AR04/05 Tijuana Slough 15MAR04

A very select group of seven Big Morongans had a first visit to Tijuana Slough in what turned out to be perfect weather, after an overcast and foggy start. We saw 47 species:

Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Western Grebe Clark's Grebe
Common Loon Double-crested Cormorant Brown Pelican Great Blue Heron
Great Egret Snowy Egret Mallard American Wigeon
Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter Common Goldeneye Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser Hooded Merganser Northern Harrier Clapper Rail
American Coot Killdeer American Avocet Willet
Spotted Sandpiper Long-billed Curlew Marbled Godwit Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper Ring-billed Gull Western Gull Forster's Tern
Rock Pigeon Anna's Hummingbird Say's Phoebe Common Raven
Marsh Wren European Starling Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat
California Towhee Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Belding's Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow House Sparrow House Finch

In addition, we saw lots of Dolphins from Imperial Beach Pier, enjoyed a picnic in front of the Sheriffs' Office, watched them build a movie set, and missed the greatest Fish Taco this side of anywhere - much to the chagrin of one of our number! But we only scratched the surface and could reasonably do it again - with MrsM to push us into the big numbers!

All in all a wonderful and exhausting, very full day which I believe we all enjoyed.

Don't forget our flower outing on Tuesday March 30th about which more later.

If anyone would prefer to be remove from this circulation, please let me know. Good Birding...............bb

Barry Parkes
bbparkes@ix.netcom.com