I spent Wednesday 3 May 2023 (6:00 AM to 5:30 PM) looking for birds along part of the shore of the Salton Sea and at a few select locations in the Imperial Valley. I started the day at Fig Lagoon, then drove northward into Brawley, stopping at Sheldon Reservoir and the intersection of Carter and Fites Roads on the way. In Brawley I looked at the hummingbird feeders on Willard Avenue, then at Cattle Call Park and Riverview Cemetery. From Brawley I drove north to Niland, stopping to look at Ramer Lake on the way. In Niland I only looked at the southern end of International Avenue. I then drove southwestward to Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ by way of Pound, Davis, Schrimpf, Garst and Sinclair Roads, stopping to look at the hunt club on Pound Road, the east end of Morton Bay (water level increased since 29 April) and the north end of Garst Road on the way. At the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ I looked at the ponds adjacent to Rock Hill, the distant shoreline of the Salton Sea from Rock Hill and around the entrance parking area. I then drove southwestward along the shore of the Salton Sea from Obsidian Butte to the west end of Young Road (an obvious increase in the number of shorebirds and gulls since 29 April). From Young Road I drove southwestward to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. After spending time at Unit 1, I drove southeastward through Calipatria into Brawley, then south on Dogwood Road to the southeast corner of El Centro, stopping at the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road (no gulls) and Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro on the way. I then drove west to San Diego, stopping to look at the Rio Bend Golf Course and Fig Lagoon on the way. Clear with light wind in the early morning and strong wind in the late afternoon, and with temperatures ranging from 55 to 80 degrees. Species seen and/or heard Snow Goose (8 eight cripples together at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge), Blue-winged Teal (6 two at Ramer Lake, two at the east end of Morton Bay and two near the west end of Young Road), Cinnamon Teal (35), Northern Shoveler (250), Gadwall (30), American Wigeon (20), Mallard (10), Northern Pintail (2), Green-winged Teal (10), Redhead (8), Lesser Scaup (2), Bufflehead (1 one female on the ponds adjacent to Rock Hill), Ruddy Duck (300), Gambels Quail (5), Pied-billed Grebe (5), Eared Grebe (350), Western Grebe (2), Clarks Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (60), Eurasian Collared-Dove (250), Inca Dove (20), Common Ground-Dove (15), White-winged Dove (20), Mourning Dove (25), Greater Roadrunner (1), Lesser Nighthawk (1 one roosting in trees at the Hunt Club on Pound Road), Black-chinned Hummingbird (10), Annas Hummingbird (3), Costas Hummingbird (1), Ridgeways Rail (2), Sora (1), Common Gallinule (2), American Coot (150), Black-necked Stilt (100), American Avocet (75), Black-bellied Plover (6), Killdeer (15), Semipalmated Plover (10), Snowy Plover (12), Whimbrel (150), Marbled Godwit (1), Ruddy Turnstone (10 two in alternate-plumage at Obsidian Butte and eight in alternate-plumage counted at the north end of Lack Road), Red Knot ( 250 at least two-hundred-fifty along the shore between Obsidian Butte and the west end of Young Road is more than I recall having previously seeing along the south shore of the Salton Sea), Stilt Sandpiper (15 ten in alternate-plumage at Ramer Lake and five in alternate-plumage near the west end of Young Road), Sanderling (1 one in partial alternate-plumage at the north end of Lack Road), Dunlin (10), Least Sandpiper (2 two along the seawall near the north end of Lack Road most appear to have departed northward), Western Sandpiper (350), Long-billed Dowitcher (50), Spotted Sandpiper (10), Willet (10), Wilsons Phalarope (150), Red-necked Phalarope (500), Franklins Gull (1 one adult in alternate-plumage in flight at the north end of Lack Road), Ring-billed Gull (50), California Gull (150), Gull-billed Tern (85 including about sixty-five at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge were on nests), Caspian Tern (45), Black Tern (15), Forsters Tern (15), Double-crested Cormorant (25), Neotropic Cormorant (15), White Pelican (2), Least Bittern (1), Great Blue Heron (5), Great Egret (40), Snowy Egret (5), Cattle Egret (1500), Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron (2), White-faced Ibis (50), Turkey Vulture (3), Northern Harrier (1), Red-tailed Hawk (2), Great Horned Owl (3 one adult with two recently fledged young at the Rio Band Golf Course), Burrowing Owl (10), Gila Woodpecker (6), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (1), American Kestrel (10), Western Kingbird (15), Olive-sided Flycatcher (1 one near the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ is the first that I have encountered this year), Western Wood-Pewee (3), Western Flycatcher (2), Black Phoebe (6), Says Phoebe (1 one at the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ where nested), Vermilion Flycatcher (10), Warbling Vireo (5), Common Raven (6), Verdin (15), Horned Lark (1), Bank Swallow (1 one with other swallows at Fig Lagoon), Tree Swallow (2), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2), Barn Swallow (75), Cliff Swallow (150), Cedar Waxwing (15 fifteen together at Cattle Call Park in Brawley), Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (1), Marsh Wren (15), Northern Mockingbird (5), European Starling (75), House Sparrow (25), House Finch (50), Lesser Goldfinch (1 one near the southeast corner of El Centro), Chipping Sparrow (1 one somewhat late individual near the southeast corner of El Centro), Song Sparrow (5), Aberts Towhee (10), Yellow-headed Blackbird (3 three adult males at flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road), Western Meadowlark (20), Bullocks Oriole (1), Red-winged Blackbird (250), Bronzed Cowbird (1 one adult male near the south end of International Avenue in Niland), Brown-headed Cowbird (20), Brewers Blackbird (50), Great-tailed Grackle (150), Orange-crowned Warbler (3), MacGillivrays Warbler (2 two females near the southeast corner of El Centro), Common Yellowthroat (10), Yellow Warbler (10), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1), Townsends Warbler (3), Wilsons Warbler (25), Western Tanager (15), Black-headed Grosbeak (1), Blue Grosbeak (1 one adult male near the south end of International Avenue in Niland is the first that I have encountered this year) and Lazuli Bunting (10) 125 species. Guy McCaskie |