BMB07/03 Dos Palmas Friday 16th February 2007

We did not know what to expect, but 24 Big Morongo Birders made our first visit to Dos Palmas and were blessed with fine weather, no wind and a preserve which was new to many of us. We were pleased to see Kurt on a rare visit, Martha on a first time with BMB, and Doris & Becky, both bird glancers.

American Widgeon	American Coot	Redhead
American Kestrel	Bufflehead	Cinnamon Teal
Ruby Crowned Kinglet	Ruddy Duck	Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup	Red Tailed Hawk	Mallard
Phainopepla	N Mockingbird	Verdin
Yellow-rumped Warbler	House Finch	White-throated Swift
Green Heron	Red-shafted Flicker	Abert’s Towhee
Common Raven	Song Sparrow	Black Phoebe
Eared Grebe	White Pelican*	Scrub Jay
Ring-billed Gull	Cedar Waxwing	Say’s Phoebe
European Starling	Brown Pelican*

* In dispute - brown and white are difficult to separate!!

All in all an excellent morning, if rather more walking than either Doris or you scribe cared for, but well worth a return visit. Sig had an unfortunate argument with a sand dune (sort of) but with a little help from the BMB heavies it became a minor glitch.

Many thanks to Dee for taking us by the scenic route, Mrs M for duty scribe, and Capn Sandy for giving me the list.

Oak Glen Saturday March 3rd 2007

Meet at Denny's, Indian & I10 Palm Springs for car pooling at 7.30am. Bring Water and a snack, but we will be back by lunch time.

Barry Parkes

bbparkes@ix.netcom.com

BMB07/02 Whitewater 22JAN07

Our first walk at Whitewater since it was taken over by Wildlands Concervancy was very interesting, despite cold and very blustery conditions. Frazier Haney (lately of Pipe's Canyon) is the preserve manager and he and his team are busy taking most of the site back to it's natural state; they plan to open to the public around April, and we will return in the Spring.

Turkey vulture, 3	Raven, 4	Mallard, 6
Mourning Dove, 2	Starlings, 40	House Sparrow, 2
American Kestrel, 1	Rock Pigeon, 4	House Finch, 10
Brewer's Blackbird, 3	Say's Phoebe, 4	Scrub Jay, 3
California Towhee, 4	White-crowned Sparrow,40	Gambel's Quail, 4
Red-tailed Hawk, 3	Cooper's Hawk, 1	Western Bluebird, 4
California Thrasher, 1	Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 3	Northern Flicker, 2
Loggerhead Shrike, 2	Nuttall's Woodpecker, 2	Black Phoebe, 2
Song Sparrow, 2	Yellow-rumped Warbler, 4	Hermit Thrush, 2
Phainopepla,1	Northern Mockingbird, 1	California Quail, 10
Lesser Goldfinch, 1	American Coot, 20	Blue-winged Teal, 1
Common Yellowthroat, 1	American Robin, 1	American Pipit, 1
Bewick's Wren, 1	American Wigeon, 10	Pied-billed Grebe, 2
Crow, 3	Western Meadowlark, 1	Verdin, 1
Ferruginous Hawk, 1	Anna's Hummingbird, 1	Dark-eyed Junco, 1

Note that SBVA have a walk at San Jacinto Water Reclamation Facility on Saturday 3rd February at 8am. Big Morongo Birders are welcome.

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

Barry Parkes

bbparkes@ix.netcom.com