BMB06/10 Barker Dam Friday 14th April 2006

Twelve Big Morongo Birders had a very pleasant morning Friday at Barker Dam, managing to miss inclement weather which arrived later in the day.

We gave our Mr Smiley and others their first sight of the infamous Disney petrogliphs.

Barker Dam
Ash-throated Flycatcher	Common Raven	Turkey Vulture
White-throated Swift	Scrub Jay	Phainopepla
Gambel's Quail	Rock Wren	Brewer's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow	Chipping Sparrows	Bewick's Wren
Say's Phoebe	Black-throated Sparrow	House Finch
Bushtit	Barn Swallow	Scott's Oriole
Mourning Dove	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Mallard
Coot	Cowbird	Bullock's Oriole
Tree Swallow	Mockingbird	Prairie Falcon
Raven	Wilson's Warbler	Costa's Hummingbird
Nashville Warbler
Also seen: Western Fence Lizards,
and blooming Claret Cup, Rock Pea, Amsonia, Nolina, and others.

This morning we were pleased to have a group from Great Outdoors Palm Springs join our regular Bird Walk, more particularly because of the significant work they did at the Preserve on trail restoration following the fire last June. They took a lively interest in our arriving migrants including the Western Tanager, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cassin’s and Western Kingbirds, and in our impressive array of wildflowers. We had good views of nesting hummingbirds and Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and a good view of a Long-eared Owl quite close to the Marsh Trail.

West Fork Loop Friday 21^st April 2006

Meet at the Preserve parking lot at 7.30am for the loop, with an extension to the rock pools. The flowers we are told are quite remarkable and it is some time since we checked out the canyon for bird species. Bring plenty of water – the desert is warming up……….bb