California Condor Eben Mcmillan 11 December 1963 I left home at 11:00 A.M. and drove eastward across the San Joaquin Valley under a high fog. It was cold. One Mountain Plover crossed the roadway flying westward as I drove near the mouth of Bitterwater Valley. At a spot about five miles east of [illegible] a flock of Ewes and their Lambs were feeding in an alfalfa field north of the roadway and immediately next to the road. A flock of Tricolor and Redwing blackbirds were rising and settling among the sheep. It would be difficult to estimate the total numbers of blackbirds in this flock but a wild guess would be twenty thousand. It was the largest flock of birds I have ever seen concentrated together in one cohesive flock. It was amazing to see them wheel and bank as a unit without one mishap. I photographed this flock and in leaving the area a segment of this flock of birds broke away from the main group and moved off to the Northeast. This segment was flying in a long strong out column that appeared to be about a quarter mile long and could still be seen after they had flown quartering from my line of direction after a had left the area ten minutes. Sheep Ewes and Lambs, were on the hills east of highway 65. Recent rains and moist fog had given this area a good start with the new grass. The young shepherds had not seen Condor (two shepherds) but gave every indication that they would be on the watch and keep notes should they see anything similar to a Condor in the area.