Blogging about Wildlife, Photography, Conservation and Everything In Between
Happy New Year!
Just a quick post for another free wildlife photography wallpaper. Just click on the image for the full sized version or use the link Free Nature Wallpaper – Snowy Egret.
Juvenile California Condor male, Pinnacles National Monument, California
Our most Endangered Neighbor is the California Condor with less than 200 individuals in the wild (There are about 181 in captivity). Like the Sea Otter, the low California Condor numbers are due mainly to historical reasons. Many were shot since they were seen as threats to livestock (sadly not true as they are strict carrion eaters) and for museum specimens. Then, as for so many other bird species, came the problem of pesticides, specifically DDT. It caused their egg shells to be too thin, causing them to break.
Soaring juvenile California Condor, Big Sur, California
Though Condor numbers are on the rise the still face modern day threats:
California Condor juvenile male flying, Pinnacles National Monument, California
Though these guys are not as cuddly and cute looking as our beloved otters, there are still people who are devoting their life to saving this amazing species. Mainly, the people from the Ventana Wildlife Society’s Condor Project are responsible for their increase in numbers by managing and conducting a few different projects.
Replacing batteries on radio transmitter on California Condor, Big Sur, California
Monitoring California Condor at Release Site, Big Sur, California
California Condor release, Big Sur, California
They (here Lyla Hunt) also get to clean out the dead rats used as food for the California Condors in their holding pen, Big Sur, California - yummy!
Radio tracking California Condor, Big Sur, California
In fact, the wild flock in central California, aka along the Big Sur coast is a direct result of their dynamic efforts.
Now as always, there are plenty of little steps we can all take to help condors out. Trust me, if for no other reason than this one, you want these guys to survive to see one of them soar near you. Their impressive nine foot wing span is awe inspiring!
So here are the steps you and me should be taking!
California Condor and Turkey Vulture flying, Big Sur, California -- oh yeah, there is a size difference 
If you spend enough time outdoors eventually you get lucky to have ‘once in a lifetime’ wildlife experiences. We all remember these distinct events clearly and I know I won’t forget any of them for the rest of my life. This last weekend I was lucky enough to once again have one of these completely breath taking encounters.
Jeff Swanson, a good friend of mine and amazing landscape photographer, and I made the trek to Pinnacles National Monument to try and find some California Red-legged Frogs that JK let us know we could find there (thanks again Jake). Since we wanted to be at Bear Gulch Reservoir by sunrise that meant getting up at 3:00am. It was amazing to be the only people at the reservoir, it was completely tranquil and quiet (except beautiful bird calls of course!).
Bear Gulch Reservoir, Pinnacles National Monument
Since we didn’t have much luck finding adult frogs (we did find tadpoles which were awesome) and the light was getting harsher we decided to go for a little hike. First we encountered this amazing valley scene:
Bear Gulch, Pinnacles National Monument
and then as we were higher up the trail we saw what I was hoping for the whole time while hiking, California Condors!
There were a couple of them perched in a tree so I left my gear with Jeff and went into stalking mode. I was still quite a bit away but got some images with the 100-400 telephoto lens when one of the birds flew right at me and landed on the rocks fifteen feet away from Jeff. I got back there as quickly and quietly as I could, hoping to be fast enough to get some shots but also not too fast to scare the bird away. The juvenile condor then decided it wanted a closer look at Jeff and I so he started hopping even closer (if you have ever seen a condor hop, you know how funny yet powerful it looks). My heart was pounding and my body was shaking from the excitement. I decided to grab some portrait shots while I had the chance, knowing that this was a rare event.
Juvenile male California Condor, Pinnacles National Monument
Juvenile male California Condor, Pinnacles National Monument
Juvenile male California Condor, Pinnacles National Monument
After having taken about 50 images, he decided to come even closer and was within 5 feet of us. I used my landscape camera and lens to get wide-angle views of him. Here is a shot as he seems to check us out.
California Condor in Pinnacles National Monument
Just to give you an idea how close he is:
California Condor and me photographing it - Copyright Jeff Swanson
Finally, after about 20-30 minutes he decided to take off again. It was absolutely impressive as he spread his 9 foot wings to glide off.
California Condor flying in Pinnacles National Monument
Jeff and I were sitting there for another 10 minutes saying how crazy that really was. What an experience!
Note: I keep using the term he, this is based on his tag that is attached to his wing. It looks like he is a three year old male (his pinkish throat pouch would seem to confirm this as well) born on April 23, 2008. All California Condors are tagged, even the wild born chicks are caught and fitted with a radio transmitter so if you see a bird without a number it is very very unlikely that it is a California Condor. You can find out about each condor’s life on the Condor Spotter site.
What was one of your most memorable wildlife experiences?
We have formed a new partnership to help in the conservation of California Birds and their habiats through the Conservation Past the Archival Print program.
All online sales in the next three months from the Birds of California Portfolio will benefit the Peninsula Open Space Trust or POST as most people know them as, with 15% of sales going directly to this organization.
POST is an amazing non-profit organization. Since its founding in 1977, POST has been responsible for saving 64,000 acres as permanent open space and parkland in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. I have used many of these lands, and have taken a number of my favorite images on land that is protected due to them. It is crucial to support POST’s land conservation efforts in an area that is so highly populated as the Bay Area. These sanctuaries provide safe havens for many species and can act as rest areas for migratory species and as wildlife corridors for dispersing mammals.
Much of the land POST has protected is open to the public. In addition POST sponsors the annual Wallace Stegner Lectures. For a list of places you can visit, go to http://www.openspacetrust.org/activities/outings.html
