Salton Sea to San Diego

Sept 15 

I drove from Mission to South Llano State Park, where I camped overnight. 

Sept 16 

I got up before sunrise, and started driving.

Just as the sun started coming up, my air conditioning in my car went out, a problem I've had intermittently for a few years now. The plan was to drive 15.5 hours to the Salton Sea. It was going to be an incredibly hot day of driving through the desert. After driving from 6 am central to 7 pm pacific, I got to the campground with the air temperature still at 90 degrees.

 I'd seemingly forgotten how desolate the Salton Sea is - especially at such a hot time of year. I was the only tent camper in the area, and feeling pretty vulnerable with absolutely nothing nearby. The campground runs parallel to the highway, as well as very active train tracks, with a train coming through every half hour or so. I set up my tent, and rolled out my sleeping bag, with no use for a sleeping bag - it certainly was much too hot for that. I laid flat on my back, in my underwear, and attempted to sleep, but wound up laying wide awake for several hours. I finally fell asleep around 1:30 am. 

Sept 17 

Waking at 5:30, I packed up my tent, and drove over to the restrooms. It was still pitch black. I  stepped into the restroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. When I walked out, bits of twilight showing, I  realized I had no idea where my phone was. I figured I probably folded it into my tent, and I was right. As I was unfolding my tent behind my car, in the restroom parking lot, a park ranger drove by, stopped, and chatted with me a bit. He said the restrooms are often vandalized by “transients” who break into the coin showers and steal the money. I told him I am not, in fact, a transient, but that I was thankful that I did not know about that last night while I was trying to sleep, all by my lonesome. 

I  made it to the south end of the Salton Sea just after sunrise. I drove to a spot near Obsidian Butte, and Yellow-footed Gull was the very first bird I looked at after getting out of my car. 

I spent about twenty minutes watching three of them, and started the three hour drive to Los Angeles to meet my friend Corey at the Ruff that's been present in the same area for several summers now. 

Arriving to the parking lot, Corey was already on the bird. I walked over to meet him, and we enjoyed great looks at the Ruff feeding amongst other shorebirds. 

Alas, the big year calls, and after about ten minutes, it was time to move onward! 

I drove south to San Diego, where I met Mandy to try for Little Stint. I  had one of the most giant feelings of deja vu I've ever had in my life, as Mandy and I tried together not once, but twice, for presumably the same individual, at the same location last February. I arrived about five minutes before she did, and by the time she arrived, I  had found a bird that I wasn't yet 100% sure was it, but was actively chasing around the larger Western Sandpipers as had it has been described as doing over and over again. 

About twenty minutes after analyzing, and finally getting documentation videos digiscoped, we slowly became more and more confident about the ID until we reached 100%. Yay! Third time's a charm. In celebration, we drove nearby to Poke 123, where I had the best poke I'd tasted in my life. I  headed over to my campsite at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, Campsite 13 - the same exact campsite I'd stayed at in February. 

My camping neighbors had brought a big screen TV camping, and were blaring a movie on it when I  attempted to go to bed around 9 pm. Finally, around 10:30, the seasick meds kicked in, and I fell asleep despite the surrounding noises. 

Year List: 674

Sept 18 

San Diego Pelagic today! I woke at 5 to be on the road by 5:30, arriving to the dock by 6:15. I  was excited to check off the last large group of birds for the year - most of which would be life birds! 

Not far offshore, we came across an adult Sabine's Gull, with its black head and sleek white triangle wings. Soon after, several Black Storm-Petrels, a Least Storm-Petrel, and Townsend's Storm-Petrel - which I wasn't able to get my bins on - though very thankfully, later on we had a Townsend's Storm-Petrel feeding in the slick, giving great looks for all. A young Nazca Booby buzzed the boat, followed by a fly-by adult Nazca Booby later on. 

A Red-footed Booby was called out, simply named, but not followed by directions to the bird. A few seconds of sheer panic ensued as I looked right and left and then right again for the bird. Suddenly, a huge booby outline overhead came completely into view - about ten feet over the top of the boat, very obviously identifiable naked eye. After a few temporary mis-ID'd jaegers, an actual Long-tailed Jaeger made an appearance while we were on our way back inshore. 

What an amazing day! I had not been counting on either of the boobies, or Townsend's Storm-Petrel, so those make +3 in bonus birds for the year! 

Year List: 681