Happy Holidays from the flock!

As 2015 comes to an end, our crew has been busy keeping track of the newest members of the flock – seven young captive-raised birds that now call the hills and coastline of San Simeon home. These youngsters have been rapidly gaining flying skills and attention since we began releasing them in September. For more details, check out this article published last week in the Cambrian.

All of this year’s fledglings are thriving, including our mysterious untagged juvenile. 787, aka “Sky”, was spotted again last week at the release slope. This makes Sky the first of this year’s fledglings to make his or her big debut on the Big Sur social scene. Keep an eye out for Sky on the camera!

We also welcomed back several condors that had completed treatment for lead poisoning. Thanks to the skilled keepers at the Oakland and LA Zoos, they are fully recovered and have been released back into the wild. Here VWS Condor Interns Jane Sheffer and Darren Gross hold 219, aka “Puff Daddy”, as his transmitters are replaced before his release.

Interns with Condor 219

This holiday season, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and hope that you are able to celebrate condor style, by chowing down while surrounded by family and friends. .

Happy Holidays from the Condor Crew!

Girl Power!

Photo of Chick #787 shortly after hatch

We documented yet another fascinating display of condor survival this nest season. Condor females 317 and 171 have been working together to raise a chick in the wild in a nest cave in an extremely remote location in Big Sur. Ca.  VWS Biologists were only able to access the nest twice due to its remoteness.  On the final nest check, they left a trail camera behind to capture the wild hatching process, an event never captured on film.  Biologists hoped this camera would capture a time lapse sequence of the chick hatching and eventual fledging from the nest cave.  

Females #171 and #317 join forces

Biologists are also curious to see how two females will raise a wild chick without a male present. They believe that the two females joined forces after the suspected male mate, #242,to one of the females died shortly after nesting began. Condors parents do most of the rearing, but they also get help from other condors in the flock.  This could be the case with this pair, one female lost her mate and another came in to assist for the greater good of the flock.  

This time lapse video captures nest activity from 4/10/2015-5/27/2015. The chick eventually grew big enough to knock over the camera.  VWS biologists believe the chick, #787 (sex unknown), has fledged and will eventually emerge to join the rest of the flock in the coming months.  

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. 

Condor 799 in good health, Nest cam launch

Melissa Clark with 799 

We conducted the final health exam on Condor 799.  Her blood tested low for lead, which was excellent news and we attached a new radio transmitter and Identification tag (Green 99) to her wing.  Overall, her health was stellar and she weighed in at a solid 16 pounds!

Nest cam taking in the action

We put the final touches on our live streaming condor nest cam, the first ever! Behind the scenes, the install of the cam was a monumental effort.  It involved carrying heavy loads up a steep rugged coastal canyon and climbing up a massive redwood tree.  We planned the bulk of the cam work to coincide with health exams on 799, to reduce disturbance around the nest. 

Nest cam inside redwood

Joe Burnett climbing up to install cam

Big Thanks to LA Zoo staff Mike Clark, Trey Kropp with Big Sur Wireless and Joe Piper with HDontap for their expert assistance during the install.  

Click here to see the latest action-  Condor nest cam

Redwood nestling doing well

Veterinarian Amy Wells conducts a physical exam on 799

     60 day old Condor Nestling 799 (Chick of Condors #167 and #190) passed his first nest check with flying colors! Biologists tested his blood for lead poisoning, did a physical check, and checked the nest for trash and all looked well with 799. Great job Mom and Dad!
Stay tuned...799's final nest check is schedule for the end of August.
We have 5 wild nestlings still going strong this year, let's hope they stay out of harms way and continue to succeed.