I spent Wednesday, 3 August 2022 (6:00 AM to 5:45 PM) with Nathan Goldberg looking for birds along part of the south shore of the Salton Sea and at a few select locations in the Imperial Valley. We started the day at the IID Wetlands near Niland, then drove a short distance north into Niland. In Niland, we birded north along International Avenue, west along 4 th Street and south along Luna Avenue . We then drove southwestward to the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ by way of Pound, Davis, Schrimpf, Garst and Sinclair Roads, stopping to look at the eastern portion of Morton Bay on the way. At the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ we looked at the ponds adjacent to Rock Hill, the shoreline of the Salton Sea from Rock Hill and briefly around the entry area. We then drove southwestward along the shore of the Salton Sea from Obsidian Butte to the west end of Young Road. From there we drove westward to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. After looking at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, we drove westward to Poe Road (access blocked by construction). We then drove eastward through open agricultural land to the Earthrise Facility adjacent to Highway 111, then on south through Calipatria into Brawley, stopping along the way and irrigated fields. In Brawley we looked at Riverview Cemetery, the hummingbird feeders on Willard Avenue and briefly at Cattle Call Park. We then continued southward into El Centro, stopping at the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road on the way. In El Centro we looked for birds in Evergreen Cemetery and near the southeast corner of the El Centro. We then drove west to Lakeview Golfcourse, Sunbeam Lake and Fig Lagoon, and on west to San Diego. Mostly overcast with no wind, and with temperatures ranging from 85 to 110 degrees. Species seen and/or heard Snow Goose (1 one cripple at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge that was obviously summering locally), Brant (2 two together near the west end of Young Road were the same two first photographed here on 25 July by Mike Ostrowski that had evidently summered locally), Cinnamon Teal (20), Blue-winged/Cinnamon Teal (30), Mallard (75), Redhead (2), Long-tailed Duck (1 one badly worn and bleached diving duck at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge appeared to be this species and had obviously summering locally), Ruddy Duck (25), Gambels Quail (25 including one pair with recently hatched young), Pied-billed Grebe (10), Western Grebe (10), Clarks Grebe (4), Rock Pigeon (25), Eurasian Collared-Dove (250), Inca Dove (10), Common Ground-Dove (25), White-winged Dove (75), Mourning Dove (50), Roadrunner (10), Lesser Nighthawk (1), Black-chinned Hummingbird (10), Annas Hummingbird (5), Costas Hummingbird (3), Rufous Hummingbird (2), Ridgways Rail (6), Common Gallinule (3), American Coot (35), Black-necked Stilt (650), American Avocet (750), Black-bellied Plover (20), Killdeer (10), Semipalmated Plover (3), Snowy Plover (5), Whimbrel (1), Long-billed Curlew (150), Marbled Godwit (5), Black Turnstone (1 one adult in alternate-plumage near the west end of Young Road is one of only a few known at the Salton Sea), Stilt Sandpiper (6), Least Sandpiper (1500), Western Sandpiper (3500), Least/Western Sandpiper (5000), Long-billed Dowitcher (300), Spotted Sandpiper (5), Lesser Yellowlegs (10), Willet (20), Greater Yellowlegs (75), Wilsons Phalarope (50 ), Red-necked Phalarope (20), Laughing Gull (15), Ring-billed Gull (50), Yellow-footed Gull (10), California Gull (200), Gull-billed Tern (10), Caspian Tern (20), Black Tern (200), Forsters Tern (75), Black Skimmer (25), Double-crested Cormorant (50), Neotropic Cormorant (15), American White Pelican (250), Brown Pelican (15), Least Bittern (10), Great Blue Heron (10), Great Egret (20), Snowy Egret (35), Cattle Egret (2500), Green Heron (5), Black-crowned Night-Heron (5), White-faced Ibis (5000), Turkey Vulture (10), Coopers Hawk (2 one at Riverview Cemetery in Brawley and one near the southeast corner of El Centro), Red-shouldered Hawk (1 one immature along west 4 th Street in Niland), Great Horned Owl (3 three adults near the southeast corner of El Centro), Burrowing Owl (15), Gila Woodpecker (2), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (1), American Kestrel (10), Ash-throated Flycatcher (2), Western Kingbird (25), Black Phoebe (10), Vermilion Flycatcher (3), Loggerhead Shrike (6), Common Raven (6), Verdin (10), Bank Swallow (3), Tree Swallow (250), Cliff Swallow (250), swallow (500), Phainopepla (1 one adult male at the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ), Marsh Wren (5), Northern Mockingbird (6), European Starling (25), House Sparrow (25), House Finch (35), Lesser Goldfinch (1), Song Sparrow (15), Aberts Towhee (5), Yellow-headed Blackbird (10), Western Meadowlark (5), Bullocks Oriole (1), Red-winged Blackbird (1500), Bronzed Cowbird (1 one adult male near the south end of International Avenue in Niland), Brown-headed Cowbird (75), Brewers Blackbird (15), Great-tailed Grackle (75), Common Yellowthroat (2), Yellow Warbler (2), Black-headed Grosbeak (1) and Blue Grosbeak (2) 105 species. |