Southern California - Arizona Trip ~ October 22, 2013

After constantly reading about the second largest invasion of Blue-footed Boobies in California, the only booby that I hadn't seen, I decided that I had to make the trip, especially given the great chance of finding one of the many birds that were reported. As expected, I got the usual looks and shook my head at the jokes when I told my co-workers that I was going to California to look for boobies. Other remote possibilities included a Plain-capped Starthroat and the possibility of getting much better looks at a Sinaloa Wren, both in Arizona.

I did the very early morning drive to the Philadelphia Airport, boarded a non-stop flight to Phoenix, and was on the road in the rental car by 10:30 AM. I started the 260-mile drive towards California's Salton Sea, taking I-10 west to Blythe, California and then heading southwest on Route 78. Greater White-fronted Goose, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Inca Dove, and Loggerhead Shrike were some of the birds seen along the highway. About 25 miles before reaching Brawley, I stopped to marvel at the Algodones Dunes, a huge area of sand about 10 miles wide, 30 miles long, and hundreds of feet high!

The Algodones Dunes east of Brawley, California. Route 78, the thin black strip in the left half of the photo, winds its way up and over the dunes.

The Algodones Dunes east of Brawley, California. For scale, note the white tractor-trailer coming down the road, just below the left center of the photo.

I arrived at the Salton Sea's Obsidian Butte at 3:30, scoped the rock where the birds liked to roost and found it empty. I was beginning to worry a little about being 'skunked' when I noticed the head of a booby appear just above the top of the rock. I grabbed my gear and walked the back edge of the shoreline until I had a clear view of the other side of the rock. There, I had an unobstructed view of eight Blue-footed Boobies! I spent the next three hours watching them and listening to their odd calls. The only downside was that the sun was in an unfavorable position for photos. Still, I managed to get a few 'keepers'.

Eight Blue-footed Boobies on a rock just offshore from Obsidian Butte at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge near Calipatria​, California.

At one point, a Double-crested Cormorant flew in to claim 'King of the rock' and displaced one of the boobies. The bird made a wide circle and returned to the rock.

A Blue-footed Booby comes in for a landing on the rock to join the others.

As sunset neared, a ninth booby joined the others. Other birds noted there included Snow Goose, Eared Grebe, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Egret, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, American Avocet, Willet, Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Heermann's and California Gull, and Caspian Tern.

Nine Blue-footed Boobies showing their dull blue-gray feet.

The Blue-footed Boobies on the rock at sunset. Amazingly, the Salton Sea is about 230 feet BELOW sea level.

A nice sunset put an exclamation point on a great day. At dusk, I headed south to El Centro, hopped on I-8 and headed east to a Motel 6 in Yuma, Arizona.

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