Date: 4/24/25 8:40 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 23 Apr 2025
I spent Wednesday 23 April 2025 (6:00 AM to 3:15 PM) with Therese R. Clawson
and Chris Deam 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 at the IID Wetlands near Niland, then moved north into Niland. Im Niland
we birded north along International Avenue, and west to the west end of 4th
Street. We then drove northwestward to the Wister Unit HQ. At the Wister
Unit we looked at the area around the headquarters and at the new fishing
pond. From the Wister Unit HQ we drove southwestward to the Salton Sea
National Wildlife Refuge HQ, stopping to look at Morton Bay, the north end
of Garst Road and within the Hazard Track on the way. At the Salton Sea
National Wildlife Refuge HQ we looked around the Visitor Center and at the
ponds adjacent to Rock Hill. We then drove west to Obsidian Butte and birded
southwestward along the seawall to the west end of Young Road (virtually no
birds). We 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, 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, Therese and I drove west to San Diego, stopping Fig Lagoon before
leaving the Imperial Valley.
Clear with no wind until late in the day, and with temperatures ranging from
60 to 90 degrees.
Few shorebirds. with no Black-bellied Plovers, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew
Greater Yellowlegs or Willet seen, but with impressive numbers of migrant
passerines, particularly Wester Kingbirds, Bullock's Orioles, Western
Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks.
Species seen and/or heard (includes species seen by only one the three) -
Snow Goose (1 - one "cripple" at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge), Blue-winged Teal (10), Cinnamon Teal (15), Northern Shoveler (60),
Gadwall (15), American Wigeon (5), Mallard (10), Green-winged Teal (2),
Ring-necked Duck (12 - twelve counted on Fig Lagoon), Ruddy Duck (150),
Gambel's Quail (15), Pied-billed Grebe (2), Eared Grebe (30), Western Grebe
(5), Clark's Grebe (10), Rock Pigeon (25), Eurasian Collared-Dove (75), Inca
Dove (15), Common Ground-Dove (5), White-winged Dove (40), Mourning Dove
(30), Greater Roadrunner (1), Lesser Nighthawk (2), Black-chinned
Hummingbird (5), Anna's Hummingbird (5), Costa's Hummingbird (2), Rufous
Hummingbird (2), Ridgeway's Rail (5), Virginia Rail (1), Common Gallinule
(1), American Coot (600), Black-necked Stilt (50), American Avocet (650),
Killdeer (10) Semipalmated Plover (1), Snowy Plover (2), Dunlin (5), Least
Sandpiper (5), Western Sandpiper (750), Long-billed Dowitcher (950),
Red-necked Phalarope (1), Wilson's Phalarope (25), Ring-billed Gull (100),
California Gull (150), Least Tern (2 - two adults together in flight at
Morton Bay with what was one of these on the ground at the adjacent Hazard
Track), Gull-billed Tern (5), Caspian Tern (10), Black Tern (10), Forester's
Tern (5), Black Skimmer (4), Double-crested Cormorant (10), Neotropic
Cormorant (15), American White Pelican (50), Least Bittern (1), Great Blue
Heron (5), Great Egret (15), Snowy Egret (10), Cattle Egret (500), Green
Heron (3), Black-crowned Night-Heron (5), White-faced Ibis (250), Turkey
Vulture (5), Northern Harrier (4), Red-tailed Hawk (1), Burrowing Owl (5),
Gila Woodpecker (2), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (2), American Kestrel (10),
Ash-throated Flycatcher (1), Western Kingbird (40), Olive-sided Flycatcher
(2 - one at the IID Wetlands near Niland and one on Vendal Road near the
entrance to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Western
Wood-Pewee (2 - one on Vendal Road near the entrance to Unit 1 of the Salton
Sea National Wildlife Refuge and one near the southeast corner of El
Centro), Western Flycatcher (1), Black Phoebe (5), Say's Phoebe (1),
Vermilion Flycatcher (2), Warbling Vireo (15), Loggerhead Shrike (1), Common
Raven (6), Verdin (10), Tree Swallow (50), Northern Rough-winged Swallow
(10), Barn Swallow (50), Cliff Swallow (50), Cedar Waxwing (1), Phainopepla
(10), Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (2), Marsh Wren (25), Northern Mockingbird
(10), European Starling (75), House Sparrow (25), House Finch (15), Lesser
Goldfinch (2 - - pair building a nest at the IID Wetlands near Niland),
Brewer's Sparrow (1), White-crowned Sparrow (5), Song Sparrow (20), Abert's
Towhee (5), Green-tailed Towhee (1 - one near the southeast corner of El
Centro), Yellow-headed Blackbird (1), Western Meadowlark (10), Hooded Oriole
(1), Bullock's Oriole (20). Red-winged Blackbird (250), Bronzed Cowbird (3 -
one male at the south end of International Avenue and a male and female
together at the west end of 4th street in Niland), Brown-headed Cowbird
(15), Brewer's Blackbird (10), Great-tailed Grackle (150), Orange-crowned
Warbler (5), Nashville Warbler (15), MacGillivray's Warbler (1), Common
Yellowthroat (15), American Redstart (1 - one first year male near the
southeast corner of El Centro known present since 22 October), Yellow
Warbler (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (5) Wilson's Warbler (10), Western
Tanager (35), Black-headed Grosbeak (30), Blue Grosbeak (2) and Lazuli
Bunting (5) - 119 species.
