An Old Friend Visits Home!

Adult female condor, #192, returned to the Big Sur release site at the end of August for a brief visit. This was her first visit "home" in almost 5 years. Condor #192 was released in Big Sur in 1999 and spent her formative years along the Big Sur Coast. In 2006, she dispersed to southern California where she paired up with male Condor AC-9, an original member of the historic population, and began nesting. Since then she and her mate have produced multiple offspring and they are even raising a chick this year.  This fact and the distance she had to fly made her visit that much more amazing to us. She made a one-way flight of over 250 miles! 

192 hanging with the Big Sur flock

192 taking in the coast

After feeding and spending a couple days with Big Sur Flock she eventually returned to her nest site in southern California.  If her mate only knew where she had gone, what a flight! It was great to see her again, if only briefly.