Bird Watching

The Collected Writings of Mark Miller.

Bird WatchingDays To RememberPickleballReal EstateThings To KnowTrilogy La Quinta & Polo ClubSun City Palm DesertSun City Shadow HillsThings To DoHikingPhilosophy
Ring-billed gulls fly at Lake Cahuilla

Layers of a Desert Lake: Birds of Lake Cahuilla in Winter

A winter morning at Lake Cahuilla reveals four birds hunting in different ways—sky, trees, surface, and below—one layered desert ecosystem. ...
Pacific Flyway - Visual Map

The Pacific Flyway: Coachella Valley’s Living Migration Path

Each year, billions of birds pass over the Coachella Valley along the Pacific Flyway—one of the oldest migration routes on Earth. In the heart of...
flock of starlings with the santa rosa moutains behind them in Thermal, CA

European Starlings Return To Thermal, CA Agriculture Land

European Starlings return to Thermal, CA—hunting insects in open fields as hawks watch from the palms. A striking sign that fall has arrived in the...
Salton Sea, CA - Bird Watching Guide

Salton Sea, CA - Bird Watching Guide

Who’d have guessed California’s largest lake would top my bird‑watching list? Contrary to most people's belief, the Salton Sea’s wildlife is still very much alive...
Egrets and Cranes: A Day at the Salton Sea Refuge

Egrets and Cranes: A Day at the Salton Sea Refuge

Today "10.29.24" I visited the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, and it felt like stepping into another world.  The day started with a sky...
Birds of the Coachella Valley and Conservation Efforts

Birds of the Coachella Valley and Conservation Efforts

The Coachella Valley, located in Southern California, is a region known not only for its unique desert landscape but also for its incredible biodiversity, especially...