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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hamhed" data-source="post: 3666525" data-attributes="member: 70825">Day 9Dark and still breezy, we drove south a short distance to the Salton Sea.   Formed by the overflowing Colorado River which, over one hundred years ago, emptied into a low spot in the desert. So low, in fact, that the surface is over 200 feet (61M) below sea level.  The water has a high salt content and for now, provides an immense wintering habitat for many ducks and gulls.  The surrounding agricultural areas and marshy refuges along the shoreline hold thousands of Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes.  We came for this spectacle and for several other particular species.We bypassed most of the of the lake’s northeast, hoping to put our time into the more productive southeast section.  This end of the lake, down to the Mexican border about 40 miles away (64K), was a grid of agricultural lands, marshes, geothermal plants and even an algae farm.  Small towns were set evenly throughout; only the main roads were paved.  The entire day disappeared exploring side roads, shorelines, fields and several sections of the Imperial Water District, the company that supplies local famers with water from the Colorado River.  It was at one of these sections that we stopped to look at at least 1000 Red-winged Blackbirds and picked out a half dozen Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  Other species seen on these back roads were Peregrine Falcon, Savannah Sparrow, Cinnamon Teal, White-faced Ibis, many Northern Pintails, White Pelicans, Western and Eared Grebes, Ruddy Ducks, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Sora, Dowitchers, Wilson’s Snipe, Marsh Wrens, Great-Tailed Grackles, American Avocets, Marbled Godwits, Willets, Least Sandpipers and, rare for the area, a single Reddish Egret.  In one grassy field, we watched 60 Long-Billed Curlews foraging.  Other common species made for great diversity without including our visit to the Sonny Bono NWR.  On the first visit to the Sonny Bono Visitor Center, we did not venture far from the building.  The feeders there were attracting Common Ground-Doves and pair of Abert’s Towhees besides the usual White-crowned Sparrows and a few House Sparrows.  The first batch of Snow Geese were in an adjacent field.  Later, we would call this an “average” size flock of 1500.After a stop at a site on the Alamo River, we returned to the VC and luckily found that the Burrowing Owls had left their drainpipe burrow to bask in the warming sun.  Our only Roadrunner of the trip was seen then; we had expected they would be more common, especially in the desert areas we visited.  Driving away, we made an abrupt stop for what I first thought was a Sharp-shinned Hawk but became a “Prairie” Merlin in perfect lighting.  Further on, at the southernmost point of the Salton Sea, is Unit of the refuge.  We walked a bit here with another 2000 Snow Geese split into several fields.  Sandhill Cranes were there in numbers also.  At times, both large birds were in the air together honking and bugling.  We had been and continued to hear Rails calling but were only able to see the Soras.  A pair of Western Meadowlarks, Say’s and Black Phoebes, a Loggerhead Shrike and a sizable group of 50 Cattle Egrets added to the mix.  Raptors were represented by a Northern Harrier and another Peregrine Falcon.  Near the end of the day, we watched 10 Wilson’s Snipe in their favorite habitat of mud and sparse grass.With temperatures reaching 60 degrees (15C), without much in the way of wind, we’d had a very pleasant day.  Some of the bird lists here:<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41249621" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41249621</a><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41249872" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41249872</a><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41254164" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41254164</a><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41254167" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41254167</a><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41254150" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41254150</a><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41257996" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41257996</a><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41257993" target="_blank">http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41257993</a></blockquote>

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