Death Valley NP and Ash Meadows NWR

 On September 23 and 24th we stayed in Death Valley National Park at The Ranch at Death Valley. Our room was on a golf course and we observed several species of birds which was a great bonus to our accommodations! 

We saw White-faced Ibis, White-crowned Sparrows, and Yellow-rumped Warblers

A Say's Phoebe perched on a little sign giving good views:

 

There were quite a few Eurasian-Collard Doves perched in the trees on the hotel grounds:

We also observed a large coyote stalking Kildeer on one of the greens but the birds made a hasty escape.

On September 24th we drive to Ash Meadows NWR just across the border in Nevada. This oasis was once slated for development but wiser heads prevailed and it was kept as a wild habitat. There are springs on the land that attract birds and are also the home to several species of tiny pupfish. The Devil's Hole pupfish, the rarest fish in North America, is there but the area is well guarded with fencing. We did see the Ash Meadows pupfish in one of the small spring fed streams.

 

It was late morning and the sun was so bright and the air temp in the 90's. The birds were quite scare. At the Crystal Springs reservoir we did see hundreds if American Coot, Mallards, and other waterfowl too far away to correctly ID.

The best find was our first sighting of a Greater Roadrunner near the reservoir's edge.

The bird raced to cover when we drove up and gave us the quickest glimpse. It was delightful to see this bird of the desert!