Jenny E. Ross / A crop-dusting plane sprays insecticide on a field of lettuce in California's Imperial Valley near the Salton Sea. Imperial Valley, California, USA.

Jenny E. Ross / Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) wading and feeding in a shallow area of the Salton Sea, Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. California, USA

Jenny E. Ross / California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) in breeding plumage, Salton Sea, Califorina, USA

David Welling / Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) male in winter plumage, Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, California, USA, May

David Welling / Abert's Towhee (Pyrgisoma aberti) perched on branch, Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, California, USA, May

Steven Kazlowski / School of Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish swimming in the Salton Sea in winter, Colorado Desert, California

Steven Kazlowski / Black-necked / Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) with a freshly caught Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish in beak, catch in mouth, Salton Sea, Colorado Desert, California

Steven Kazlowski / American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) swimming in the Salton Sea in winter, Colorado Desert, California

David Tipling / American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) standing in shallow water, Salton Sea, California, USA, April

David Tipling / Greater roadrunner (Geococyx californianus) alongside road with snake, Salton Sea, California, April

David Tipling / Geothermal power plant on shores of Salton Sea, California, USA, April 2009

David Tipling / Greater roadrunner (Geococyx californianus) running along a road verge carrying a snake, Salton Sea, California, April