astrobaja - 9-13-2010 at 01:17 PM
Hi all,
We attended this event saturday the 5th, it was well attended with lots of media both from Mexico and internationally. 4 new young condors arrived
the day before by plane from the San Diego zoo. You can read about it here:
http://www.wildcoast.net/site/index.php?option=com_content&a...
Cyanide41 - 9-13-2010 at 01:48 PM
That's awesome. I like condors and hope they thrive.
Dave - 9-13-2010 at 02:31 PM
How come they're bringing more condors? After eight years I'd expect the place would be overrun by now.
DianaT - 9-13-2010 at 02:42 PM
Thanks for sharing that----it is great. I am really happy the original project was a success and they were saved. It was so controversial at the
time.
Thanks again
astrobaja - 9-13-2010 at 02:55 PM
Dave, they take a long time to reach sexual maturity and only have one chick at a time. The population here does not have the stresses the one does in
California where lead poisoning is a real concern from hunters. As I understand it the long term goal is to have the Baja and Ca populations
eventually meet up so that more genetic mixing can occur. They did after all go through a huge genetic bottleneck so the modern populations do not
have the diversity that the old ones did.
Makes Sense
MrBillM - 9-13-2010 at 04:37 PM
Promoting the Proliferation of BUZZARDS in California.
Wiles - 9-13-2010 at 05:35 PM
Wow, how cool.
And so were the many college field trips up to Mt. Pinos to catch a glimpse of those guys.
irenemm - 9-13-2010 at 07:00 PM
awesome do you have any pictures to post?
redhilltown - 9-14-2010 at 10:34 PM
that is SO unlike Bill to interject a negative peey statement into a thread that had some spirit, hope, and optimism.
But as for me, go condors go! We saw one that was a bit off course in the Inyo mountains a few years ago and if you watch birds at all you knew RIGHT
away that is was not a vulture or hawk. Quite amazing.
Mexitron - 9-15-2010 at 06:17 AM
Great news!
Wiles---I used to go to Mt. Pinos in college too...my buddy Dave Clendenen was in the first research group from Cal Poly SLO, then with Fish and Game.
astrobaja - 9-15-2010 at 08:19 AM
Sorry Irene no pics of the event, but luck was with the condors the day they arrived in the sierra. The 1st plane actually crashed at the Meling
airstrip because it was so badly rutted! It lost one of its landing gear and damaged a wing! No birds or crew were injured! The 2nd plane landed
without incident.
Heres a pic of our visitors yesterday at the ranch, 3 were circling above us this one was the lowest, you are right redhilltown even at elevation
its easy to tell what amazing flyers they are! Oh yeah and Bill, just best to ignore the old coot!
Love This
Mulegena - 9-15-2010 at 08:34 AM
Thanks for the great report!
Would love to visit you sometime.
Are you up and running, Dark Skies?
TMW - 9-15-2010 at 08:40 AM
I don't mean to hijack this thread but here is a video of a hawk with a camera attached showing what the bird sees while flying.
Interesting video of hawks flying with a small camera strapped on their backs.
http://wimp.com/hawkssee
astrobaja - 9-15-2010 at 10:30 AM
Mulegina:
We are ready for the occasional guest, although we still have a little furnishing to do and my observatory will take another month or so
TW: very cool video!!
Heather - 9-15-2010 at 11:12 AM
I was at the SD Zoo on a bus tour Sunday and our guide pointed out the condors. Think she said when the population was down to less than 30 when they
rounded them up for a breeding program at the zoo. Think she said there are about 200 they have let go into the wild.
Very cool to see them at the zoo, or WAP.
We did see one at the Grand Canyon flying over that a few years ago, too.