Imperial Valley California - Burrowing Owls and other birds

My daughter and I are currently on vacation in La Jolla. We plan to visit the Salton Sea / Imperial valley area for bird photography in the next few days. Any suggestions on where to see birds there and especially where to find burrowing owls?

Thanks!

hey Matt, you are aware of course that the Imperial Valley was the basis of the saying "only mad dogs and Englishman are out in this heat".  The Salton Sea is in its death thros and is pretty stagnant.  I would contact the Audubon Society of San Diego for owls....there used to be a colony on North Island (Coronado) on the beach next to the barrier fence entrance to the Navy golf course.

edit:  there is a nice coastal marsh (lots of different birds) that is not too far from La Jolla, right off of I5 that is set up for walking and has a manned visitor center.  I can't remember the name but a google for bird hot spots will show it up.  South Bay wildlife area between Coronado and Imperial Beach has a rich variety of bird life that can accessed by walking on the dykes.  Good bone fishing there too.

I went to the Tijuana River NWR at Imperial Beach - very few birds.

Went to San Elijo lagoon - very few birds.

Went to Torrey Pines lagoon - some seagulls, that's about it.

The best place for birds so far has been the north area of La Jolla Cove, with nesting gulls of all ages, nesting cormorants with all ages and eggs, hunting egrets, resting pelicans and of course lots of non-bird marine wildlife.

I think we are going to give Salton a try - maybe after a sunrise at the Imperial dunes.

Actually the best other place for wild birds besides La Jolla has been native birds taking advantage of the ponds at the San Diego Wildlife Park. Tons of birds there!

Someone also recommended Balboa Park, so we may give that a try too.

sdaconsulting wrote:I went to the Tijuana River NWR at Imperial Beach - very few birds.

Went to San Elijo lagoon - very few birds.

Went to Torrey Pines lagoon - some seagulls, that's about it.

The best place for birds so far has been the north area of La Jolla Cove, with nesting gulls of all ages, nesting cormorants with all ages and eggs, hunting egrets, resting pelicans and of course lots of non-bird marine wildlife.

I think we are going to give Salton a try - maybe after a sunrise at the Imperial dunes.

Actually the best other place for wild birds besides La Jolla has been native birds taking advantage of the ponds at the San Diego Wildlife Park. Tons of birds there!

Someone also recommended Balboa Park, so we may give that a try too.

As you can tell, summer is not the best time for birds in SD.  San Pascual (SD wildlife park) ponds always has birds as you have found out.  If going to SD river mouth or Coronado tide flats, be sure to go at low tide.  Santee lakes are good.  The laguna mts. between SD & the imperial valley have some unique species and is much cooler.  Lake cuyamaca state park has water so may be worth a shot.  Even in winter when many birds are around, they are in eclipse plumage.  I always thought sea birds like loons and grebes were really boring until I moved north and saw their breeding  feather outfits.

The Imperial valley was spectacular! Tons of burrowing owls both inside and outside their burrows, including a parent and her two owlets. Lots of cattle egrets and white-faced Ibis. RWBBs, doves, a few GBHs (although those are ubiquitous in NC), swifts, pelicans, ducks and more. And I enjoyed the landscape opportunities at the Algodones dunes for sunrise, and the Salton Sea (and the ruined resort at Bombay Beach).

Far better avian opportunities than I saw near San Diego.