Pee Wee's Bird Adventure! Days 5-8

LA la la... la la la la la la... I forcibly share my interest in birds with everyone I meet. I am a bird nerd. Here is the story of my spring break bird adventure.

Day 5-8: Campground - Black Rock Campground (Joshua Tree?) then Back to the Salton Sea.

The night of the 4th/5th day, we left the Salton Sea (Ocotillo Wells camp) to try and make it to Joshua Tree to capture a camp site in the first come first serve Bella Campground. We didn't. So we had to fall back on the not so impressive Black Rock Campground. IT is not inside Joshua Tree NP proper, it is located on the outer most region of the NP in the city of Joshua Tree. The site was a typical family, crowded campground. Though it saved us from the lack of a place to park and provided a close home base to Morongo Canyon Reserve, we didn't stay long. Description: Although technically in the park, this campground is not on the main road through the park.It is situated uphill from the city of Joshua tree, barely inside the park's boundaries. Amenities are water, flush toilets, and a ranger station. Site are too close together for privacy seekers like us. No boulders in sight. Each site provides table and fire pit with a grill. $15/night.

That said... it's the closest campground to Morongo Canyon Preserve (for birder's who want to travel on the cheap).

Birds spotted at Morongo Canyon Preserve. FYI spend a whole day there, pack a lunch, and wait -especially near the wet land/marshy area. Description of MCP: Preserve desert riparian oasis. Boardwalk through wooded marsh, maintained trails through hilly manzanita and creosote. 2nd highest density of breeding birds in CA.

Phainopepla ^ 

Bushtit

Ladderbacked Woodpecker (or Nuttall's WP)

Red-Tailed Hawk

Bewick's Wren

Wilson's Warbler

Gambel's Quail

We probably would have seen more if we had had more time and spent another day there.

Birds spotted at the Salton Sea - Corvina Camp Ground Description: Kayaking entrance, flat dirt parking lot along the water's edge. A few picnic tables. One central pit toilet and showers. Unpleasant rotting fish smell close to the entrance, but less smelly at the back of the site. Beach consists of heavy layer of barnacle and tube worm shells and ring of fish bones. Muddy shallow pools provide good plover and sandpiper sightings. Train runs behind the campground, though silently so.

Caspian Tern ^

Great blue heron

American Avocet

Pacific golden plover >

American white pelican

Various gulls

Brants

Western grebe

Great egret

Bonapart's Gull

Eared grebe   >