Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
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Transcription
Page 81
Continued - Condor Eben Mcmillan 1 June-1963
[illegible]
watching some Turkey Buzzards that were circling above Two
Sheep carcasses, to the Northeast, when I saw a juvenile Cond
Flying past, above me, with set wings as though it were dr
in. It joined the Buzzards and circled above the Two
Sheep carcasses for a few minutes. This young condor had Co
in from the south and the weather mild - the wind gentle from the
North. After Circling, it then drifted over the pickup where
I took several telephoto shots before it drifted eastward an
disappeared behind the lower cliffs that front the east sid
e San Juan river here. About two minutes later this same b
returned into view, up one of the canyons, and circled a
Times then drifted westward until above the river where it
let down quickly and alighted in the creek-bed behind a tre
from me, so that the actual landing was hidden to
my view. Taking my Telephoto camera and binoculars I walked
to the tree that hid the Condor from my view, that was about 20
yards from the Pickup and another 200 yards from the pla
in the river where the Condor was. As it emerged through this th
Two Turkey Buzzards flew low over the tree causing me to
look up to identify them. When I looked at the river again the
Young Condor was already fifty feet into the air and circ
after gaining about 150 ft. in altitude it sailed towards
me but veered off as it got within 100 yards and drifted
eastward, circling, but only after I had taken several
Telephoto shots of it. As this Condor drifted to the east
across the river, and against the steep promontory along the
east side of the river, it was joined by 8 or 10 Buzzard
and Two Ravens. One of these Ravens took after the
Young Condor, squawking as it pursued the bird and drove
it into a box canyon that went up steeply from
the valley edge, and from which I doubted the Condor
Could make it out on top due to the steep sides an
quick accent. The Condor and the Raven passed from