After a week in Borrego Springs, it was time to head to Joshua Tree National Park, where we had booked a VRBO for three nights. We decided to stop by the Sonny Bono Salton Sea Wildlife Refuge on the way to Joshua Tree, as this refuge is on the Pacific Flyway and is known as one of the best areas for bird-watching in Southern California.
A black-necked stilt. (Courtesy photos)
After an hour and a half of driving through the desert, we turned onto a rough dirt road and passed through agricultural fields on our way to the observation tower and viewing platform in Unit 1. We knew we were getting close when we passed thousands of waterfowl on managed impoundments and saw the observation tower at the end of the road. The first thing David heard when he got out of the car was the familiar “boom” of an American bittern. Bitterns are almost impossible to spot in the dense reeds, so we walked on down a dirt path to the viewing platform. On our way the first bird we saw was a black phoebe, which we instantly recognized, as it is similar in size and has the flicking tail that the eastern phoebe has. The black phoebe is jet black with a white belly. He continued “hawking” insects the whole time we were there.
From the platform we looked down on thousands of water birds. Easily recognized were the least sandpipers feeding in the mud. Harder to identify were the short-billed and long-billed dowitchers. In the distance were a couple of white-faced ibis, black-necked stilts, and a lone Ross’s goose. A small sparrow flitting in and out of the grasses turned out to be a savannah sparrow. There were many birds far away. Without a scope and not being proficient at identifying shore birds, we decided to drive back to the impoundments.
A California thrasher.
We saw great egrets, cattle egrets, and great blue herons along the road. A few great cormorants flew overhead. At the impoundments we easily observed coots, northern shovelers, mallards, and gadwalls—ducks we were more familiar with. In the distance were several green-winged teal and cinnamon teal—a duck we had never seen before but easily recognized by its color. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of sandpipers. A raptor flew over and gave us one of those unforgettable birding experiences as thousands of birds took flight with an incredible whirring sound and wheeled about in waves. Black-necked stilts and avocets were busy feeding in the shallow water. These elegant birds are among the stateliest of water birds and brought back memories of Cuba and Arizona, where we had previously seen hundreds of them.
There were probably dozens of other species, but without a scope we were unable to identify them, so we continued our drive to Joshua Tree National Park.
Joshua Tree National Park
We were welcomed by a bevy of quail when we arrived at our cabin. We knew there were two species here, the Gambel’s and the California, but the darn things are so quick running along the ground it was hard to tell which was which. The main difference between these distinctive little birds is that the Gambel’s has an unmarked belly and the California has a scaled belly. After a few days of watching the quails we were able to determine that the birds we saw were Gambel’s.
David saw some movement at the base of a creosote bush as he was looking out the window. Through binoculars he easily identified the bird as a thrasher. This bird had a long curved bill that it used to toss leaf litter to expose grubs—similar to the brown thrasher that we see around here. This thrasher was gray in color with a long curved bill. Watching the thrasher, we saw a coyote appear from the side of the house. The thrasher startled and flew off to a nearby bush. Seconds later a coyote appeared, sniffed the ground, and went directly to where the thrasher had been feeding. The coyote nosed around and the thrasher flew off to safety. Perhaps the coyote was also after one of the black-tailed jack rabbits (a desert rabbit with unusually large ears) hopping around in the brush.
We found the trails in the park to be a little crowded, as the governor had just ordered the schools closed. It appeared that many parents had brought their kids to the park for something to do. All campgrounds were full. Undeterred, we did find a few quiet trails and were able to enjoy the desert landscape. We took a walk on the Barker Dam trail, which David aborted because of the rocky trail but Pam continued and did see a western scrub jay—another life bird.
An American avocet.
That afternoon we followed the trail behind the cabin that led directly into the park. This trail was a welcome respite from the crowded trails in the park. Walking the trail among the Joshua trees and large boulders, we saw the ever-present white-crowned sparrows and a greater variety of flowering plants for Pam. Checking the sky over the mountains, all we saw were ravens wheeling around, but on the way back David saw a peregrine falcon streaming down the valley.
Driving around the park on a rainy, cold day we were introduced to the different ecosystems of the Mojave and Colorado deserts, each with its distinct flora. Stopping to eat our lunch by the side of the road, we were surprised by a few yellow-rumped warblers flitting around in a shrub not 10 feet from the car. This is another species that winters in Central America and southern North America and migrates north to breed; we will be seeing them in Harvard soon.
We took back roads from Joshua Tree to San Diego airport, abandoning our planned mountain route due to snow and ice. Stopping to eat lunch beside a field full of bright yellow wildflowers with the snow-topped mountains beyond, we saw a golden eagle soaring overhead—a fitting and beautiful end to our trip
David and Pamela Durrant live on East Bare Hill Road at Micheldever Farm, where they have observed and recorded over 80 species of birds on the farm and adjacent conservation lands.
