Date: 4/25/24 12:43 pm From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: April 25, 2024
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* April 25, 2024
* CASE24.04.25
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
Birds mentioned:
Red-necked Grebe
Short-billed Gull
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen at Big Bear Dam Apr 18-24 (Byron Underwood).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A SHORT-BILLED GULL was seen at the Salton Sea SRA on Apr 20 (David Rankin).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
No reports.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://www.sbvas.net/_files/ugd/09ca00_bdaf8a44285e4c1dbd625cd601280b5b.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 4/25/24 7:44 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 24 April 2024
I spent the Wednesday 24 April 2024 (6:00 AM to 5:30 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 then 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 only looked at the area around the headquarters.
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 and Fig Lagoon before leaving the
Imperial Valley.
Clear with little to no wind until late afternoon when there was a strong
wind from the west, and with temperatures ranging from 60 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, four at the north end of Lack Road and four near
the west end of Young Road), Cinnamon Teal (20), Northern Shoveler (10),
Gadwall (4), American Wigeon (3), Mallard (20), Redhead (11 - seven at the
Calipatria State Prison and four at Morton Bay), Lesser Scaup (1 - one at
the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road), Ruddy Duck (40), Gambell's Quail
(10), Pied-billed Grebe (5), Eared Grebe (350), Western Grebe (15), Clark's
Grebe (2), Rock Pigeon (75), Eurasian Collared-Dove (150), Inca Dove (10),
Common Ground-Dove (15), White-winged Dove (25), Mourning Dove (40), Greater
Roadrunner (1), Lesser Nighthawk (1 - one at the Wister Unit HQ),
Black-chinned Hummingbird (3), Anna's Hummingbird (12), Costa's Hummingbird
(3), Ridgeway's Rail (1), Common Gallinule (3), American Coot (75),
Black-necked Stilt (150), American Avocet (250), Black-bellied Plover (50 -
about fifty along the shore of the Salton Sea near the west end of Young
Road), Killdeer (15), Semipalmated Plover (20), Snowy Plover (10), Whimbrel
(20), Ruddy Turnstone (3 - three in alternate-plumage at the intersection of
Lack and Grubel Roads), Red Knot (75 - at least seventy-five along the shore
at the intersection of Lack and Grubel Roads), Stilt Sandpiper (25 -
twenty-five with Long-billed Dowitchers at the Hazard Unit of The Salton Sea
National Wildlife Refuge), Dunlin (1), Least Sandpiper (15), Western
Sandpiper (1500), Long-billed Dowitcher (150), Spotted Sandpiper (3), Willet
(5), Greater Yellowlegs (5), Wilson's Phalarope (75), Red-necked Phalarope
(50), Bonaparte's Gull (19 - a flock of nineteen on Fig Lagoon at dawn),
Ring-billed Gull (20), California Gull (50), Gull-billed Tern (45), Caspian
Tern (6), Black Tern (40 - the first that I have encountered this year),
Forster's Tern (10), Black Skimmer (15), Common Loon (3 - two adults in
alternate-plumage and one in basic-plumage on Fig Lagoon departed at
sunrise), Double-crested Cormorant (20), Neotropic Cormorant (6), American
White Pelican (15), Least Bittern (1), Great Blue Heron (15), Great Egret
(25), Snowy Egret (30), 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 (350), Turkey Vulture (1), Red-tailed Hawk
(2), Great Horned Owl (1 - one adult at the Wister Unit HQ), Burrowing Owl
(10), Gila Woodpecker (5), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (1), American Kestrel
(10), Ash-throated Flycatcher (1), Western Kingbird (15), Black Phoebe (10),
Say's Phoebe (1 - one at the Salton Sea National Wildlife HQ), Vermilion
Flycatcher (5), Warbling Vireo (4), Common Raven (6), Verdin (10), Northern
Rough-winged Swallow (2), Barn Swallow (10 - including two 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 (10), Northern Mockingbird (10), European
Starling (350), House Sparrow (25), House Finch (30), White-crowned Sparrow
(1 - one adults with black-lores at the Wister Unit HQ), Song Sparrow (10),
Abert's Towhee (6), Yellow-headed Blackbird (15), Western Meadowlark (15),
Bullock's Oriole (10). Red-winged Blackbird (350), Bronzed Cowbird (2 - an
adult male and female together near the south end of International Avenue in
Niland), Brown-headed Cowbird (20), Brewer's Blackbird (30), Great-tailed
Grackle (150), Orange-crowned Warbler (2), Nashville Warbler (3),
MacGillivray's Warbler (1), Common Yellowthroat (6), Yellow Warbler (1),
Black-throated Gray Warbler (1), Wilson's Warbler (5) and Lazuli Bunting (1)
- 112 species.
Date: 4/18/24 2:33 pm From: James Pike via groups.io <jimpike444...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] couple birds
A singing adult male Plumbeous Vireo was along Corydon Street in Corona this morning, close to where an immature bird wintered a year or two ago. While trying to lure it in for a closer look, an adult male American Redstart popped in, just my second for the Prado Basin.
Date: 4/18/24 9:30 am From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: April 18, 2024
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* April 18, 2024
* CASE24.04.18
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
Birds mentioned:
*THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD*
Lark Bunting
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
The *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Apr 13 (Tom Benson).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
Five LARK BUNTINGS were seen in the Pleasant Valley area of Joshua Tree National Park on Apr 15 (Valerie Griffin).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
No reports.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://www.sbvas.net/_files/ugd/09ca00_bdaf8a44285e4c1dbd625cd601280b5b.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
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.
Date: 4/13/24 2:53 pm From: Anthony Metcalf <ametcalf...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] April 20 and April 21 Two Day Shorebird Extravaganza Field Trip
April 20 and April 21 Two Day Shorebird Extravaganza
Hey shorebirders, April migrant lovers and birding fanatics, join David Rankin (619-869-3952) and Tony Metcalf (951-347-7710) for a two day birding extravaganza at the north end of the Salton Sea (Saturday) and the San Jacinto Wildlife Area (Sunday). We will focus primarily on shorebirds, contrasting mid-April shorebird diversity at the Salton Sea with inland coastal shorebird diversity at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area and Mystic Lake. (Of course we look at everything from gulls to passerines!!). On Saturday (April 20) we will meet at 8 AM at the infamous Arco Station in Mecca (66th Ave and HWY 86), if you miss us there because of traffic, etc we will be at the North Shore Yacht Club on HWY 111 before to Salt Creek. On Sunday (April 21) meet at the gates of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area at 7:30AM. Mystic Lake is awesome and migrants are already passing through!! You can join us for one or both days. Bring drinks, snacks, lunch etc. And we recommend rubber boots for the barnacle beaches at the NESS and goopy Mystic Lake Shoreline.
Date: 4/11/24 9:26 am From: Thomas Benson <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: April 11, 2024
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* April 11, 2024
* CASE24.04.11
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
A BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD was heard near Hole-in-the-Wall Campground on Apr 8 (Jim Tietz).
The *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Apr 9 (Hans de Grys).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A *WOOD STORK* continued on private property in the Prado Basin through Apr 2 (Jim Pike).
A *GLOSSY IBIS" was seen at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve on Apr 6 (Jodhan Fine).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO continued on private property in El Centro through Apr 10 (Guy McCaskie).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://www.sbvas.net/_files/ugd/09ca00_bdaf8a44285e4c1dbd625cd601280b5b.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
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.
Date: 4/6/24 1:42 pm From: Jodhan Fine <jodhanfine22...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Glossy Ibis near Palo Verde, Riverside Co
As posted in CalBirds, Otto Mayer, Russel Campbell, and I found a rather perfect looking Glossy Ibis candidate with no apparent strikes. Seen in a flooded field here: (33.6732161, -114.5722452). Nice white borders to dark blueish gray facial skin that don’t wrap around eye. No pinkish hues in the stripes and no purplish tones to face. Additionally no reddish tones in knees or bill. Eye appeared chestnutty in direct sunlight, but otherwise looked dark and certainly not red. Will review and upload pics soon, but in the field and from BOCs it looks pretty clear for Glossy.
Date: 4/4/24 7:24 am From: Thomas Benson <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: April 4, 2024
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* April 4, 2024
* CASE24.04.04
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
The THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Apr 3 (Tom Benson).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A LARK BUNTING was seen in Perris on Mar 30 (Jesse Haaf).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO and a NORTHERN PARULA continued at Wister Wildlife Unit through Apr 3 (Guy McCaskie).
A GRAY CATBIRD continued at Living Waters near Bard through Mar 29 (Henry Detweiler).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://www.sbvas.net/_files/ugd/09ca00_bdaf8a44285e4c1dbd625cd601280b5b.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 4/4/24 5:42 am From: Guy McCaskie <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 3 April 2024
I spent Wednesday 3 April 2024 (6:15 AM to 4:30 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 the IID Wetlands near Niland, the moved
north into Niland. In Niland I birded north along International Avenue, west
to the west end of 4th Street and south along Luna Street. I then drove
northwestward to the Wister Unit HQ. At the Wister Unit I looked at the area
around the headquarters and at the new fishing pond. From the Wister Unit HQ
I drove southwestward to the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ,
stopping to look at Morton Bay and the north end of Garst Road on the way.
At the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ I looked around the Visitor
Center and at the ponds adjacent to Rock Hill. I then drove west to Obsidian
Butte and birded southwestward along the seawall to the west end of Young
Road. I then drove southwestward to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge. After looking at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge, I headed southeastward through Westmorland into Brawley. In Brawley
I looked at Riverview Cemetery and Cattle Call Park. I then drove south 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.
Mostly Clear with no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 45 to 90
degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Snow Goose (65 - sixty-five together at Unit 1
of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Blue-winged Teal (25 - a flock
of twenty-five at the north end of Lack Road), Cinnamon Teal (25), Northern
Shoveler (100), Gadwall (6), American Wigeon (4), Mallard (15), Northern
Pintail (5), Green-winged Teal (20), Ring-necked Duck (7 - seven on Fig
Lagoon), Red-breasted Merganser (2 - two adult males together near the west
end of Young Road), Ruddy Duck (150), Gambell's Quail (10), 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 (15), White-winged Dove (1 - one at Cattle Call Park in
Brawley), Mourning Dove (30), Greater Roadrunner (6), Anna's Hummingbird
(10), Costa's Hummingbird (3), Ridgeway's Rail (5), Virginia Rail (1), Sora
(1), Common Gallinule (2), American Coot (35), Black-necked Stilt (35),
American Avocet (25), Black-bellied Plover (250 - an impressive flock of at
least two-hundred-fifty near the west end of Young Road), Killdeer (10),
Snowy Plover (10), Whimbrel (35), Long-billed Curlew (5), Marbled Godwit
(20), Stilt Sandpiper (2 - two with Long-billed Dowitchers at Unit 1 of the
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Dunlin (10 - ten, all acquiring
various amounts of black on the belly, at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge), Least Sandpiper (50), Western Sandpiper (1500 - most in
alternate-plumage), Long-billed Dowitcher (750), Spotted Sandpiper (1),
Willet (2), Greater Yellowlegs (10), Ring-billed Gull (350), California Gull
(30), Herring Gull (1 - one near adult at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge), Gull-billed Tern (35 - about thirty-five at the recently
formed islands near the west end of Young Road - no indication of nesting),
Caspian Tern (1), Double-crested Cormorant (30), Neotropic Cormorant (5),
American White Pelican (50), American Bittern (1 - one well seen both on the
ground and in flight at the Wister Unit), Least Bittern (1), Great Blue
Heron (15), Great Egret (30), 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 but unreported since 28 January),
Cattle Egret (750), Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron (5),
White-faced Ibis (1000), Turkey Vulture (5), Northern Harrier (3), Cooper's
Hawk (1), Red-tailed Hawk (1), Great Horned Owl (1 - one adult at the Wister
Unit HQ), Burrowing Owl (10), Gila Woodpecker (5), Ladder-backed Woodpecker
(3), American Kestrel (10), Peregrine Falcon (2), Western Kingbird (25),
Black Phoebe (10), Say's Phoebe (1 - one at the Salton Sea National Wildlife
HQ), Vermilion Flycatcher (5), Plumbeous Vireo (1 - one at the Wister Unit
HQ was most likely the same bird first seen here on 5 March by Tim
Rodenkirk), Common Raven (6), Verdin (5), Tree Swallow (250), Northern
Rough-winged Swallow (5), Barn Swallow (50), Cliff Swallow (150),
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (2), Marsh Wren (30), Northern Mockingbird (5),
European Starling (350), House Sparrow (25), House Finch (20), Chipping
Sparrow (15), White-crowned Sparrow (25), Savannah Sparrow (2), Song Sparrow
(15), Abert's Towhee (10), Yellow-headed Blackbird (25), Western Meadowlark
(25), Bullock's Oriole (2). Red-winged Blackbird (350), Brown-headed Cowbird
(25), Brewer's Blackbird (25), Great-tailed Grackle (200), Orange-crowned
Warbler (5), Nashville Warbler (1 - one male near the southeast corner of El
Centro was the first that I have encountered this spring), Common
Yellowthroat (10), Northern Parula (1 - one male in alternate-plumage at the
Wister Unit HQ was the same bird first seen here on 24 February by Chris
Dean), Yellow-rumped Warbler (35) and Wilson's Warbler (1 - one male near
the southeast corner of El Centro was the first that I have encountered this
spring) - 107 species.
After not seeing the Wood Stork in recent days, I stopped by Prado dam this afternoon. Lo and behold, he/she was espied preening on a eucalyptus branch below the cormorant breeding colony. There are at least 30-40 active cormorant nests involving two species in the colony, one Great Blue Heron nest, plus Woodrow.
I want to provide an update on Swainson's hawk migration through Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties so far this year.
A steady stream continues to move west-northwest through the area but it's clear that numbers are down relative to the totals seen in 2023. Although there have been multiple flocks exceeding 100 birds reported in Borrego Springs and the Imperial Valley, the largest flocks seen across Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Kern Counties have been about 85 birds reported a short distance west of Quail Lake by Matt Brady. There was one flock of ~75 birds seen at Glen Haven and Shalom Memorial Park and soon afterward at Bear Divide, but otherwise all the other kettles have been groups of 50 or less. Last year multiple observers reported hundreds of birds primarily moving along the San Gabriel Mountain foothills or through Gorman. Even so, there have been a lot of reports, most of fewer than five birds. Here are all the reports of five or more in 2024:
N Date Location Observer
10 Feb 15 Quail Lake Chris Dean
7 Feb 21 Sawpit Wash Naresh Satyan
16 Feb 29 Claremont Wilderness Park Scott Marnoy
8 Mar 1 Gould Mesa Road Jack Wickel
15 Mar 1 Cal State San Bernardino Dave Smith
5 Mar 2 Redlands Matt Grube
5 Mar 3 Hahamongna Park Oliver Huang and Reeve Cowne
46 Mar 5 Nuevo Steve Ritt A.M.
32 Mar 7 Nuevo Steve Ritt A.M.
8 Mar 7 Oldtown Pasadena Deborah Crooks
17 Mar 7 Bonelli Regional Park Keith Condon. A.M.
7 Mar 8 Redlands Matt Grube
33 Mar 8 California Botanic Garden Tom Miko, Dan Stoebel. Late afternoon near sunset.
40 Mar 8 Primrose Ave., Monrovia Ron Cyger. 17:45
11 Mar 9 California Botanic Garden Cynthia Case 8:15
14 Mar 9 California Botanic Garden Alex Ferrand
5 Mar 9 Glendora Patrick Gavit 9:05-9:40
8 Mar 9 San Jacinto Wildlife Area Palomar Audubon
45 Mar 9 Bonelli Regional Park Keith Condon A.M.
6 Mar 9 Toyon Landfill Andy Birch and Greg Slak
17 Mar 10 Lamb Cyn Rd, Moreno Valley Luke Tiller
15 Mar 12 Longley Way Elem. School Krita Davidson
85 Mar 13 Lower Edison Teson Mtn Rd Matt Brady
5 Mar 14 Lower Edison Teson Mtn Rd Matt Brady
25 Mar 15 Cal State San Bernardino Dave Smith A. M.
15 Mar 15 Redlands Matt Grube late afternoon.
14 Mar 16 San Jacinto Wildlife Area Julie Szabo and Greg Cross 09:20
16 Mar 16 Glendora Mountain Road Patrick Gavit 09:25
25 Mar 16 Allen/Loma Alta Brendan Crill. 11 am. Possibly same birds seen by Lance and Molly
40 Mar 16 Loma Alta Drive, Altadena Lance Benner 11:05-11:11
40+ Mar 16 Chaney Trail, Altadena Molly Hill (same flock seen by Lance)
76 Mar 17 Glen Haven & Shalom Memorial Park Luke Tiller and Dave Bell 10:10
72 Mar 17 Bear Divide Kelsey Reckling, Matt Brady. Same flock seen by Luke and Dave
4 Mar 17 Palm Desert Andy Birch
20 Mar 17 Madeline Dr., Monrovia Karen Suarez ~4-6 pm
6 Mar 17 Rubio Wash debris basin Morgan G.
5+ Mar 18 Cobb Estate, Altadena Caleb P. Mixed flock of TUVUs, SWHA, & CORA. Noonish
6 Mar 18 Alhambra Park Chezy Yusuf 15:40
19 Mar 19 Box Spring Mountains Dave Rankin AM
6 Mar 19 San Timoteo Creek Matt Grube 16:58
50 Mar 19 Claremont Hills Wilderness Park Scott Marnoy 16:55.
19 Mar 19 Henninger Flat Area Luke Tiller, near sunset
50 Mar 20 Bradbury Circle, Highland Michael McMillan 10 am
5 Mar 20 San Antonio Heights Becca Cockrum 16:43
8 Mar 20 Midwick Dr., Altadena Catherine Hamilton and Luke Tiller, near sunset
8 Mar 21 Midwick Dr., Altadena Catherine Hamilton. Probably same ones seen on Mar 20.
21 Mar 21 Piute Ponds Chris Deann 14:05
16 Mar 21 Juniper Hills Kimball Garrett 16:00
5 Mar 22 Piute Ponds William Tyrer Group of 3 and two solos
6 Mar 23 Juniper Hills Kimball Garrett 9:11
7 Mar 23 Hahamongna Park Jeffrey Hale 10:57
38 Mar 23 Memorial Park, Sierra Madre Krista Davidson ~14:00
7 Mar 24 Haines Canyon Debris Basin Julia Ray 9:53
6 Mar 24 Wildwood Canyon State Park Gary McLarty 14:01
27 Mar 24 Quail Lake Sean Lyon & Laurel Ross 14:55
35 Mar 26 Redlands Matt Grube
11 Mar 26 Bonelli Park Keith Condon
6 Mar 27 Redlands Tom Benson
17 Mar 27 Piute Ponds Chris Dean
5 Mar 27 Piute Ponds Marvin Nelson
4 Mar 28 Big Morongo Preserve Becca Cockrum
The total is about 1080 birds, and if we include numerous eBird reports of 1-4 individuals, then the total exceeds 1100. There's still quite a bit of movement, but given reports at Borrego Springs, it's clear that we're missing a significant fraction of birds farther west. Based on locations reported in eBird, it appears that the birds spread out somewhat as they move northwest toward the central valley, so that might help explain the ones we haven't found.
We still don't know in detail where many birds go after they leave Borrego Springs. Some have been seen lifting off and moving north but not seen again, but reports from Coyoto Valley, Nuevo, and San Jacinto Wildlife Area indicate that decent numbers appear to move northwest from Borrego. In the last few days a few reports have come in from Big Morongo Preserve and even up by Newberry Springs (east of Barstow), so we may be seeing the early stages of migration shifting from the Central Valley toward the Great Basin.
Regarding our picket line on March 16, it turns out that we probably did this one day too early: larger groups were seen on March 17.
We have also checked eBird records from Orange County, and found a number of reports, but there haven't been any big groups. Similarly, although there are many reports in the southern Central Valley in Kern County, west of the Grapevine the numbers have all been small.
The hawks are still going through, so if you see any groups, please continue to report them in eBird and on the county listserves.
View/Reply Online (#1361) | Reply To Sender | Reply To Group | Mute This Topic | New Topic Your Subscription | Contact Group Owner | Unsubscribe [<lists...>] _._,_._,_
Date: 3/29/24 9:17 pm From: henry detwiler via groups.io <henry_detwiler...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Eastern Imperial County
Greetings Birders,
This morning (3/29/24) I birded the eastern edge of Imperial County, starting at the beautiful Living Waters property north of Yuma. Two SUMMER TANAGERS continue, one singing and one giving its "pi-tuk" calls. The RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were crying loudly and chasing each other around the orchard. While I was waiting for newly-arrived warblers to drop out of the oleander hedgerow and drink from the drain, I heard the soft honking of the continuing RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Beautifully feathered YELLOW-RUMPS drank and bathed in the water, as did a pair of BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. And then, popping out for only a few seconds, the continuing GRAY CATBIRD flew down to the gravel road to snatch a bug!
eBird report from Living Waters with a couple of photos:https://ebird.org/checklist/S166351510
Next I birded the All-American Canal and Mission Wash, adding waterfowl stragglers and a lot of the common birds returning for the spring. At West Pond (west of Imperial Dam) I was greeted by calling BLACK and VIRGINIA RAILS, and a LEAST BITTERN. On Senator Wash I could find only coots and grebes. My final birds for the morning were in a flooded field close to Winterhaven, where I had several hundred WHITE-FACED IBIS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. I ended the morning with 72 species.
Good Birding!Henry D. DetwilerYuma, AZ
Finding Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, Californiahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_Imperial_County_Book.htmFinding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_SWAZ_Book.htm
Date: 3/28/24 10:18 am From: Thomas Benson <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: March 28, 2024 (corrected)
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* March 28, 2024
* CASE24.03.28
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
A returning *WOOD STORK* was seen in the Prado Basin Mar 26 (Jim Pike).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO continued on private property in El Centro through Mar 27 (Guy McCaskie).
A *WINTER WREN* continued at Cattle Call Park through Mar 22 (Sam Baxter-Bray).
A SPRAGUE'S PIPIT was seen in Calipatria on Mar 22 (Sam Baxter-Bray).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://www.sbvas.net/_files/ugd/09ca00_bdaf8a44285e4c1dbd625cd601280b5b.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 3/28/24 10:12 am From: Thomas Benson <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: March 28, 2024
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* March 28, 2024
* CASE24.03.28
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
Birds mentioned:
Plumbeous Vireo
*WINTER WREN*
Sprague's Pipit
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
No reports.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
No reports.
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO continued on private property in El Centro through Mar 27 (Guy McCaskie).
A *WINTER WREN* continued at Cattle Call Park through Mar 22 (Sam Baxter-Bray).
A SPRAGUE'S PIPIT was seen in Calipatria on Mar 22 (Sam Baxter-Bray).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://www.sbvas.net/_files/ugd/09ca00_bdaf8a44285e4c1dbd625cd601280b5b.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
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.
