California Condor field notes, v1401
Page 277
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Gymnogyps californianus July 8, 1946 Nr. Cholame, Calif. Flat. About 8 a.m. I visited the calf carcass where I previously flushed 11 condors. It was now de- flated, crawling with thousands of maggots, 4 had been torn open in several spots as if by coy- otes. I found a few bits of down but now out by from condors - apparently no extensive scat feeling then. In the mud about 100' from carcass I found no condor tracks. About ¼ mile from this carcass on a ridge I placed a large white angora rabbit, about 2 days dead, which I had found along the highway. About 9:15 a turkey vulture was on the old calf carcass. 9:30, fair 5. breeze, sky ⅓ cirro - stratus; about 75°F. I scanned for condors but spotted none until 9:50 - then I saw a calf about 20° E. of calf carcass. I drove to a hilltop about 1 mile NE of carcass. At 9:55 I saw a second carcass at road edge 100± yds. E. of calf, then 3 turkey vul- tures, 420+ yds. further E., across the dirt road, a third condor. The nearest Surford was 100± yds. W. of the carcass. Breeze fair from S.W. at 10:01, a luggard, then 3 condors, took off & began to circle & rise over the carcass - a car passed 300± yds. to S. of them about this time. The 3 were 2 adults & a ragged immature. At 10:04 another 2-adult & min. - circled 100+ over the 3, the 4 turkey vultures slightly higher.