Greetings Birders,

This morning (2 May 2023) I concentrated on watery habitats in western and central Imperial County, looking primarily for shorebirds.

At daybreak I had a COMMON LOON at Fig Lagoon, which flew away five minutes after the sun rose. From there it was off to Unit 1, where I found all the ponds dry. The marshes still have water, though, and a RIDGWAY'S RAIL sounded off as I walked by. The real fun started along the seawall north of Young Road, where a stiff west wind was keeping the shorebirds hugging the eastern shoreline.

It was marvelous to see the DUNLINS and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS in their breeding finery after a long winter of drab coloration. Hundreds of WESTERN SANDPIPERS scampered along the mudflats while just offshore, hundreds more RED-NECKED PHALAROPES fed in the shallow water. And beyond and among the phalaropes an armada of EARED GREBES bobbed about in the waves. STILT SANDPIPERS were all nicely barred--I didn't even recognize them at first. Farther north, along Lack Road (also part of the seawall), the shoreline is again fairly close to the road, and I was able to stand in one spot and count 74 RED KNOTS. A bit farther along a pair of FRANKLIN'S GULLS and BLACK TERNS added to the fun. Then, at the north end of Lack Road four handsome RUDDY TURNSTONES flew in to feed.

My final stop for the day was at Morton Bay, just north of Schrimpf Road. CASPIAN, GULL-BILLED, and BLACK TERNS were all present, but I missed the Least Terns seen by Guy and others.

Over the course of the morning I was able to tally 20 species of shorebirds.

eBird reports cover three of my stops; the first report has photos:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S135820746
https://ebird.org/checklist/S135813344
https://ebird.org/checklist/S135847729

Good birding!
Henry Detwiler
Yuma, AZ
http://www.southwestbirders.com/