Observers: Tom Miko
Email: thomas.miko@verizon.net
Remote Name: 163.40.12.37
Date: 11/30/2004
Time: 07:39 PM -0500
Hi Tom and Everybody, I was up in Bishop this weekend, and had the pleasure of missing almost all the birds that have been posted recently (Harris' Sparrows in 3 locations, Varied Thrush, Black Rosy Finch, Bohemian Waxwing), but I did have 2 small Canada Geese in the same park this Sunday a.m. that I have been trying to find out about: Mallard sized, dark mantle and breast, no lower neck ring. A gentleman there called them "Lesser", and I would agree with him because of their neck length, but gosh, they were small-bodied and very dark! I'd like other peoples' opinion. Also in the park was an American Crow, which blew my mind (I didn't think that they occur in the Owens Valley!), but my trusty old copy of Garrett and Dunn says that a few pairs breed in Bishop and Big Pine. I have never seen crows anywhere in the Owens Valley, so this was new to me. Hm. Comments, folks? What's the name of that gentleman who lives in the Wallaces' former residence in Aspendell? When we got there Saturday, it was snowing, and there were no Rosy Finches (or humans). I had a 20 lb bag of seed, so I poured several pounds (after scraping 2 inches of snow off the feeder) here and there. I could tell that he hadn't been home in days if not a week. Well, Sunday we went up there after the snow plows cleared the roads, and there were around 20 (I didn't take a count) Grey-crowned Rosy Finches, and he came out of the house and thanked me for the seed (how did he know it was me who had been there Saturday???). I apologized for walking onto his porch the day before, and he literally said, "No problem, make yourself at home". That's cool. Tom Miko PS: after seeing no unusual birds anywhere all day Saturday, we tried to console ourselves by going to the movies in Bishop ("National Treasure" was fun), and got a $25 parking ticket in the dark alley next to the theater. The sign was posted on a brick wall, and unlit lit on a dark street, on a Saturday night, when only the restaurants and movie theater are open.