On the morning of the 7th, we woke up early after spending the night in Cleveland National Forest in the Laguna Mountains. Acorn Woodpeckers were everywhere in the morning, warming up in the sun, from the cold night that seemed to drop into the 40's! This was a refreshing change from the hot desert temperatures we've been getting used to. We took a walk down a forest service road, and found many common higher elevation birds such as Pygmy Nuthatch and Mountain Chickadee, but again missed out on White-headed Woodpeckers. At the end of our walk, we came upon a few Anna's Hummingbirds defending this small patch of flowers. Since they were so territorial, they were fairly easy to get close to for a photo.
female Anna's Hummingbird
Another road led us to another great view, and a few butterflies! Also at this stop was a few Wrentits, working there way through the low shrubs.
Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak
Coronis Frittillary
Wrentit
Our next and final stop on our birding trip was the Salton Sea. The sea is 266 feet below sea level and is located right on the San Andreas fault! Historically, a lake would be present in this "sink" when it was filled by a river or rainfall. The most recent ancient lake was known as Lake Cahuilla. The basin was actually dry in the early 1900's, until rainstorms overwhelmed drainages and canals in the area, and over 2-3 years, the basin filled in to create the Salton Sea! Now it is a hotspot for migrating birds of all kinds, especially shorebirds, waders, waterfowl, and pelicans.In a few nearby farm fields, there were hundreds of White-faced Ibis and Cattle Egrets! This flock had well over 500 ibis and at least 200 egrets. Mixed in with the flock was one whimbrel!
mixed flock of ibis and egrets (one whimbrel, and a few killdeer and yellowlegs)
White-faced Ibis
Cattle Egret
In a nearby pond, we found a few pairs of Black-necked Stilts, and one pair had three chicks! There were also Cinnamon Teal and a group of around 20 Wilson's Phalaropes, a new year bird!
Black-necked Stilt chicks
At the south end of the Salton Sea, we easily found a few Yellow-footed Gulls, which are usually seen at the refuge in summer. There were also more nesting stilts, trying to lure the gulls away from their nests by feigning injuries. Many Royal Terns were passing overhead, carrying large fish back to their nests and mates.
Yellow-footed Gull
Black-necked Stilt luring gull away from nest
Black-necked Stilt
Caspian Tern with large fish
Along a road that paralleled a canal, we found this Burrowing Owl. Alex photographed a different owl that was banded.
Burrowing Owl
Scoping the sea, we found a few Western and Clark's Grebes. Stilts and avocets were easily found in the hundreds, and Alex spotted a group of Whimbrel and Long-billed Curlew. He also spotted a peregrine sitting in a snag near the lake.
Black-necked Stilt and fledgling
fledgling Black-Necked Stilt
Near a flooded farm field, we found this stilt attacking a juvenile Bald Eagle, that was just trying to get a drink of fresh water in the hot sun! The Salton Sea is a miserably hot place. The stilt eventually succeeded in getting rid of the eagle.
Black-necked Stilt running off a juvenile Bald Eagle
While driving along the eastern edge of the Salton Sea, we found this Black-necked Stilt that had hit and been killed on a powerline. It is similar to a barn owl kill that I found earlier in the year in Louisiana, that also seemed to be stuck on the line by its wing. Unfortunately these types of collisions are unavoidable unless bird deflectors are hung on wires (small reflectors that are brightly colored and swing with the wind, giving birds time to notice the line).
Black-necked Stilt powerline kill
Nearby, this Peregrine was perched on a pole, and didn't appreciate our car travelling by.
peregrin falcon
At a nearby wildlife management area, we found this stilt on a nest, with a cute chick sitting nearby. The chick looks to be only a few days old, and could barely control his long lanky legs when he tried to take cover in some vegetation. Nearby was a field full of California gulls, with a few Snowy Plovers running around.
adult and baby stilts
baby stilt sitting on his long legs!
Along the northeastern edge of the lake, we made a few stops to scope for birds. While the southern edge of the sea contained mostly Brown Pelicans, the northing edge contained mostly American White Pelicans, who traveled along its edge in neat and tidy lines.
American White Pelicans
We also came across many Black Terns, a new year bird for both of us. As I was taking this photo, Alex and I felt the ground shake, and later discovered it was the result of a magnitude 5.5 earthquake just NW of the Salton Sea!!!!!!
Black Tern
Under a powerpole, Alex and I notice a few black feathers, and got out to investigate. We found the remains of a raven, and quickly figured out its fate, another death by powerpole transformers. You can see in this photo how the ravens legs touched two different wires at the same time, likely causing a current to run through its body. Its legs subsequently stuck to it, and its body was likely scaveneged by gulls or turkey vultures. This pole design is extremely outdated, and I would hate to know how many other Ravens and raptors suffer the same fait near the Salton Sea.
Raven powerpole kill
While leaving the north end of the lake, this huge flock of over 200 American White Pelicans circled and then landed on the Salton Sea. It was a great way to end our birding trip! On this trip, by finding California Towhee, I did the "Towhee sweep," and have seen every species of towhee in the United States this year! We hope to make another trip to southern California before we leave in August, since we didn't find White-headed or Nuttal's Woodpeckers.
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