Southern California

29th April - 7th May 2006

Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge

The Salton Sea is not a place you visit for its scenic appeal...and it is definitely not the kind of sea I would want to go swimming in either! It is, however, an excellent place for birds at any time of the year. Since I had explored the area extensively on my last trip to California (in late July when the temperatures were reaching as high as 120°F (50°C)), I had decided that this time I'd more or less skip the area, but the temptation to stop off for a few hours on the way past was too great.

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

Most of the shorebird passage seemed to have passed when I was there so there wasn't a huge variety. The commonest species were American Avocet and Black-necked Stilts, with a few distant Wilson's and Red-necked Phalaropes.

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

The islands in the impoundments hold breeding colonies of Caspian, Black, and Gull-billed Terns as well as Black Skimmers. When feeding the Skimmers fly just above the surface of the water with the over-long lower mandible skimming the surface. The bill is quite sensitive and springs shut when it touches an object, such as a small fish, just under the surface of the water.

Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)

Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica)

Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)

The ubiquitous Desert Cottontails were particularly tame along the track towards the impoundments at the National Wildlife Refuge.

Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus auduboni)

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

Burrowing Owls are easily seen along the road side ditches as they sit outside their burrows.

Anza-Borrego Desert California map Picacho SRA