California Condor Ben Mcmillan Page 14 14-february-1983 Driving To the Northeast side of Cholame Flats at 9:00 A.M. I saw the first Turkey Vulture of spring in the Palo Prieta Canyon and Two Golden Eagles circling above foothills 2 miles East of Cholame, on highway 41. The weather was mild-clear and damp with little wind. One dead Stillborn calf and two dead Cows, that were fresh enough for hungry Condors were observed in the area. I drove North on road to Hancock Ranch then retraced my route until reaching the 466-41 highway East of Cholame where I took 466 highway To Blackwells Corner and back home via the Bitterwater Valley - No Condor were seen. Range lands on Cholame Ranch and all of the Bitterwater-antelope-Blackwell's Corner area-excepting four small holdings-was badly overgrazed. No old vegetative cover could be seen and the Cholame flats were Swept, if this term can be used to describe total lack of old grasses. All areas west of Blackwells Corner are green with a fresh stand of grasses that germinated with the last rains. Great numbers of Cattle and Sheep are being rushed into the above described area to take advantage of the new growth of grass. Fifteen flocks of Sheep are in the Blackwells Corner Area. Ted Twisselmann was burning Russian Thistle, with a crew of men. The Thistles had blown up against his fence south of highway 466 and was Pushing it down.... A dead Coyote hung on roadside fence, near Cedar Canyon, in Bitterwater Valley.