Salton Sea (south) 15 March 2025

I spent Saturday 15 March 2025 (6:45 AM to 3:15 PM) with Therese R. Clawson looking for birds at a few select locations in the Imperial Valley and along part of the south shore of the Salton Sea. We started the day at Fig Lagoon then drove north to Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, stopping at Sheldon Reservoir on the way. From Unit 1 we drove northeastward towards Obsidian Butte and the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ, stopping at the area north of the west end of Young Road and the north end of Lack Road on the way. After looking around the headquarters buildings at the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, we then drove east to the Calipatria State Prison. From the prison we headed southward through Calipatria into Brawley. In Brawley we only looked briefly at Riverview Cemetery. We then drove southward to the southeast corner of El Centro, stopping at the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road and in Evergreen Cemetery on the way. After spending time near the southeast corner of El Centro, we drove west to San Diego, stopping at  Fig Lagoon before leaving the Imperial Valley. 

Clear with 8-10 mph wind from the west in the early morning, and with temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 degrees.

Earlier rain left some unpaved roads, particularly those within Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, unsuitable to drive.

Species seen and/or heard – Blue-winged Teal (2), Cinnamon Teal (25), Northern Shoveler (5000), Gadwall (10), American Wigeon (25), Mallard (5), Northern Pintail (2), Green-winged Teal (50), Redhead (15), Ring-necked Duck (50), Lesser Scaup (2), Hooded Merganser (2 – a pair together at the Calipatria State Prison), Ruddy Duck (20), Pied-billed Grebe (5), Eared Grebe (5), Western Grebe (1), Rock Pigeon (75), Eurasian Collared-Dove (200), Inca Dove (10), Common Ground-Dove (10), Mourning Dove (50), Greater Roadrunner (5), Anna’s Hummingbird (6), Rufous Hummingbird (1 – one first-year male near the southeast corner of El Centro), Common Gallinule (1), American Coot (150), Black-necked Stilt (100), American Avocet (250), Black-bellied Plover (10), Killdeer (15) Semipalmated Plover (1), Snowy Plover (2), Whimbrel (40), Long-billed Curlew (100), Least Sandpiper (500), Western Sandpiper (15), Long-billed Dowitcher (10), Lesser Yellowlegs (1), Willet (15), Greater Yellowlegs (30), Ring-billed Gull (1500), California Gull (150), Herring Gull (5), Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 – one adult with other gulls at the flooded area adjacent to Neckel Road), Caspian Tern (1), Forester’s Tern (1), Double-crested Cormorant (15), Neotropic Cormorant (2), American White Pelican (150), Great Blue Heron (5), Great Egret (15), Snowy Egret (15), Cattle Egret (1500), Green Heron (1), Black-crowned Night-Heron (5), White-faced Ibis (500), Turkey Vulture (5), Northern Harrier (10), Swainson’s Hawk (9 – nine dark-morph birds in an irrigated field adjacent to Forrester Road west of Imperial), Red-tailed Hawk (5), Burrowing Owl (2), Gila Woodpecker (3), American Kestrel (15), Black Phoebe (6), Say’s Phoebe (1), Vermilion Flycatcher (3), Loggerhead Shrike (1), Common Raven (3), Verdin (6), Horned Lark (2), Tree Swallow (100), Violet-green Swallow (1 – one with other swallows at Fig Lagoon), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2), Barn Swallow (50), Cliff Swallow (75), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1), Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (1), Marsh Wren (5), Northern Mockingbird (5), European Starling (150), Western Bluebird (1 – one female in Evergreen Cemetery), House Sparrow (10), American Pipit (50), House Finch (10), Lesser Goldfinch (2), Chipping Sparrow (2), Dark-eyed Junco (1), White-crowned Sparrow (75), Savannah Sparrow (15), Song Sparrow (5 – including one probable montana near the southeast corner of El Centro), Abert’s Towhee (5), Western Meadowlark (15), Red-winged Blackbird (500), Brown-headed Cowbird (5), Brewer’s Blackbird (25), Great-tailed Grackle (200), Orange-crowned Warbler (3), Common Yellowthroat (1) and Yellow-rumped Warbler (30) – 103 species. 

Guy McCaskie