Avocets~

in flight over The Salton Sea in Southern California. (Click/tap to enlarge)

A pair in breeding plumage,

reflecting fragile,

flying beauty.

We continue to be deluged,

by blessed rain and snow,

with still more forecasted.

Salton Sea is cleaner and fuller than I have ever seen,

making the wintering birds happy.

They are ready now,

for the arduous flight north to breed.

Cheers to you from The Salton Sea~


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247 thoughts on “Avocets~

  1. The birds are very beautiful, Cindy. I have read about the political stuff regarding this accidental lake. The state seriously needs to finally go to work to try and save the Salton Sea. The lake is an important part of migratory birds. I was there just once some years ago.

  2. Everything was so hot and dry or cold and restless. Now mother earth is compensating to give her fields and animals a fresh start and a rest before your Spring bloom. Lovely pictures Cindy, may she top up their numbers too 😀❤️🙏🏽

  3. Gosh! These glorious creatures are quite unlike the – also glorious – birds we see in the UK which are strictly black and white. Only the beaks are the same. Wonderful shots.

    1. I would love to see yours and I want to return to Scotland to see your puffins. One of the great joys of travel for me is meeting new birds from all over the world დ

  4. Happy to join the chorus here in appreciation. Beautiful Cindy. Sort of twice seen thanks to the water reflections. Water means so much, doesn’t it. A naturalist I’m fond of said about the desert, the dominant feature was water, what shaped the landscape we see. Thank you for sharing.

    1. 26% of former drought areas are said to be out of drought status. I take this with a grain of salt. It is raining /snowing now throughout the state with more on the horizon. I have never seen this much rain and snow. Resevoirs are being released as I type დ

          1. I hope you’re right because your area needs it. I tend to believe you because the other source is, well, a government entity. And it just seems that the government lays out narratives with other agendas in mind. Have a great week. By the way, , snow here yesterday and more coming Tuesday. But that’s not unusual for western NY.

    1. Yes, The SS is getting an influx of fresh water which is a big help. It still remains a ecological nightmare though which is a huge concern for the people who leave near it and for the wildlife that depend upon it, especially the migrating birds on The Pacific Flyway დ

  5. Hope the rains and snow continue to do good for the winter birds – and all of you at The Holler, too.
    I worry about my California friends with feathers – and those without!

  6. What a lovely bird! I never heard of them before. Great shots, Cindy!
    We are getting crazy California weather news up here. I hope the Salton Sea doesn’t overflow!!

  7. Hi Cindy! My friends in the Sierras have been sharing photos of all the snow: it’s good to see that California’s getting some precipitation! The photos are also wonderful 😊

      1. That’s (mostly) good! I’ve heard that snow replenishes ground water more effectively than rain, because it melts slowly, rather than arriving in a downpour and then causing landslides.

        1. That makes sense. It percolates rather than floods. Although there is significant concern now about the snowpack being so excessive that it will cause flooding. They need to redirect it into the drying lakes and resevoirs.

          1. Yes, right after I made the “no flooding” comment I began to see news headlines about flooding in California 😅 It’s a shame that you don’t seem to be able to catch a break! California’s probably my favorite state overall, despite the natural disasters.

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