Observers: Gerry & Vicki Wolfe
Email: devawolfeatyahoo.com
Date: 01/06/2008
Time: 06:18 PM -0500
The fall/winter RUSTY BLACKBIRD was first located during the CBC in the middle of the NPS sewer lagoons and again later that afternoon perched in the mesquites on the west border of the lagoons. We located it again today (1/6/08) at about 10:00 AM on the floor of the middle sewer lagoon by scoping through the fence. Public access to the lagoons is by foot only and there is no public access inside the fence. The lagoons can be reached from the Furnace Creek Airport public parking area by the hangar. FAA safety regulations restrict access to the tarmac to pilots and airplane passengers only, so park then walk north along the perimeter of the airport tarmac (the paved airplane parking and taxiing area) to the dirt sewer lagoon access road that starts at the far NW corner of the airport tarmac and east of the runway. Follow the dirt access road around the north end of the runway to the fenced lagoons. Please stay on the dirt road and do not walk on the road while planes are taxiing, taking off, or landing. A spotting scope is definitely required to find the bird.