American Coot

 

I got a tip that there were tons of birds by the State Prison so I took a drive down that way and ran into these egrets. There is no shortage of birds in the Salton Sea area.

 

I was driving thru some farm county and in the distance there was this black cloud of birds just twisting around in circles, so ofcourse, I had to investigate and this is what I found. I'm thinking these are Ibis and they are common in the area, but the book said White-faced Ibis and I see no white at all.

 

 

Female Great-tailed Grackle.

 

Lots of rabbits around.

 

While I decided not to try to identify hawks, I'm thinking this is probably a Sharp-shinned as they are common to the Salton Sea area.

 

Another morning visitor.. Mourning Dove I think.

 

This is my neighbor Roody the Roadrunner. He greated me from the roof top last week and them promptly turned his back on me. He sat up there and made the funniest noises. Sounded lonely and forlorn. Maybe he was calling for a mate.

 

House Finch?

 

Morning visitor

It never fails

Today I decided to walk the 49 Palms Trail and not Twin Tanks and because I've taken so many picture of JT and it's surrounds, I decided to leave the camera home. Big mistake, and one I will not do again. I'm thinking that I might just get myself a little camera, one that will fit in the backpack or the pocket.

Kung Hei Fat Choi

Its Friday night and we had a really chilly week, so I was glad to hear the weather is going to warm this weekend and now I have to decide where to roam. I'm thinking I'll go back to JT and find a new trail I haven't hiked before. I've just about done them all, at least twice but there is one called Twin Tanks that looks promising.

 

Official name is Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. 247 bird species have been recorded, but when I go, I see one or two. Last time a hawk sat high in a tree. (I have learned that IDing a hawk is probably the hardest thing to do so I'll stick with "hawk)I also saw a Black Phoebe and a Northern Flicker. This time a couple woodpeckers caught my eye and a little sparrow size guy with a red cap.

 

Sometimes junk gets in that can't get out. This has probably been here since the 40ies or 50ies. No way to get it out. Hopefully it won't take long for Mother Nature to dispose of it.

 

 

 

Nuttall'S Woodpecker

 

Took a hike around the Morongo and saw these two woodpeckers.
I looked them up and Ladderback's and Nuttails are common residents.

Help Gary

 

Red-naped sapsucker