Pomona Valley Audubon - Southern California Field Trips Salton Sea & Imperial Valley

The south end area of the Salton Sea and California's rich Imperial Valley are the winter homes to one of largest Mountain Plover populations, western Sand Hill Cranes, and thousands of Snow, Ross's and Canada Geese, grebees, and ducks. Pelicans, Egrets, Herons, Ibis and Shorebirds abound as well as the Perigrin and Osprey around the Sea and wet fields. Brush birding is also fun with the occasional resident Vermilion Flycatcher, etc. or the lost Red-Start, etc.

PVAS Field Trip 2002 Sat & Sun, Feb. 9 & 10. SALTON SEA & IMPERIAL VALLEY. The Salton Sea is a great birding spot any time of year. Winter is the time for sandhill cranes, mountain plover, mountain bluebirds, and large flocks of Canada , Ross', and snow geese. Resident species include Abert's towhees, verdin, burrowing owls, ladder-back woodpecker and if we are lucky, we may see black-tailed gnatcatcher, and crissal thrasher. Ducks and other waterfowl abound, including white faced ibis, and white pelicans, and shorebirds include snowy and semi-palmated plover, and, if we are lucky, stilt sandpiper. This weekend trip drives thru the stark desert to explore the unlikely oasis of fish rich sea and marsh and bountiful agricultural fields. We will meet Saturday morning at the Shell station on Monroe Street in Indio at 7 a.m. To reach the station, exit Interstate 10 at Monroe Street, go south. The Shell station is a short distance on the right-hand side of the street. We will bird Lincoln and Johnson roads, Cleveland ditch, Wister Unit (fee area), Salton Sea Wildlife Refuge, and Obsidian Butte before the early evening fly-in of the Sandhill cranes and white ibis'near El Centro. We recommend lodging in El Centro at Brunner's, 619-352-6431. Sunday we will bird the Brawley area and for specialties found on the Christmas count, and agricultural fields on the way to the SSNWR unit #1 off Vendel Road. Join us for either or both days. Make your reservations early. Call leaders, Glen and Suzanne Chappell, 909-981-1996, if you plan to attend.Call Glen & Suzanne Chappell (909) 981-1996 for name of hotels and meeting places.

The north end of the Salton Sea is rather different in both scenery and birds, but similar in SMELL! No huge flocks of wintering ibis, snow geese, etc. ---but there are PLENTY of birds!!! This is where we might find a lost brants goose, bald eagle, etc. as well as the usual desert residents from blacktailed gnatcatcher to Gambles quail and Aberts Tohee. Only about 2 hours down the road before dawn --- and there is always the cheap steak breakfast at the indian Indio casinos if you have time to kill.

PVAS Field Trip 2001 Sat. March 17. NORTH END OF THE SALTON SEA. We will wander around the north end of the sea looking for shorebirds, gulls, desert sparrows and maybe even a bald eagle (one last year!). Leave Memorial Park in Claremont at 6 a.m. Bring a lunch and fluids. Call Dan Guthrie (909-607-2836) about carpooling and further info. We should be back by late afternoon.

email Suzanne

[Home] [Birding] [Conservation] [Education] [For The Birds] [Links]
[Meetings/Activities] [Newsletter] [Photo Gallery] [About PVAS] [Contents]

Pomona Valley Audubon Society
Southern California