Bico Away Journal Aug 14, 1965 Mono Lake, Mono Co., Calif. Stopped at 3:45 PM on way to hike. I am amazed at the huge numbers of shore birds observed. I walked down to the far north shore, where columns of clay or mudstones are weathered into 20+ foot spires. Some of these columns are in the water, where gulls are roosting, and some are on shore and contain great numbers of roosting blackbirds. From the car, the vegetation is sage brush, which gives way to a higher, more dense thicket farther down. After this a long sloping marsh-grassland continues to the shoreline. Large numbers of California gulls, adults and first year birds, line the shore and some can be seen further out in the lake also. Possibly ringbills are present but my gull identification does not permit positive identification. Great numbers of Northern Phalaropes are seen at the water's edge, some even outside the water working in the pools. About 10 avocets were counted, all along the shore or flying near shore. The most common bird by far here is the eared grebe which can be seen sitting on the water far out into the lake in quite dense concentrations, possibly extending to the south side. Also along the bank can be seen about 15 of what appear to be long billed dowitchers, altho none shows any remnant of breeding plumage. This identification is very questionable. At 6:30 PM we meet Jim & Barrie Blattau at the Mammoth Lakes turnoff. We spend the night in Mammoth Village after buying some camping equip. at sporting goods store, ie Primus stove 12°°, boots for Barrie 12°°, sleeping bag liners, ground cloth