Shrinking, sick and dying, without a freshwater inlet or drain-off outlet, California's once glamorous Salton Sea, where southern California boaters, RV'ers and such, is all but a memory. But it is still a major aviary stopover on the Pacific flyway.
It is said that of the 600 species of birds in North America, over 400 of those come here in the winter and spring. Canadian snow geese, pelicans, egrets, several varieties of ducks, ibis, red-winged blackbirds, native owls and roadrunners are among those on view in this birder's paradise. Finding strong photo opps grows tougher yearly as the water recedes, but with the right sky and some luck...it can still happen. However, the spot with the three bare trees where many of these were shot prior to 2010, is nearly a mile from the shrinking water line now and at least one of the trees has fallen.

Also see photos from nearby "Salvation Mountain" here: https://pbase.com/baldrich/salvationmtn

My website: http://bartaldrich.com/

All Images © Bart Aldrich, All Rights Reserved. Please contact for permission.