We coasted in to the harbour on a cool and fresh 6:30 am. The violet green swallow that landed on the boat the night before, over 100 miles from shore, was gone. We would enjoy this cool breeze while we could, because it was about to get hot. Very hot. We were headed for the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea is an inland body of very salty water near the border of Mexico. It is a place of magical birding. It is also a place where Satan goes on vacation. There are two reactions when one first visits this place. First, "WOW THERE ARE SO MANY BIRDS." Then, immediately upon stepping out of the car, "OH MY GOD, MY NIPPLES ARE GOING TO FRY OFF."
It was 111 degrees with 67% humidity. They say the open ocean is the final frontier of birding, but I say it is the Salton Sea. Could we survive the whole day?
REVENGE OF THE PINEAPPLE
Provisioned with an overdue pineapple of victory and some icy water, we somehow endured. And the birding was good, so I'll just summarize it. One female Ruff, 1 Gull-billed tern, many Yellow-footed gulls, two "large-billed" savannah sparrows, 2 wood storks, Abert's towhees, burrowing owl and common ground doves.
After defeating the Yellow-footed Gull, the Pineapple of Victory was sliced and devoured in its entirety, but left our mouths raw, furrowed and burning while the Salton blasted us with stinky heat.
The birds panted in desperation.
We ended the day photographing a nice one, a white-belted ringtail.
THE TATTLING
The next day, after our recovery, I got up early again. I don't think I've gotten up after 6 am more than 10 times since april. It was going to be a big day. We first headed for a secret beach that Neil covets for its wandering tattlers. We got there and immediately executed the tattling. Two tattlers were stalked and photographed the crap out of.
A drive through orange, and several Ferraris, Porshes and an Aston Martin later, we raided Bolsa Chica Preserve, where an Elegant Tern colony resides. But it was not Elegant Terns we searched for, but a bird much more rare and beautiful. The Sooty Tern. It had been squatting here for some time. But as we scanned the thousands of Caspians, Skimmers, Royals, Elegants, and Forsters, there was no Sooty Tern in sight. We would have to be happy seeing Belding's savannah sparrows and reddish egrets...for now.
But we had not given up. After a couple hours of recuperation by means of In-N-Out burger and a glorious bout of boogie boarding at the beach (my first time doing ever something with Neil that did not involve binoculars), we were back. This time, it submited.
THE GNATCATCHER OF DOOM
In the morning, we relied on the bicycles for our mission. Subaru, you have served us well. To a park with gnatcatchers. We destroyed several birds in one fell swoop. First, the Least Bell's Vireo, still singing. Then, a white-tailed kite. It was on the hills of destiny that we found two California Gnatcatchers.
Then, I nearly met my doom. I stepped off the trail (past the "no leaving the trail sign"), to go after a third Gnatcatcher. It was as I put my foot down that I heard a very pissed off hissing sound, which made me jump backward. It was a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, and it was very pissed off and missing its rattle, which probably made it even more pissed off. In any case, it was about one and a half feet from my foot, so its a good thing they are reluctant to bite.
At a different park, later, we found another rattlesnake which was much more "friendly."
The next thing I knew I was on a plane to San José, to visit my cousins Nico and Kyle and My aunt Vonny and Unkle Sam. Perhaps its time to slow down and spend some time with family, to do some stuff not involving birds for a change. Plus I've always kind of wanted to go to Point Reyes...
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