The Salton Sea,
is quieter by April,
most of the wintering birds,
have flown north.
The still sea waits,
for the punishing summer sun.
A few stragglers remain,
not yet forced by heat to flee.
Cheers to you from The Salton Sea~
Inland Sea~
The Salton Sea,
is quieter by April,
most of the wintering birds,
have flown north.
The still sea waits,
for the punishing summer sun.
A few stragglers remain,
not yet forced by heat to flee.
Cheers to you from The Salton Sea~
That’s another item on my bucket list – if I ever again make it that far west.
Have a great weekend,
Pit
Please, before you visit, let me know, so I can give you tips on where to go. It makes a big difference, as the sea is a complicated place, with dystopian towns, pesticide pollution problems, and wildlife preserves teeming with birds in season and no people. Any trip to such a complicated area requires careful research beforehand. It is not a normal vacation destination by any means α
Great images.. So pretty πΉβ€οΈπ·β₯οΈ
Thank you! Much appreciated & cheers to you α
Beautiful place . Very peaceful.
Yes. There is a stillness to it and an absence of any people that draws me back over and over again α
Nice. I like the Salton Sea. It’s such a strange place.
Probably why I like it so much!! π
The Salton Sea is somewhere we’d love to visit one of these years! Thank you for sharing photos of it so I can enjoy vicariously until we make it there. Have a lovely weekend!
Let me know before you go, so I can give you some tips. The sea is a complicated place, with austere beauty, serious pollution problems, and dystopian areas. so research is crucial before a visit. Have a great weekend Teresa α
Thanks so much for the offer to give me more details before we go, Cindy! I will definitely ask you. I know my older kid has done reading on the area (since he’s doing ecology for his grad degree) but it’s always best to learn from someone who has actually been somewhere many times. xx
Wow, how coincidental. My son studied the same thing in grad school. Best to you Teresa α
I would love to see it in winter when all the birds are there.
Lovely photos. π
Thank you Lynette. It is really special with the sandhill cranes and snow geese and all sorts of surprising exotics. α
I love how unique the Salton Sea is! We went there once a couple of years ago.
It is a strange bird, full of lots of strange birds! π π
Thank you for sending the birds up my way. I promise to send them back to you when they long to return to the Salton Sea!
I know you will take wonderful care of them Rebecca αα
Cindy, Great photos, my friend! I have never been there, but I know that its area is huge. Have aa great weekend! Take care!
It is huge and varies dramatically from place to place. Some areas are desolate, and others teem with wildlife, depending on the season. Enjoy our sunny weekend weather Fabio & thanks for stopping by.
Thanks so much, dear Cindy! Have a great and sunny weekend! And it is always a pleasure to stop by your blog. Take care! π
You too my friend. Communicate with me first if you decide to visit.
Thanks so much, Cindy!
ααα
π
Beautifully expressed in both words and pictures,
.
Awww, thank you Anne. So appreciated. Cheers to you α
liebe Cindy, ich danke fΓΌr die schΓΆnen Bilder, hab ein gutes Wochenende , Klaus
Vielen Dank mein Freund. Bleib sicher, gut und glΓΌcklich! α
Lovely photos Cindy. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Thanks much my friend and visa versa 2UX2! α
I love the colours, the greens and yellows!
Thank you Emma. It is such a different sort of place. Not beautiful in any classic sense, but unique and beautiful, none the less. I visit several times each year. There are no people, just birds and wildlife, so I feel quite at home. α
Nicely layered sea-/landscapes
Thank you Derrick & cheers to you my friend α
I don’t think I’ve ever seen photos of the Salton Sea! Thank you for sharing them with us!! I particuarly like the ones including birds.
The birds are what make the sea special, particularly in winter when you never know what exotics you will see α
How far is the Salton Sea from where you live in the Holler?
Borrego Springs is about an hour and a half from The Holler, and the part of the sea with the wildlife refuges is about an hour from Borrego Springs.
Thanks, a short day trip, then!
Yes, although we often stay for overnights in Borrego Springs.
The birds are beautiful. Thanks for sharing Cindy. π
You are a lovely friend. Thank you & cheers α
Ah….the true snowbirds. Winter in warmth…go back in the summer.
Birds are bird brained which means very smart! α
I will remember that the next time I am called a bird brain π
Just say, “Thank so much!” π
I shall!π¦
αα
I hear things are heating up early for you out there. Stay cool! <3
Yes, shaping up to be the worst drought year in 150 years, and after so many years of drought, the risk of fire is extreme α
That is so worrisome. π What do you do for defensible space around your home?
Clear combustibles, and clear more. We are just starting the annual process. We have to keep at it until summer hits full force and things stop growing, but there are a lot of dead orchards around us now, and the owner is not responsible and will not clear, so this is a bad scenario.
Oy, fingers crossed you are spared. Isn’t there a legal recourse if it is a public safety hazard?
Probably. I think I will take some photos and send them to the local fire department prevention program. The governor just allocated 1/2 billion dollars to fire prevention efforts due to the 150 year drought issue. We’ll see if the money will be used as intended. It often isn’t, in my experience.
At least you will have known you tried. <3
αα
I had a lovely time…thank you for taking me along. <3
You are the best travel companion! α
A lovely desert oasis.
Thank you Brad. It is a pretty strange place, but has, life everything, it’s own unique beauty α
Lovely photos Cindy. Are there any fish there too?
Leslie xoxo
The sea is polluted with agricultural runoff and saline levels are rising as the sea evaporates. Efforts are currently underway to save the sea. It is a man made sea and used to support many fish species. Now desert pup fish, which are endangered and tolerate high salinity, and some tilapia still survive. α
That is good to know Cindy. The Sahara desert has some salt water issues too.
Leslie xoxo
I can well imagine.
Crisp pictures of the place. It seems there are many many kinds of bird there. I am not sure about the heat but I am sure they are good place as birds are there.
I go to the sea because I can see exotic bird species that are not endemic where I live. The sea is polluted, but efforts are underway to clean it up. It is a harsh environment and very few people visit, except for the odd bird, that likes birds, like me! π Hope you are safe and well my friend α
Beautiful scenery! It’s so clean and looks pristine.
Thank you! Looks can be a bit deceiving as you know. The Salton Sea is in the process of being restored. It is polluted with agricultural runoff and the saline content is increasing. Ballot Initiatives were passed and money allocated to try and save the sea. Efforts are currently underway to help. The nature preserve area that I photograph is set aside for the birds. Crops are planted for them and fields are flooded for them. The birds spend fall and winter here and then head to where you live. They are protected a bit from the pollution because they only stay here for a few months and animals that live shorter lives accumulate less toxins in their bodies over time.
Wonderful and peaceful fotos, I love them. It seems to be a good place for the birds.
Thank you Marie. Much appreciated and yes, the birds love the sea in the fall and winter. It is a resting place for them on The Pacific Flyway α
There is something ghostly about the Salton Sea. A fascinating place.
You have obviously been to the sea, since you used that term. I didn’t want to do another post talking about the pollution, the evaporation, the pesticide laden silt’s impact on the health of the people who live by the sea, the declining fish and bird numbers, the dystopian atmosphere, because I have done many of these posts in the past, and don’t want to be repetitive, but people are talking about visiting the sea after seeing the photos, so I guess I need to do another post as a warning. Yes the wildlife areas teem with birdlife and wildlife, and there is austere, non-human habitated beauty here, but the sea is also an environmental cry for help.
Will it dry up in the summer?
You live in a unique and wonderful place! β¦β¦
It is evaporating, and we are anticipating a 150 year historic drought this summer, after many years of drought now, so the salinity in the sea and the pesticides runoff in it will further concentrate. Ballot initiatives were passed and efforts are underway to save the sea, but the drought is continuing and worsening, bird numbers are declining, and unless something drastic changes, the sea will continue to deteriorate.
That is so sad!
Good thing there’s no global warming and climate change! π§π€¬
Yes, good thing, otherwise we would be in serious trouble.
What a beautiful place, and beautiful photos.
Alison xo
Thank you Alison. It is beautiful, but not in any standard or conventional way. It is a very different sort of place which is why so few people visit and why I love it α
Wonderful laying of colors, Cindy. The birding must be great. Any wildflowers or has it just been too dry?
Thank you Jane. Way too dry this year. Only the ocotillos are struggling with blooms. So Cal is entering an historic 150 year drought this year, after so many years of drought, this is terrible for the state and the sea. The sea will evaporate even more and salinity and pesticides will further concentrate, even the endangered pupfish that tolerate the salinity will be in trouble.
Terrible. I moved from NorCal to SoCal this year and the drought and heat is overwhelming at times.
Oh my goodness. So we are neighbors now! Welcome! My daughter, son in law and twins grandsons, also made the move from NorCal to SoCal in the past year. The heat and the drought are both overwhelming, so I understand entirely how you feel. Our governor has allocated 1/2 billion dollars for fire prevention efforts, so hopefully we will see some results from this.
Yes! Moved close to our kids and granddaughters. Nice to be near family, isnβt it? Hopefully, our wildfire season will be quiet.
How nice! And yes, especially with the pandemic, having family close became even more important. I am glad you are here Jane and share your hopes for a peaceful spring, summer and fall.
Thanks, Cindy!
αα
The Great Basin, not unlike the Salton Sea, is a captured drainage, that, were it to begin to rain and rain, would fill up and flood in a way Noah would wax nostalgic for. The return of the inland seas is probably not our due, but someday, someday…
Most of the sea is a dystopian cautionary tale, but the wildlife preserves are teeming with bird and wildlife seasonally, which is so hopeful. Ballot propositions have been passed, and efforts are underway to save the sea, but California, after so many years of drought, is entering an historic 150 year drought this year, so the sea will further evaporate and the salinity and pesticides will concentrate. We, and the sea, need rain, rain and more rain.
Very nice views. I’m a bit fed up with urban life. π€£
Where is Salton sea?
It is east of Borrego Springs in Southern California. Please if you decide to go, communicate with me first. I have posted so much about the pollution, the poverty and the restoration efforts of the sea, that I don’t want to be repetitive. It is a complicated place. Check this out to get an idea of what you would be dealing with to go here: https://cindyknoke.com/2018/06/17/paradise-lost/comment-page-1/
It is beautiful, austere, polluted, dystopian place, with wildlife preserves in certain areas that are empty of humans and filled with wildlife. I love the sea, but it is not a typical vacation destination by any means. If you do decide to visit, you can stay in Borrego Springs and drive out for day trips to the sea. But beware and research carefully.
I’ll make sure to get in touch with you first. TBH right now all I can think is Paris. PLease! Please! (To the French governement) “get your act together… We’re supposed to go in July, but I still see it a very close call.
(Hopping to your post)
Yes. Close indeed. Hope it works. α
Oh, one more thing if I may be so bold: do you know anyone in marketing or journalism in California? A friend of mine is trying to relocate from New York.
I don’t. Sorry α
It’s all right. It was a long shot anyway. Thing is I’d like to help this person but all my contacts (in Marketing precisely) are retiredβ¦
Take care Cindy. ππ»
αα
Lovely images of the changing of the ‘bird’ seasons.
….and are those black-winged stilts I see as stragglers?
They are indeed! You know your birds α
I only know the common birds I’ve photographed, Cindy. Same with flowers.
Yes. Thank you Vicki, No-one really ‘knows’ birds. Same with flowers. Love to you Vicki.
I could SALTON-ly SEA the beauty and wonder of the place, my friend!β‘( β‘βΏβ‘ )
You always make my <3 smile my friend α
And your great photos never fail to amaze me, my friend! β(βΰΈ±ββΰΈ± )β ΰΌβ‘
Back to you times two β(βΰΈ±ββΰΈ± )β ΰΌβ‘
β€οΈπ
Was fΓΌr ein wunderbares Γberwinterungsort fΓΌr ZugvΓΆgel. Es muss im Winter ein fantastisches Bird watching Gebiet sein. Ist es ein Meer (Sea) oder ein Seen- Gebiet?.
VΓΆgel beobachten war frΓΌher eine LieblingsbeschΓ€ftigung von mir. Ich kannte sehr viele SingvΓΆgel und war einige Male oft in der Camargue und in der Bretagne unterwegs, um VΓΆgel zu beobachten.
Meine Liebe Freundin, ich wΓΌnsche Dir einen herrlichen sonnigen Sonntag. Ernst
Hab einen schΓΆnen Sonntag, meine Freundin. Da mΓΆchte ich mal
Das Beobachten von VΓΆgeln ist eine meiner LieblingsbeschΓ€ftigungen in der Natur. Wir teilen dieses Interesse, mein Freund. Das Saltonmeer ist ein Binnensalzwassersee im sΓΌdlichsten Teil SΓΌdkaliforniens. Es ist ein Zwischenstopp fΓΌr ZugvΓΆgel auf dem Pacific Flyway. Etwa eine Milliarde VΓΆgel ziehen jedes Jahr auf dem Flugweg. Es erstreckt sich von Patagonien bis Alaska. Ich besuche mehrmals im Jahr das Meer, um exotische VΓΆgel zu sehen, die in SΓΌdkalifornien nicht endemisch sind. Es ist eine raue Umgebung, in der keine Menschen leben, nur VΓΆgel und wild lebende Tiere. Ich besuche sie daher sehr gerne. Bleib sicher und gesund Ernst. Ich hΓΆre immer gerne von Ihnen α
I was just wondering last month if the Salton Sea still had water, so thanks for this lovely photographic account of the beauty there, Cindy.
You are most welcome. The sea is still in trouble, evaporating and polluted. The sections in these photographs are in the wildlife preserves where they grow crops and flood fields especially for the birds. α
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Lovely pictures of the Inland Salton Sea by Cindy Knoke.
Thank you for your kind thoughtfulness Patricia & Happy Sunday my friend α
Great photos, Cindy. You captured the stillness. I only ever visited the Salton Sea in summer, when shimmering waves of heat came off the roads and there was a distinctive odor.
Yes. The odor of Sulphur and evaporating chemical salts. That is the odor of the middle/northern parts of sea, most pronounced at Salton City and Bombay City, and most intense in summer. It is different at the southern part of the sea where the two Sonny Bono Wildlife Preserves are. I prefer unit 1. Here fields are flooded and planted for the birds and there is lots of wildlife. The migratory birds are here in fall, winter and very early spring, before the heat hits. Summer is exactly as you described. I have found some of the northern parts of the sea interesting in the summer, near the yacht club, for photographing the deserted, stark landscape and sea. Once there was a solitary brown bubby there in the mid-summer heat, which was quite a surprise. Lots of The Salton Sea look and feel like a stark post-apocalypse movie. α
Such a perfect time. Your photos capture these moments. Thank you, Cindy.
You are a joy to know Jennie α
π₯°
Very scenic places friend.π
Grateful to have you as a friend α
Such an interesting place! Thank you for sharing your love for it, the different landscapes and of course, the birds π
Love flying back to you Val α
The progression of time, right, Cindy? Lovely scenes you’ve shared — thank you!
Yes. Time progresses without our opinion on the process π
Hello, popular Traveller Lady, as always I had to scroll and scroll to find my place in your comment section! And, as always, I wallowed in a wee haven of peace while tasting your photos. Sending a hug from locked down Toronto. Be safe and well, Cindy. xx π
I am so sorry about Toronto. I was reading about your lockdown. These are no fun at all. Stay safe and well and thank you for your very kind thoughts α
Peaceful place!
Yes. Wildlife and no people α
Unfortunately, human is most dangerous predator, as we see. Sorry, not all of us, but… π
Very true.
Soooo beautiful!
Awww, so happy you enjoyed & thank you for letting me know α
That must be such an amazing place to study birds in the winter!
I love visiting. Lots of wildlife and no people! α
It looks hot. Does the water evaporate in the heat of summer? An intriguing place with long legged looking stilts?
Gorgeous blog,Cindy
Your thoughtfulness is sincerely appreciated. Thank you & cheers α
Thanks for encouragement and admiration,Cindy
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Best of luck
αα
I remember going there when I was a child. It looked like a real lake then. I understand it’s drying up now.
Yes. Evaporation is accelerated due to California’s drought α
Spot on with this write-up, I actually believe that this web site needs a lot more attention. IΓll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the advice!