DRYING UP
THE SALTON SEA, California’s largest lake, is an intriguing migratory stopover that shows a different facade with each season. At least until the last few years. The sea’s ecology has declined rapidly since 2016, threatening fish and bird populations. But first, let’s look back to better times, to see how we arrived at the situation the sea faces today.
My first visit to the sea, located in the Colorado Desert in the southern part of the Golden State, on a crisp mid-February day in 2010, was an eye-opener. A thousand Eared Grebes bobbed and dove in the water, and large flocks of American White Pelicans skimmed the surface in search of fish. The clear water sparkled in the bright winter sunlight, and the sea looked vibrant and alive. Showing its best side, it seemed pristine. It was difficult to see how this body of water had garnered such a tarnished image over the years. Could it really be so foul?
A later quest for Yellow-footed Gulls in mid-August, however, was a different story. It only took a few moments in the 110-degree heat and 75 percent humidly for sweat to pour down my face. As I scanned the shore near Salton City, the smell of rotting fish strewn about the sand was overpowering. Several gulls lazily picked at the carcasses in the bright sunlight. Yellow-footed Gull and other target birds were easy to find that day. A carload of British birders joined me along the edge of the water
