14-Sept-2002 Field Notes

Spoke to Hopper crew at 0830 and they say W-100 made it home safely. No signals until 1200, when R-111 again popped up at 100° E. By 1300 I also had B-155 at 100° E as well as Y-192, B-171, Or-209, Or-204, Or-212,Or-199, and Y-190 at 320° NW. All signals were strong and consistent and I dusted off the lens on the old spotting scope. B-155 remained consistent and of moderate strength until I lost her at 1715, near 80° N, again, possibly,near Castle Crags. I continued to track the Ventana birds into the evening,all of which stayed to my NW except Y-194. By about 1530,she had movedsteadily S toward Black Mt and I was getting what may have been my strongest signals ever, due N of the Lookout. At 1745 I got a good visual of Y-194 at 50° N  as she worked a thermal with 50+ Turkey vultures off of Pozo Summit. It was truly a sight to behold, watching Y-194 cut back and forth across that wide saddle, taking only moments to span its entirety. I watched Y-194 soar from 1746 to 1820, arguably the best 34 min of bird watching I’ve had this summer from Hi Mt. At 1821 I lost her into the haze just behind the Black Mt. summit. At 1900 I was had lost all the Ventana birds except Y-194. I had one set of signals from B-164 to my NW at 1920. Incredibly, I continued to get strong and consistent signals throughout the evening from Y-194, somewhere off Black Mt.Last signals for her were at 2230, strong and consistent, at 60° N. Sweet dreams, 194……. -Paul Andreano