Desert Birding at a golf course

Today, I birded two areas around Borrego Springs. The first area, near Pena Springs in Culp Valley, only gave me a sparse number of birds and most of those birds were identified by voice. I didn't get any photos of them.

The second area I birded was Rams Hill golf course. I had heard there was an Inca Dove there and, since I was in the area, decided to check it out. This area is restricted, so don't expect to just go in there and look around any time you want.  You can only visit the area around the clubhouse and golf course unless you have a good reason to visit other areas.

I often don't consider birding at modified landscapes in the desert true desert birding because there is much more water than what would normally be in this area. This attracts animals that would never have been there, otherwise. But, it also concentrates local desert birds as well. Many of the birds I saw were common, but I did managed to get a Vesper sparrow, one that I never saw before. There were also verdin, finches, Eurasian collard and white-winged doves, and an American pipit. I saw no killdeer, though. Here are some highlights:

American Pipit, very friendly:

Plenty of Eurasian Collard Doves:

The white-winged doves were shy and didn't really want their picture taken:

Vesper sparrow:

White-crowned sparrow:

Ring-neck duck:

Birding in Borrego

I decided to go birding out in Borrego Springs and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park today.  I first stopped at Lake Henshaw where I saw my first mountain bluebird and I think I saw three snow geese there along with white pelicans.

I haven't been to Borrego Springs in a while because of high gas prices, but I wanted to see the new Borrego Springs sign.

I was also surprised to see that Borrego Valley Foods is gone, but I think it had closed down when I was there last.  There's a new art institute there now and they were having an art show:

I really came to see birds and add to my life list and went to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor's Center to see some of them.  They have a nice garden and variety of desert plants.  But, I didn't find a whole lot of birds to photograph.  Mostly, I got a couple photos of this verdin:

They were very active like warblers, jumping around and chasing each other and other birds. I think they're related to chickadees and bushtits:

There was also a greater roadrunner who quickly hid as soon as he saw me.  I didn't see him again.  I saw a mama Costa's hummingbird and her nest and cute babies.  And, I swear I saw and heard a black-tailed gnatcatcher in the Visitor's Center parking lot.  Their vocalizations are nothing at all like the blue-gray or California gnatcatcher.  I think I saw a verdin chase one away.

I also saw a blooming agave:

Here is the view of the valley from the Visitor's Center.

I went to the Ramona pond,  just outside Ramona, on the way home and saw some killdeer, yellowlegs, shovelers, coots, and dowitchers, but no tundra swans or snow geese. The photos I took didn't come out very well.  The property is up for sale, too.  I would love to buy it just so that I could watch the killdeer every day.

Killdeers and friends at Salton Sea

Yesterday, I went to the Salton Sea State Recreational Area on the northeast shore of the Salton Sea. There was a $5 charge to park and it was good at all the beach areas. But, the main section near the headquarters was the best place to see shorebirds, especially killdeer.

I am in the process of putting a video-slideshow package together and will post it later.

This young male killdeer was very curious about me and kept an eye on me during my whole time in that area. The killdeer love the abundant small flies and fish in the area. Most of them were doing the "hot foot" dance.


Here is a stilt and a killdeer. There were a lot of black-necked stilts all over the SRA.



And, here's an American avocet and a killdeer (and a juvenile ring-billed gull).



Two female avocets (one may be a juvenile):



Here are some horned grebes in their winter feathers:



Juvenile green heron:



Golden plover and that male killdeer:



Snowy egret (and juvenile ring-billed gull):



Great egret:



Pelicans (they can be seen from anywhere around the sea):



Seven western sandpipers:



I saw some phoebes and heard at least one Gambel's quail. Lots of grackles, too, but not an overwhelming amount.

No ducks to be seen, but it may be because the water is too salty for them now. When the rains start in the winter, the ducks may start to arrive.