Northern Mockingbird (10),
European Starling (350), House Sparrow (25), House Finch (20), Chipping
Sparrow (2 - two at the Rio Bend Golf Course), White-crowned Sparrow (25),
Savannah Sparrow (1), Song Sparrow (10), Abert's Towhee (10), Yellow-headed
Blackbird (2), Western Meadowlark (30), Bullock's Oriole (5). Red-winged
Blackbird (300), Brown-headed Cowbird (25), Brewer's Blackbird (25),
Great-tailed Grackle (200), Orange-crowned Warbler (5), Nashville Warbler
(3), Common Yellowthroat (6), Yellow-rumped Warbler (20), Wilson's Warbler
(1) and Black-headed Grosbeak (1) - 116 species.
