Thursday, May 20, 2010

Origins

In the summer of 2003 Jane Mootz and Barry Parkes began arranging outings directed towards fellow birders from Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, in Southern California. Since then our circulation list has expanded somewhat but it remains very small and largely restricted to true Big Morongo Birders. A considerable number are part-time seasonal residents from the Pacific North-West, Midwest, and Canada.
Our interests are diverse - many are docents at Big Morongo - and Spring 2004 saw a number of wild-flower oriented walks which were well received. In addition, through the assistance of Dee Zeller, the Host of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, and others, we have been able to arrange access to areas which are normally closed to the public. We expect to continue to develop this programme and include plants and flowers, in addition to birds; we have an interest in Indian history and culture and this may well feature in future excursions.
Very many thanks to Patrick Casey for his help - and patience - in making this site more presentable than it otherwise would be.
Comments and suggestions are welcome, and in particular suggestions for future outings............bb

Thursday, January 17, 2008

BMB 03/08 Salton Sea 14th January 2008

Wednesday was rather unfriendly birding weather at the preserve – too much for your scribe – but the hard core, and you know who they are, found 31 species by virtue of not inconsiderable effort. Cold with wind surely can’t last for ever!

Monday at the Salton sea was a very different affair; fine weather, a group of 19 BMBs and not too many cars. All in all I am told, a fine birding day, and here is Margaret’s count:

Salton Sea



January 14, 2008






Turkey Vulture

Raven

White-tailed Kite

White Pelicans

Eurasian Collared Dove

Northern Harrier

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Snow Geese

Great-tailed Grackle

Verdin

American Coot

White-faced Ibis

American Kestrel

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Mallard

Double-crested Cormorant

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Shoveler

Marsh Wren

Black Phoebe

Dark-eyed Junco

Vermilion Flycatcher

American Avocet

Dowitcher

Say's Phoebe

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Loggerhead Shrike

Peregrine Falcon

Black-necked Stilt

Killdeer

Least Sandpiper

Marbled Godwit

Savannah Sparrow

Western Meadowlark

Green-winged Teal

Ring-billed Gull

Greater Yellowlegs

Eared Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Ruddy Duck

House Sparrow

Abert's Towhee

Gambel's Quail

Long-billed Curlew

Horned Lark

American Pipit

Willett

Burrowing Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Brewer's Blackbird

Cattle Egret





Total number species = 53.


  • Diary Update
  • Monday January 28th San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10.
  • Monday February 25th Joshua Tree. Meet for car pooling at 7am Denny’s Palm Springs, Indian &I10 – 7.30 at Yucca Park & Ride, Kickapoo and 62 – 8am at Blackrock Visitor Centre, five miles south of HWY62/247 Junction. Time at Kickapoo and Blackrock approximate. The plan is to bird at Blackrock, Oasis of Mara, Luckie Park (home of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, but don’t hold your breath) and perhaps more. We will conclude our walk with lunch at 29 Palms Inn where, as many of you know, Bear is Executive Chef. Given the lunch arrangements will you please email me if you plan to attend?
  • Saturday March 1st Oak Glen. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10

As always any queries call Dee at 363 7190 or your scribe at 328 6750................bb

Saturday, January 05, 2008

BMB08/02 Schedule Update

  • In the midst of several storms and generally inclement weather in the Coachella and Morongo Valleys, similar and deteriorating weather in San Jacinto, and following consultation with Dee, we have concluded that the San Jacinto Wildlife Area is already a quagmire. In consequence the walk at San Jacinto scheduled for Monday January 7th will not now take place and has been re-scheduled.
    • Diary Update
    • Monday January 14th Salton Sea. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Costco Palm Desert at Monterey.
    • Monday January 28th San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10.
    • Saturday March 1st Oak Glen. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10
    As always any queries call Dee at 363 7190 or your scribe at 328 6750.
    Good Birding..................bb

    Wednesday, January 02, 2008

    BMB 08/01 2007 CBC and Update.

    We had a fine Christmas Bird Count last month in very pleasant if cool weather. We had a small increase in the specie count but a drop of around 25% in the bird count. Thanks to Margaret, David and Betty for a job well done; all we need now is a solution to the time consuming confusion over the sign in routine.
    This morning was very pleasant - sunny and cold (46) but fine with no wind. We had 41 species which is a substantial improvement on recent walks.
    Diary Update
    • Monday January 7th San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10.
    • Monday January 14th Salton Sea. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Costco Palm Desert at Monterey.
    • Saturday February 2nd Oak Glen. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10
    Please bring water, a snack or picnic and warm clothing; call Dee/Betty at 363 7190 for information. All will be full day outings except Oak Glen which should bring you back to Denny's by late lunch time.
    Very best wishes to you all and good birding for 2008!............bb
    Barry Parkes

    Tuesday, November 27, 2007

    BMB07/11 Big Morongo Update 27th November 2007

    Birding on the Preserve has been thin at best over the last few weeks, with specie counts no more than the low thirties, but our bracing winter weather is now bringing pink cheeks to many of our birders. Walks every Wednesday, and every Saturday save the first in the month, all start at 8am and of course all are welcome.
    Our Web Master Patrick Casey recently introduced enhancements to the Web site - www.bigmorongo.org - and the section on birds is a major improvement. Go to 'Birds' on the menu: a click on a 'Blue' specie (seen recently) brings up the Cornell Institute profile complete with picture - a perfect feature for a beginning birder, and others.
    Diary Update
    • Friday December 7th East Valley Hawk Watch. 730am. Meet behind the Beer Hunter La Quinta at Washington and HWY 111
    • Saturday December 15th Morongo Valley Christmas Bird Count. 7am BMCP Parking Lot. Volunteers needed to help cover our eight sectors within a 15 mile radius of the Preserve, beginners to experts. Pizza and sodas to those who stay the course. $5 fee to help cover processing costs of National Audubon Society. It will be cold at 7am, guaranteed!!
    • Monday January 7th San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10.
    • Monday January 14th Salton Sea. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Costco Palm Desert at Monterey.
    • Saturday February 2nd Oak Glen. Meet for car pooling at 7am BMCP, 730am Palm Springs Denny's at Indian and I10
    Please bring water, a snack or picnic and warm clothing; call Dee/Betty at 363 7190 for information. All will be full day outings except Oak Glen which should bring you back to Denny's by late lunch time.
    Join and enjoy and, as always, pass on ideas for more field trips to Dee, Betty or your scribe.
    Good Birding.......................bb

    Barry Parkes
    bbparkes@ix.netcom.com
    ranchobb@yahoo.com

    Saturday, September 01, 2007

    BMB07/10 Big Bear Friday 30th August 2007

    We were a fortunate six Big Morongo Birders, who found Big Bear a cool 80 or thereabouts, and very much enjoyed the Discovery centre and Woodland Trail - OK, part of it! We checked out Discovery Road and the Lake - lucky we had scopes to see the distant water, and found Pelicans, Coots and Cormorants. Carried on to Mill Creek for lunch, dodging raindrops, following which we called at Moonridge to see Wild Wings. On our return we saw thunderstorms, lots of lightning, and almost saw the Pileated Woodpecker that Wild Wings reported, so don't bother to call the Rare Bird Alert. Margaret prepared this list of what we really saw, for which our thanks.
    Discovery Center, Woodland Trail, Division Road, Aspen Glen



    Scrub Jay Pygmy Nuthatch Mountain Chickadee
    Northern Flicker Dark-eyed Junco Band-tailed Pigeon
    Purple Finch Cassin's Finch Steller's Jay
    Western Bluebird Wilson's Warbler Townsend's Warbler
    Mourning Dove House Sparrow Rufous Hummingbird
    American Robin House Finch Acorn Woodpecker
    Northern Shoveler American Coot Caspian Tern
    White Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Pied-billed Grebe
    Brewer's Blackbird Red-shouldered Hawk Lesser Goldfinch



    Total species seen = 32.




    Salton Sea 26th August. We joined SBVA for their Summer Salton Sea excursion and had a most enjoyable day. 19 birders (seven from Big Morongo) started at Wister at 5.30am: just think about that! After a very full morning - and a late lunch - we missed the Wood Stork, which had clearly fled from the day before, but we did see several Ruffs and had a wonderfull view of a Ruddy Egret. We all appreciated the support and help that John Green provided.

    Early Warning!!
    Friday 12th October 2007 Bear Paw Ranch in cooler weather. Meet at Denny's, Palm Springs, Indian and I10 for car pooling at 7.30am, bring picnic and water.

    Good Birding......bb

    Barry Parkes

    Thursday, August 23, 2007

    BMB07/09 Bear Paw Ranch Monday 20th August 2007

    When eight Big Morongo Birders went to Bear Paw it was not through downtown Yucaipa; Marguerite led us through Cherry Valley, Los Rios (Oak Glen) and Apple Valley via the ranger station on HWY38 on the most scenic route. Many thanks!

    We had a fine morning, perhaps not as cool as we hoped but very pleasant. We quickly discovered that the best birding was around the feeders adjacent to the Ranger’s House and after covering the rest of the Preserve; that is where we had lunch and birded from a seat in the shade! We saw very many Acorn Woodpeckers and Mountain Chickadees.

    W Scrub Jay

    Band Tailed Pigeon

    Dark Eyed Junco

    Acorn Woodpecker

    American Robin

    Mountain Chickadee

    White Breasted Nuthatch

    Anna’s Hummingbird

    Stellar’s Jay

    Oak Titmouse

    Rufous Hummingbird

    California Quail

    Black-headed Grosbeak

    Western Bluebird

    Lesser Goldfinch

    Red-shafted Flicker

    Western Tanager

    California Towhee

    Red-tailed Hawk

    Wrentit


    Barbara Lyons told us she has four Bald Eagles roosting in one of her Douglas Firs and ‘the Kingfisher’s babies have fledged so the parents are giving their kids flying lessons by racing around the front yard’.

    Upcoming Events

    Sunday 26th August - Salton Sea. Not for the faint hearted, we meet at Wister at 5.30am for a day with SBV Audubon. We already have seven takers from Big Morongo including Dee & Betty and your scribe; it’s not too late to join!

    Friday 31st August - Big Bear. Meet at BMCP at 7am, Big Bear Discovery Centre about 8.30am. Bring picnic and water.

    If you intend meeting at the trail head, as it were, please let your scribe know beforehand, otherwise you could be alone..............bb