California Condor field notes, v1401
Page 15
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Gymnogyps californianus June 3, 1946 Hopper Basin Calif. Sneeze from B.W. then 4:06 the adult took off & shifted to a dead limb of a green Ps. about 200 yds. further E. (4100' below) its former perch, and stood facing SE. At 4:12 when we left it was still there. We hiked up the canyon to Big Cave. We found about 20 fairly fresh primary feathers, mostly below Whitewash Ledge, about 6 alula feathers, 4 others. Below 4th Whitewash Lodge & immediately (30') delow a much whitewashed hole (where I had seen some root & water on several occasions) I found the broken shell of at least half of a cactus egg. I found no embryo remains nor egg contents, so possibly the shell was from a hatched bird. The membrane was dry + somewhat brownish + shell dirty. It must have been this year's egg - else the birds & rodents probably would have consumed the shell. About 5:15 we left Big Cave. At 6:15 from the tractor trail I observed Arundell Ridge & found one perched adult on a partly green long limb of a Ps. below + 1/4 mile N. of Saddle Ps. Mrs. Reynolds reported she had seen 2 or 3 from the trail but not close enough for pictures. We returned to camp. June 4, 1946 Hopper Basin, Calif. With the Reynolds group set out for top of Big Cave. At 7:30 a.m. I saw one adult stop