Date: 5/1/25 7:32 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 30 Apr 2025
I spent Wednesday 30 April 2025 (6:00 AM to 5:15 PM) with Therese R. Clawson
and 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. In 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. 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, we drove west to San Diego, stopping
Fig Lagoon before leaving the Imperial Valley.
Clear with no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 60 to 95 degrees.
Species seen and/or heard - Snow Goose (1 - one "cripple" at Unit 1 of the
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Blue-winged Teal (6), Cinnamon Teal
(5), Northern Shoveler (20), Gadwall (15), American Wigeon (1), Mallard
(30), Redhead (4 - four together on the Wister Unit), Ruddy Duck (150),
Gambel's Quail (10), Pied-billed Grebe (2), Eared Grebe (15), Western Grebe
(6), Clark's Grebe (2), Rock Pigeon (30), Eurasian Collared-Dove (75), Inca
Dove (15), Common Ground-Dove (5), White-winged Dove (50), Mourning Dove
(30), Greater Roadrunner (2), Vaux's Swift (1), Black-chinned Hummingbird
(2), Anna's Hummingbird (5), Costa's Hummingbird (2), Ridgeway's Rail (5),
Virginia Rail (1), Common Gallinule (2), American Coot (300), Black-necked
Stilt (50), American Avocet (350), Killdeer (10) Semipalmated Plover (10),
Snowy Plover (1), Least Sandpiper (15), Western Sandpiper (400), Long-billed
Dowitcher (350), Spotted Sandpiper (3), Willet (3), Red-necked Phalarope
(15), Wilson's Phalarope (100), Ring-billed Gull (50), California Gull
(200), Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 - one first-summer bird with other gulls
at flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road - a little larger than adjacent
California Gulls, and unmarked black bill), Common Loon (1 - one adult in
alternate plumage on Fig Lagoon), Gull-billed Tern (6), Caspian Tern (6),
Black Tern (15), Black Skimmer (10), Double-crested Cormorant (10),
Neotropic Cormorant (5), American White Pelican (25), Great Blue Heron (5),
Great Egret (15), Snowy Egret (10), Cattle Egret (500), Green Heron (1),
Black-crowned Night-Heron (6), White-faced Ibis (250), Turkey Vulture (5),
Red-tailed Hawk (1), Burrowing Owl (6), Gila Woodpecker (3), Ladder-backed
Woodpecker (5), American Kestrel (10), Ash-throated Flycatcher (5), Western
Kingbird (45), Olive-sided Flycatcher (3), Western Wood-Pewee (1), Hammond's
Flycatcher (1), Western Flycatcher (2), Black Phoebe (6), Vermilion
Flycatcher (5), Warbling Vireo (5), Loggerhead Shrike (1), Common Raven
(10), Verdin (10), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (10), Cliff Swallow (50),
Phainopepla (1), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1), Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (2),
Marsh Wren (20), Northern Mockingbird (10), European Starling (75),
Swainson's Thrush (1), House Sparrow (25), House Finch (15), Lesser
Goldfinch (1 - one at the IID Wetlands near Niland), Chipping Sparrow (1),
White-crowned Sparrow (1), Song Sparrow (20), Abert's Towhee (6),
Yellow-headed Blackbird (1), Western Meadowlark (6), Hooded Oriole (2),
Bullock's Oriole (5). Red-winged Blackbird (350), Bronzed Cowbird (1 - one
male at the south end of International Avenue), Brown-headed Cowbird (20),
Brewer's Blackbird (10), Great-tailed Grackle (150), Orange-crowned Warbler
(2), Nashville Warbler (1), Common Yellowthroat (15), Yellow Warbler (3),
Yellow-rumped Warbler (2), Black-throated Gray Warbler (3), Townsend's
Warbler (1), Wilson's Warbler (15), Western Tanager (30), Black-headed
Grosbeak (50), Blue Grosbeak (1) and Lazuli Bunting (6) - 113 species.
