Observers: Tom, Jo, Matt, Kelli, & Ann Heindel
Email: tjheindelataoldotcom
Remote Name: 64.12.117.10
Date: 12/24/2004
Time: 06:20 PM -0500
On 18 December a female-plumaged Cinnamon Teal was found at the Bishop Sewer Ponds. It lacks normal primaries (shot off?) and will not be flying any time soon. On 24 December the pond was surrounded and photographs were finally taken to substantiate this first ever December record for Inyo County. It is in the southwest-most pond and usually IN the reeds at the north end. It took two walks around the pond very close to the edge to disturb it enough that it tried to swim across the pond to quietier quarters at the south end. It has a very large bill, larger than a Blue-winged and smaller than a Shoveler, a very plain face with a small white spot near the base of the bill. The breast has warmly edged feathers and some of the feathers as you look towards the tail have a redder brown cast to them.