Date: 5/6/25 8:04 am From: Guy McCaskie via groups.io <guymcc...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Salton Sea (south) 5 May 2025
I spent Monday, 5 May 2025 (5:30 AM to 5:15 PM) with Therese R. Clawson and
Chris Dean (joined by Curtis A Marantz and Brian Daniels part of the time)
specifically looking for a Black Vulture that was photographed at the
Bullfrog Dairy (north northwest of Seeley) on 01 May, but also looking for
birds at a few select locations in the Imperial Valley, and at the north end
of Garst Road/the Hazard Unit (looking for a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
photographed earlier in the morning) and the north end of Lack Road at the
southeast end of the Salton Sea. We started the day at Fig Lagoon then drove
northward to the Bullfrog Dairy. From the Bullfrog Dairy we drove southward
to the Rio Bend Golfcourse. We then drove north to the north end of Garst
Road and the Hazard Unit. From the Hazard Unit we drove to the north end of
Lack Road, then southwestward to the Bullfrog Dairy. From the Bullfrog Dairy
we drove eastward to the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road, then south to
near the southeast corner of El Centro. After spending time near the
southeast corner of El Centro, we drove west to San Diego, stopping Fig
Lagoon before leaving the Imperial Valley.
Partially cloudy with no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 60 to 80
degrees.
Large numbers of passerines, especially Warbling Vireos, Wilson's Warblers,
Western Tanagers and Lazuli Buntings, along with at least 100 unidentified,
were visible flying west during the first hour of daylight, with many
stopping briefly in the small trees, bushes and other vegetation at Fig
Lagoon - an amazing spectacle.
Species seen and/or heard (includes species seen by only one or two in the
group) - Northern Shoveler (2), Gadwall (2), American Wigeon (1), Mallard
(15), Green-winged Teal (1), Ruddy Duck (20), Gambel's Quail (2),
Pied-billed Grebe (2), Eared Grebe (15), Rock Pigeon (50), Eurasian
Collared-Dove (20), Inca Dove (10), Common Ground-Dove (5), White-winged
Dove (25), Mourning Dove (20), Greater Roadrunner (3), Lesser Nighthawk (1),
Vaux's Swift (5), Black-chinned Hummingbird (5), Anna's Hummingbird (8),
Costa's Hummingbird (3), Calliope Hummingbird (1 - one female near the
southeast corner of El Centro), Rufous Hummingbird (1), Ridgeway's Rail (1),
Virginia Rail (1), Sora (1), Common Gallinule (1), American Coot (10),
Black-necked Stilt (25), American Avocet (150), Killdeer (5) Semipalmated
Plover (25), Snowy Plover (2), Whimbrel (5), Ruddy Turnstone (2 - two in
alternate-plumage at the north end of Lack Road), Red Knot (50 - about fifty
in alternate-plumage at the north end of Lack Road), Dunlin (2), Least
Sandpiper (1), Western Sandpiper (175), Long-billed Dowitcher (20), Spotted
Sandpiper (1), Willet (3), Red-necked Phalarope (2), Wilson's Phalarope
(30), Ring-billed Gull (10), California Gull (50), Gull-billed Tern (2),
Caspian Tern (7), Black Tern (1), Forster's Tern (1), Double-crested
Cormorant (3), Neotropic Cormorant (5), American White Pelican (5), Least
Bittern (1), Snowy Egret (2), Black-crowned Night-Heron (1), Green Heron
(2), Great Egret (5), Western Cattle Egret (100), Great Blue Heron (2),
White-faced Ibis (5), Turkey Vulture (15), Red-tailed Hawk (3), Burrowing
Owl (2), Gila Woodpecker (2), American Kestrel (10), Peregrine Falcon (1),
Prairie Falcon (1), Ash-throated Flycatcher (1), Western Kingbird (25),
Olive-sided Flycatcher (2), Western Wood-Pewee (3), Hammond's Flycatcher
(1), Western Flycatcher (5), Black Phoebe (5), Vermilion Flycatcher (2),
Warbling Vireo (50), Loggerhead Shrike (1), Common Raven (30), Horned Lark
(10), Verdin (5), Bank Swallow (1), Tree Swallow (5), Northern Rough-winged
Swallow (5), Barn Swallow (5), Cliff Swallow (250), Marsh Wren (5), Northern
Mockingbird (5), European Starling (25), Swainson's Thrush (6), House
Sparrow (10), House Finch (15), White-crowned Sparrow (3), Song Sparrow (6),
Abert's Towhee (6), Yellow-headed Blackbird (15), Western Meadowlark (5),
Bullock's Oriole (3). Red-winged Blackbird (75), Bronzed Cowbird (1),
Brown-headed Cowbird (5), Brewer's Blackbird (10), Great-tailed Grackle
(50), Orange-crowned Warbler (6), Nashville Warbler (1o), MacGillivray's
Warbler (3), Common Yellowthroat (5), Yellow Warbler (15), Yellow-rumped
Warbler (2), Black-throated Gray Warbler (2), Townsend's Warbler (20),
Hermit Warbler (3), Wilson's Warbler (60), Western Tanager (40),
Black-headed Grosbeak (20), Blue Grosbeak (1) and Lazuli Bunting (30) - 115
species.
