From: Miko Ruhlen
Email: mruhlen@prbo.org
Remote Name: 209.178.164.106
Date: 10/23/02
Time: 12:02:43 PM
I counted 158 Snowy Plovers in one flock today in Zone 2 of Owens Lake around 9am! Chris Rintoul came over to verify my count and make sure I wasn't seeing double. They were located in area 3N (between road 3 and road 1) of Zone 2 off berm 3 which is the western most drivable berm of the Zone, sort of midway down. They were roosting in the alkali just easst of the tip of the non-drivable berms adjacent to berm 3. I put a green pin flag where I walk out and it is just across from a white electrical box midway down berm 3. Walk out along the eroding and somewhat trecherous mud berms perpendicular to berm 3 and keep going east until you can't walk out any more and then scan from there. Make sure to check in with Barnard Construction before you go walking out on trecherous eroding berms. I have seen plovers in flocks here fairly consitently over the past few weeks. They are spread out over the alkali and hard to see roosting so it is better to go in the early morning before heat waves.