BMB05/07 Coachella Valley Wild Bird Centre 31st January 2005

Fourteen BigMorongoBirders spent a very pleasant couple of hours at the Wild Bird Centre in sunny weather with a devastating wind – it made for difficult birding. We saw 31 species including a very low grade male Vermillion Flycatcher which looked rather like a bedraggled reject; vermillion beret on his head, and orange mottle on the breast. Dee, who was not there, tells me that it was a first-year male. If you would like the complete list, please contact

bigmorongobirders@earthlink.net

Friday 11th February UCR Botanical Gardens. Meet for car-pool at Big Morongo 7am and at Denny's Palm Springs, Indian and I10 at 7.30. Bring water and a picnic lunch; we have no good feel for timing and will play it by ear. Admission is a suggested donation of $1 and parking should be free. You might like to look at their web site http://gardens.ucr.edu/. This visit was suggested as 'good birding' by Barbara Carlson, and she should know.

Margaret has drawn my attention to the 8th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which will occur February 18th thru 21st. Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society are involved and more information is available at www.birdsource.org/gbbc

Good Birding………….bb

BMB05/06 Pipe's Canyon - Schedule Change

Given the condition of the Pipe's Canyon trails, and the forecast wet weather over the next couple of days, we have postponed our walk there until a date to be advised.

Monday 31st January, Coachella Valley Wild Bird Centre. Meet for car-pool at Big Morongo at 8am (should be good for those who work to Yucca or JT time) or at Linda York's at 9am. Linda is out of town at present. Bring water, but we should be through in time for a snack of some sort, probably at Elmer's. If anyone sees Marcia Johnson before Monday please tell her the revised timing, and let me know.

Friday 11th February UCR Botanical Gardens. Meet for car-pool at Big Morongo 7am and at Denny's Palm Springs, Indian and I10 at 7.30. Bring water and a picnic lunch; we have no good feel for timing and will play it by ear. Admission is a suggested donation of $1 and parking should be free. You might like to look at their web site http://gardens.ucr.edu/ This visit was suggested as 'good birding' by Barbara Carlson, and she should know.

Later in the spring, and in warmer weather, we plan to schedule a visit to
UC James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve.
This was suggested by Sig and looks to be an interesting proposition. Their web site http://www.jamesreserve.edu/ makes interesting reading and you may wish to 'bone up' a little - especially if you have a broadband connection.

Good Birding.............bb

Barry Parkes
bbparkes@ix.netcom.com
bigmorongobirders@earthlink.com

BMB05/05 Big Morongo Canyon Preserve 22nd January 2005

Seven favoured BMBirders gathered at the Preserve this morning after a long day at San Jacinto yesterday – so many could not take the pace! With a starting temperature of 38° but with clear skies and no significant wind, we hoped for the best with our visitors from Toronto and Salisbury.

We saw 31 species, not remarkable in itself, but the quality quite definitely was. Walking down the ‘authorised vehicles only’ trail, we saw a pair of Scott’s Orioles and a pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Cottonwood in the middle of the meadow. We took the trail to the Nature Centre and in the pine to the left of the centre was something perhaps unusual; the scope – thanks David and Sandra – told us that it was a female Red Crossbill, not seen on the Preserve for many years. We had it in the scope for five minutes or more, but did not see a male. Working through the barn over the meadow we saw a male Vermillion towards the trees bordering the park. In addition to seeing Barney, we saw a Barn Owl in flight (top of the park) and also saw the Harris’ Sparrow (same place).

Pretty remarkable birding for one morning…………..bb


Barry Parkes
bbparkes@ix.netcom.com
bigmorongobirders@earthlink.com

BMB05/04 San Jacinto Wildlife Area 21St January 2005

Meeting at San Jacinto around 8.45am we were 26 Big Morongo Birders, including Paul and Dorothy who found us before their imminent return to Salisbury, England, in ten vehicles. We really should try to whittle down the vehicles!.
We had a good day with several animated discussions relating to identification but I don’t think we allowed anyone to get away with too romantic a supposed sighting. I recorded 75 species including all three Teals -Blue, Green and Cinnamon, arather super Vermillian, very close, a Sora, Common Merganser and many Red-tailed Hawks. If you would like a full list please ask bbparkes@ix.netcom.com

After a picnic lunch and a futile search for bluebirds – not many had seen them – we went to Lake Perris. This was a first for some, including your scribe, and a last for some, also including your scribe, but now we have at least been there and seen it. All in all a good and tiring day – good practice for Big Morongo tomorrow.

Monday 31st January Pipe’s Canyon. Meet at Big Morongo for carpool at 7.30am, or 8am at the trailhead. We will be finished before lunch but bring water. There may well be more water than we have become accustomed to. Note that with Pioneer Town road closed, Pipe’s Canyon should be approached via Old Woman Springs.

Good Birding………….bb

Barry Parkes
bbparkes@ix.netcom.com
bigmorongobirders@earthlink.com

BMB05/03 Salton Sea 14th January 2005

We arrived at Wister around 8.45 on a cool but clear day, in bright sunshine. The roads were clear, as was the trail through to the observation platform and tank – far better than most of us had feared. We saw, and had good views of the American Redstart out-, and in-bound but could not find the Vermillion.

It turned out to be a wonderful day for 24 BMBirders in nine vehicles, too many but we managed. All our usual roads were clear (sort of) and we had a rich haul of 86 species; if you would like a full list of what we saw, please contact bigmorongobirders@earthlink.net We tried the prison but it produced nothing significant.

We had no Bluebirds!!!! But we did have most others, including a Peregrine Falcon washing itself in a field pool on the approach to the Marina, and several Burrowing Owls. Finally the hardy seven of us, en route to Unit One, counted more than seventy Sandhill Cranes 100-150 yards off the trail. They were a wonderful sight and on our return we saw them dancing and spreading their wings - quite unforgettable, and what a pity that so many of our party missed them.



All in all a very satisfying and exhausting day, and well worth a repeat; we hope the Living Desert are so successful, and no doubt Kay will find the Mountain Bluebirds!

Reminders

Friday 21st January San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for carpool at Big Morongo 7am or Denny's Palm Springs at Indian and I10 at 7.30am. Bring water and lunch.

Monday 31st January Pipe’s Canyon. Meet at Big Morongo for carpool at 7.30am, or 8am at the trailhead. We will be finished before lunch but bring water. There may well be more water than we have become accustomed to.

Yet again I have had to reconstitute my circular address list. I would appreciate an advice if you see something in error.

Good Birding………….bb

Barry Parkes
bbparkes@ix.netcom.com
bigmorongobirders@earthlink.com

BMB05/02 Big Morongo Canyon Preserve 12th January 2005

Seventeen Big Morongo Birders gathered on a fine, sunny and calm morning with a temperature of 29°. This was a welcome break after five days of rain – and fog to boot – which brought the Preserve more than six inches of rain and damaged the entrance to the driveway. There was surprisingly little laying water and we had a very pleasant walk seeing 37 species. The Harris' Sparrow appears to have left us.

We are fortunate to have persuaded Kay and Jane to undertake a reconnaissance of the Salton Sea tomorrow, which will be of great help on our Friday visit there (actually they were going anyway). In view of the recent rains, we may well be unable to visit some of our usual haunts but still expect to have a full and satisfying day.

Friday 14th January Salton Sea. Meet for carpool at Big Morongo 7am, T/A Truck Stop (Burns Bros) at Dillon & I10 in Coachella at 7.30am. Bring water and lunch.

Friday 21st January San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for carpool at Big Morongo 7am or Denny's Palm Springs at Indian and I10 at 7.30am. Bring water and lunch.

Monday 31st January Pipe’s Canyon. Meet at Big Morongo for carpool at 7.30am, or 8am at the trailhead. We will be finished before lunch but bring water. There may well be more water than we have become accustomed to.

As always, queries or suggestions are welcome. Email or call me at 760-328-6750, cell phone 760-333-2366.

BMB05/01 Big Morongo Canyon Preserve 05JAN05

Schedule Change

As a result of significant recent rain and a forecast substantial storm on Friday, we have with regret re-scheduled the San Jacinto Wildlife Area visit to 21st January, and will review the Salton Sea visit over the next week or so – rain is scheduled from Friday through at least Monday of next week. Our schedule now reads;

Friday 14th January Salton Sea. Meet for carpool at Big Morongo 7am, T/A Truck Stop (Burns Bros) at Dillon & I10 in Coachella at 7.30am. Bring water and lunch.

Friday 21st January San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for carpool at Big Morongo 7am or Denny's Palm Springs at Indian and I10 at 7.30am. Bring water and lunch.

Seventeen BMBirders had a fine walk this morning with an 8am temperature of 30° (sorry Kelly). By 11am the temperature reached 51° and we had seen 35 species under a clear blue sky in brilliant sun and no wind. No surprises with the specie list, but it was good to see the Brown Creeper, Cedar Waxwings, a host of Western Bluebirds, and the Red-naped Sapsucker. We did not see the Harris’ Sparrow, but there was considerable hawk activity, which led to little activity opposite the ballpark.

A good start to the New Year, which is perhaps remarkable in the middle of inclement weather – MrsM had snow in Yucca yesterday!

Good Birding…………bb

AV04/52 The Year in Review

Our final bird walk of the year was remarkable only for the six brave participants and the inclement weather that they faced. Six Big Morongo Birders, at 43° in light rain, and a gusty wind (for pleasure!) saw 24 species including Barney in flight to the meadow, and his sister or brother in the cottonwood behind the yard in which we had seen the Harris’ Sparrow. It was with relief that we repaired to Morongo’s own fine dining establishment, which visit included a very low-key presentation of the ‘Intrepid Birder’ award to DD for attendance above and beyond…

The Year in Review

Although birding moves in seasons rather than calendar years, we had significant changes to birding at the Preserve this year and comment is perhaps appropriate. We extended Wednesday walks to cover the summer months, and to cover every Saturday except the first in the month (we did not want to compete with Linda). This worked well and although with limited attendees was well received by both hard-core locals and visitors alike.
We asked Margaret Hoggan, who has assumed the mantle of BMB statistician, for some statistics and comments on what she has gathered over the last fifteen months. In addition to our well known and well attended spring migration we have a fine showing of species in the summer, high temperatures notwithstanding, including such rarities as the Yellow-billed Cuckoo (well photographed by Mark Chappell on 4th July), the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Black-and-white Warbler. Note also that specie counts this year are well up on 2003, for which the unusually heavy October rains may have some responsibility. We recorded 116 species in the year OCT 2003 to SEP 2004 since when we have already recorded 80 species.
We have a solid all-year-round Preserve for birding, and our very many visitors from around the country and over the water can always rely on finding an interesting walk. Margaret concluded
‘ So maybe there is no best season. Every season has a new display of birds, and each year is a little different than the one before’

Good Birding in 2005……….bb

Reminder

Friday 7th January San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for carpool at Big Morongo 7am or Denny's Palm Springs at Indian and I10 at 7.30am. Bring water and lunch.

Friday 14th January Salton Sea. Meet for carpool at Big Morongo 7am, T/A Truck stop (Burns Bros) at Dillon & I10 in Coachella at 7.30am. Bring water and lunch.

Barry Parkes
bbparkes@ix.netcom.com
bigmorongobirders@earthlink.net