Andy

The photos are great. I particularly like the one of the condor flying away.

I know what an exciting experience that was for you--great! Many years ago I was lucky enough to be very close to (just up a hillside from) the entire band of wild, free-flying Condors. They were resting, preening, taking off, soaring. In flight, they are simply magnificent.

Thanks for the comments guys. Yes, very exciting experience to see such enormous birds up close. Hopefully, they'll regain their fear of man, stop eating the garbage on the roads and establish a wild population!

Condors by nature are extremely curious, and they have, as you know, discovered the San Gabriels with all of it's attractions. Unfortunately this area poses some risks to the birds. Those condors frequenting the San Gabriels are free-flying birds from the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge and Sespe area near Fillmore. The younger birds have been known to pick up and ingest bits of plastic, glass, metal fragments, and cloth they find along the roadside. Younger breeding birds have been subsequently feeding this "mico-trash" to their nestlings which has resulted in the chick's death. We suspect condors picking up this trash are looking for bone fragments that would provide them and their chicks with needed calcium. Three wild chicks are due to hatch this week. You can help by picking up trash and encouraging others to do the same, and not littering. Enjoy the condors from a distance. Please don't approach the birds or try to feed them. US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and volunteers are monitoring the area. If you are present and see condors in the area and no biologists present please call the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex office at 805-644-5185. If you can read the numbers on the wing tags that information would be helpful.For more information visit our website at http://hoppermountain.fws.gov.

USFWS Hopper Mtn.National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Ventura