Posted by Kristie Nelson (166.5.151.8) on October 19, 2001 at 14:08:20:
In Reply to: August passerine posted by Phil Pickering on October 04, 2001 at 20:39:56:
While I have not spent a whole lot of time musing over this one, thought I'd add my 2 cents of someone living in Mono county. Phainopepla is a super hot (as in rare)bird to the eastside. Although they appear to be incresing as a spring transient (there have been 1-2 sightings the last 2 springs in the riparian areas around Mono Lake), I believe there are only a few other county records. So a phainopepla staying over the summer to moult, or a juvenile, would be even more unusual, and probably a first (although I'm uncertain about the far Southeast part of the county).
Just looking at the picture, this bird appears to my eye to most look like a GRFL.