Birding in the desert

I managed to get out to the desert very recently and shoot a few photos of some birds, mostly around the Anza-Borrego Desert's Visitor Center.  The weather happened to be mild, but still very dry.

The first bird I heard at this place, as soon as I stepped out of the car, was a Costa's hummingbird.  Though they have a high-pitched call, they are extremely loud.  Even if you have hearing loss on the high end, they should be loud enough to hear for most people.  They sorta sound very insect-like.

I tried to find a black-tailed gnatcatcher, but couldn't.  Instead, I got this photo of a blue-gray gnatcatcher.  This print is for sale on Fine Art America:

The black-throated sparrows weren't being very co-operative , this is the best shot I got:

A loggerhead shrike is looking for lizards to impale.  He seemed completely undisturbed by my presence:

Mockingbird peering at me:

Ravens were everywhere, but no crows.

There was also a flycatcher there that sounded unfamiliar.  I think it was a Hammond's flycatcher.  Both it and the Pacific Slope flycatcher migrate through the area and it didn't sound like a Pacific Slope flycatcher to me.  I didn't get a good photo except I did get one with a definite notch in its tail.  It was also fairly yellow-ish.

I didn't see any quail or even verdin, which is kinda strange.  Someone else saw an Inca dove in another spot in Borrego Springs.

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.