From Desert To Salton Sea

It was only a 75 mile drive(about 30 as the crow flys)but a big difference,and we could smell the salt lake before we even saw it.
We came out to the lake at Salton City(a sleepy little place)which is just across from our present location,but had to travel north around the lake and down the eastern shore.The Recreation area stretches down the top half of the lake and we are at Salt Creek Primitive Campground,which is about half way through the Rec. area."It has a $5.00 a day for seniors fee" with garbage,water,and porta-potty.
There are about a dozen other R.V'ers here,spread out along the water's edge,including a very nice host.
Set-up took a bit of doing as the area slopes in 2 directions,but like I mentioned yesterday,my fear of many houseflies did not materialize,so hopefully we will be ok.The host told us of no problem.
Indio will be our shopping area for this leg of the trip,its about 25 miles away.So Ron and I quiz ed the host lady for the "where too's" like propane,Wal-mart etc.,and Ron's 1st question"How far to the nearest Burger-King?What a guy!

Sue wasted no time hitting the beach in search of some bird pics.And she got some good ones even with the afternoon glare off the water(will show some tomorrow.)
There was one white pelican off shore,but wasn't coming in too close.She finally walked up the beach and found a whole flock of them along with several other species of shore bird.
So far with my limited bird knowledge,I noticed grebes, an egret and several types of gull,like the ring beak.
I had to laugh as Ron and I were sitting and watching the goings on with all the birds on the water....that the pelicans wait for a gull to catch a fish,then they chase after him, and in one incidence,the gull shot straight up and the 2 pelicans collided with each other.What a hoot!


For those who are not familiar with this lake,here are a few facts:...We are at an elevation 227 ft (below) sea level.The lake is a 360 square miles or (241000 acres) California's largest lake.Its 35 miles long and 15 miles wide. Average depth,20-50 ft.It has no natural outlet....What flows in,stays.... and evaporates.Salt volume 401 tons.
Its fed mainly by agricultural drainage and storm runoff.Evaporation is 6 ft per year.
It was formed by an accident in 1905 when the flooding Colorado river broke through a levee in Mexico,south of Mexicali,forming a river that flowed into the Imperial Valley,creating the lake.

Its on the Pacific flyway,and the Salton Sea holds hundreds of millions of fish that feed wintering birds.Its a birding paradise,with more than 350 species that frequent the sea,and up to 4 million individual birds may be found here at any time.
Weather is nearly perfect at the Salton Sea in spring, fall and winter.Daytime temps average 75 (24c) with night time lows of 48 (9).
Summer is another story with daytime temps exceeding 100 (38c) with night time lows of 40-80 (21-27.)

Below is last nights sunset.I've taken these shots many times over the years here and every time it will catch a bird in flight somewhere in the pic.


If you want to see our PRESENT LOCATION ....Then keep clicking the little 9318 dish for zoom.OR up in the right hand corner,click on Google earth and zoom it to our exact location in the camping area.