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Salton Sea Burrowing Owl Report 2008
In response to Joel's (Kdog's) inquiry, here's some info about the burrowing owls at the Salton Sea. They have badly declined over the past 2 years. In each vist to the area, I always crisscross the farm roads searching the dirt embankments for the owls. In 2006-mid 2007 it was easy to find 20-30 owls within easy reach of a 300-400mm lens, plus many more at a distance. In my visits in late December 2007, May 2008, and November 2008, the numbers steadily declined. In November 2008, I searched many miles of embankments and only saw 5 burrowing owls total--and only 2 were close enough to photograph. If anyone else has had a different experience recently, please let me know. Maybe the owls moved to Yuma.
1. Here's a photo from the November 2008 trip--the owl half out of its burrow.
From May 2008
Another from May 2008.
1. Here's a photo from the November 2008 trip--the owl half out of its burrow.
From May 2008
Another from May 2008.
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The use of pesticides and its run-off in the counties of Imperial and Coachella have and probably will continue to destroy what habitat it comes in contact with. Although real killers like DDT have been banned, even in Mexico, its still in use as a mosquito eradication method in South America (Malaria). Obviously, since the Salton Sea is a MAJOR stop on the pacific flyway, Burrowing Owls and other species will come in contact with wildlife thats been affected by DDT and other chemical nasties. A lot of agriculture out there will use pesticide to eradicate insects and such. Burrowing Owls have a huge plate to feed from, insects, small mammals and birds, obviously the opportunities to eat something corrupted are pretty high. Those in the KNOW will sometimes poo-poo that assumption, but since when were a lot of those in the know about these things right? When there's a decline in ground squirrels for instance, adequate burrowing opportunities for the owls will also decline. They typically don't burrow their own little apartments. It's all about trickle down. When we destroy one critter, others will suffer....and that's what you're witnessing.
Then of course, we have habitat destruction. A lot of the agricultural lands are undergoing a change from drive-thru food sources to homes for Buffy and Muffy Butthead.
Eventually, all we'll have left is pictures of the Burrowing Owl...like yours, which are bloody excellent by the way. The Salton Sea is caught up in a bureaucratic mess, unlikely to remove itself from the tentacles of stupidity any time soon. Take as many pics as you can. The SS used to be a sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife, but our habit of killing anything and everything we come in contact with is sealing its fate.
Sorry, I talk too much, but someone asked why...
Second, this whole Salton Sea decline makes me feel ill. :cry Can't there be something done about it?
-joel
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First, thanks, Joel. I've been wrapped up in so many work projects and travel, I haven't been able to do the photography side. Second, actually, the Torres Martinez tribe is doing something about it. They are in the process of creating a new refuge where the Whitewater River flows into the northern end of the Salton Sea. They are managing the freshwater flow to reduce the salinity of ponds they have created--providing more suitable habitat for the water birds. Also, agriculture is much less intense in that area, so there is probably a much reduced input of pesticides and fertilizers.
I briefly talked with Debi Livesay, who has spearheaded the project.
See an interview with her at http://www.saltonseainfo.com/tribeproject.htm
She says they would like to open the area to nature photographers and birdwatchers, but they need a visitors center to manage the use of the area. They cannot get the funds to build one. The grants they have received so far come from sources that only support building habitat, not buildings. If they could get this project completed, it would be a great place for people like us.
I talked with people at the National Wildlife Refuge. They don't monitor the burrowing owl populations in the farm areas and were not aware of the decline. I can only speculate about pesticides, loss of food resources, and use of heavy machinery on the dirt embankments where the owls burrow..... In this last trip I inspected many square miles of potential habitat, especially areas where I and others have seen concentrations of owls in the past. If the birds moved, they moved a long ways away.
Unfortunately, you're right. The Torres Martinez project is limited to just their northern reservation--they can't do the whole Sea. Resource agencies are making plans to improve larger areas, but the plans also entail having to abandon--sacrifice--large sections of the Salton Sea to worse degradation as the price for improving the selected parts....
Hi Jeff, where have you been? After these heavy rains, I think it will take some time for the area to dry. [Explanation and warning for people who haven't been there after rains: when wet, the area has alkali mud that is extremely slick and sticky. If you have ever driven on black ice, you only know part of what this is like. It is very easy to slide off the road into the omnipresent ditches. And the heavy goo on your wheels will not spin off and will limit your speed to 30 mph. Try getting home at that rate. In wet conditions, don't even think about putting wheels off the paved and heavily graveled areas.]
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How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks, Harry. I agree about the habitat destruction.
However, in a few places, people are building burrowing owl habitat, which isn't too hard to do--they just build a big mound of dirt and keep it free of vegetation over 6" high. Some also bury 6" pipes, like pvc flex culvert connected to buried valve boxes, which the owls will use as burrows and nesting habitat. (Google burrowing owls habitat burrows for examples.) We need more people doing things like this, and, more importantly, not destroying habitat in the first place.