Date: 4/17/24 9:10 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (ssouth) - 16 April 2024
I spent Tuesday 16 April 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 Golfcourse. I then drove
north into Brawley, stopping at Sheldon Reservoir and 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 Niland, stopping to look at
Young Reservoir and the Calipatria State Prison on the way. In Niland I
birded north along International Avenue, west along 4th Street and south
along Luna Street. I then drove northwestward to the Wister Unit. At the
Wister Unit I looked at the area around the headquarters and at the new
fresh water fishing pond. From the Wister Unit I drove southwestward 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
through Westmorland and Brawley to near the southeast corner of 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.
I noted an alarming lack of migrant passerines considering the time of the
year.
Clear with little no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 55 to 90
degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Snow Goose (18 - eighteen together at Unit 1 of
the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Blue-winged Teal (10 - two at the
Calipatria State Prison, six at the north end of Lack Road and two near the
west end of Young Road), Cinnamon Teal (20), Northern Shoveler (75), Gadwall
(4), Mallard (15), Green-winged Teal (5), Redhead (2 - two together at the
Calipatria State Prison), Lesser Scaup (1 - one at the flooded area adjacent
to Neckel Road), Ruddy Duck (150), Gambell's Quail (10), Pied-billed Grebe
(5), Eared Grebe (200), Western Grebe (10), Clark's Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon
(75), Eurasian Collared-Dove (200), Inca Dove (10), Common Ground-Dove (15),
White-winged Dove (5 - single birds in Calipatria and at the Salton Sea
National Wildlife Refuge HQ were believed to be recent spring migrants),
Mourning Dove (100), Greater Roadrunner (1), Lesser Nighthawk (2 - two at
the Oasis Hunting Club on Pound Road are the first that I have encountered
this year), Black-chinned Hummingbird (2), Anna's Hummingbird (10), Costa's
Hummingbird (1), Ridgeway's Rail (1), Common Gallinule (2), American Coot
(75), Black-necked Stilt (75), American Avocet (100), Black-bellied Plover
(300 - about three-hundred along the shore of the Salton Sea near the west
end of Young Road), Killdeer (15), Semipalmated Plover (6), Snowy Plover
(20), Whimbrel (80 - eighty in irrigated field at the intersection of I-8
and Drew Road near Seeley), Long-billed Curlew (20), Ruddy Turnstone two
together at the intersection of Lack and Grubel Roads), Red Knot (25 - at
least twenty-five along the shore of the Salton Sea between the intersection
of Lack and Grubel Roads near the west end of Young Road), Least Sandpiper
(75), Western Sandpiper (1500 - all in alternate-plumage), Long-billed
Dowitcher (450), Spotted Sandpiper (1), Lesser Yellowlegs (1 - one in an
irrigated field at the intersection of I-8 and Drew Road), Willet (25),
Greater Yellowlegs (5), Bonaparte's Gull (6 - six in an irrigated field at
the intersection of I-8 and Drew Road), Franklin's Gull (1 - one adult in
alternate-plumage with other gulls at the flooded area adjacent to Neckel
Road), Ring-billed Gull (50), California Gull (150), Gull-billed Tern (25),
Caspian Tern (2), Forster's Tern (5), Double-crested Cormorant (30),
Neotropic Cormorant (6), American White Pelican (15), Least Bittern (1),
Great Blue Heron (15), Great Egret (30), Snowy Egret (35), Cattle Egret
(500), Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron (2), White-faced Ibis
(750), Northern Harrier (1), Red-tailed Hawk (3), Great Horned Owl (1 - one
adult at the Wister Unit HQ), Burrowing Owl (15), Gila Woodpecker (5),
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (1), American Kestrel (10), Western Kingbird (15),
Black Phoebe (10), Vermilion Flycatcher (5), Common Raven (3), Verdin (10),
Horned Lark (2), Tree Swallow (10), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (6), Barn
Swallow (10 - including one with Cliff Swallows at the intersection of
Carter and Fites Roads where this swallow has successfully nested in recent
years), Cliff Swallow (250), Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (1), Marsh Wren (6),
Northern Mockingbird (10), European Starling (350), House Sparrow (25),
House Finch (20), Chipping Sparrow (2 - two together at the Rio Bend Golf
Course), White-crowned Sparrow (2 - two adults with black-lores near the
southeastern corner of El Centro), Song Sparrow (6), Abert's Towhee (10),
Yellow-headed Blackbird (5), Western Meadowlark (20), Bullock's Oriole (2).
Red-winged Blackbird (350), Bronzed Cowbird (2 - an adult male and female
together near the south end of International Avenue in Niland are the first
that I have encountered this year), Brown-headed Cowbird (20), Brewer's
Blackbird (25), Great-tailed Grackle (200), Orange-crowned Warbler (2),
Nashville Warbler (1), Common Yellowthroat (6), Yellow-rumped Warbler (10)
and Townsend's Warbler (1 - one adult male near the southeast corner of El
Centro is the first that I have encountered locally this spring) - 104
species.
