From: Kristie nelson
Email: storm_petrel@hotmail.com
Date: 1/14/02
Time: 1:03:30 PM
Remote Name: 209.221.192.34
hi all, On Jan 11 I birded crowley lake and a bit around bishop. At Millpond park near Bishop was a PINK-SIDED JUNCO in a big flock near the bathrooms by the pond. I have occationally tried failingly to make other pale oregon's into pink-sideds, but this one left no doubt. Slate blue-gray head with contrasty black lores, different, contrasty back color, super pink on the sides. I don't know how unusual that is.
Good stuff in mono: There were tons of birds on the SW part of Crowley, the largest unfrozen part, accessed by a road (4WD with good clearance only) off Laton Springs. a good couple thousand birds jumbled into the unfrozen water.High #'s are rough estimates: 2 Gr. white fronted geese 1 ross's goose 1 tundra swan 150 pintail 100 gadwall 200 Am wigeon 50 Canvasback (previous high count in the Gaines book is 130 100 scaup 100+ C. Mergansers 125 mallards 150 Canada Geese 3 Common goldeneye 75 bufflehead plus lots of coots, ruddies. 9 bald, 1 golded eagle Maybe a lack of active birding in the Mono area for this time of year, but the Gaines book of birds for Mono basin and Yosemite has no records of most of the diving ducks for this time of year. have fun, Kristie