Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
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Transcription
Journal
R.E. Johnson
1968
Nor. 21 Bodie, Mono Co., California (cont.)
Flock appears behind me, circling over tailings.
Each flock [i.e. the last two] 20-25 birds.
Occasional single birds appear and go into hole.
Flock activity apparently stopped by 2:45 pm.
2:50 PM - 3 birds go in hole, first land on edge,
then go down shaft. These came from down the
valley [east or e.s.e] rather than from toward
the Sierra.
3:00 PM - 3 birds fly overhead, over tailings, without
stopping at shaft.
2:05 PM - 2 birds leave hole, fly over tailings.
Once our observations at shafts 4 & 5 were over at
about 4:05 pm, we explored to the north for additional
vertical shafts. Marr found a large one a short ways
above the road, i.e. no. of #4. From hole #4 it appeared some birds
may have entered this one.
I located one with a vertical entrance & a second vertical
hole that turned to meet the 1st in 10 ft. Rocks thrown
down this shaft brought numerous birds up the
shaft. It is clear that there are at least 30 birds
in it. All that I could see clearly had the gray
cap limited to the top of the head & were chestnut, not
black (i.e. they were tephrocotis or dawsoni). This shaft is
just to[illegible] the east of a prominent hill top. Marr went
over the hill & located one large & 2 small shafts
on the new side & part way down which contained
Rosy Finches (determined by throwing rocks in the