Salton Sea - Ross's
Gull
18 Nov
2006
Henry
Detwiler
Directions to this rarity, along with some photos of the gull and other
area birds
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
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We left Yuma at 6:00am, which is 5:00am California time. Just
after sunrise we made it to Garst Road, where this Peregrine Falcon
was waiting for breakfast to fly by.
Peregrine Falcon, Salton Sea |
Peregrine Falcon, Salton Sea
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| At the boat launch, some 100 people were already
gathered, watching the Ross's Gull found by Guy McCaskie on 17 Nov 06.
It was a real beauty, sporting a pinkish breast and a partial line
around the face. But not five minutes after we arrived at 6:20
am, it flew off to the north. No worries, though, it came and went
several times that morning. |
Ross's Gull, Salton Sea
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Ross's Gull, Salton Sea
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Ross's Gull, Salton Sea |
| At one point it flew south of the boat launch jetty,
feeding in the "surf" and then flying to a small rock, where it posed
for photos. It was not at all worried about the myriad
photographers, and let some approach to within 10 yards. |
|
Ross's Gull, Salton Sea
The gull continued to
entertain birders late into the morning, when we left to look at
other birds in the area, such as the Roseate Spoonbill along
Bowles Road!
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Ross's Gull, Salton Sea |
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Follow the dotted reddish line to the
Ross's Gull
DIRECTIONS:
- From I-8, take Hwy 111 north to
Calipatria
- From the center of Calipatria, drive north 3.5 miles to Sinclair
Road, which will have a sign for Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR, and turn
left
- Drive west on Sinclair Road 4.5 miles to Garst Road, which will
have a sign to Red Hill Marina, and turn right
- Drive north on Garst Road for 1.5 miles and then turn west (left)
towards Red Hill Marina
- Follow the perimeter road to the south of "Red Hill" and park at
the boat launch
- The Ross's Gull has been seen on both sides of the boat launch
feeding in the mud flats and along the shore
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|
Brown Pelicans, Salton Sea |
At Obsidian Butte, hundreds of Brown and White Pelicans mingled
with Ring-billed, California, and a couple of immature
Yellow-footed Gulls, putting on a great birding spectacle. |
| Our final stops of the day before heading back to
Yuma were Finney and Ramer Lakes, where this cooperative Loggerhead
Shrike posed for a photo. |
Loggerhead Shrike, Salton Sea |
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