California Condor Eben McMillan 2 July 1963 I drove to the Cholame Ranch flats at 11:00 A.M., and on the entrance to Headquarters. Many Cattle were along the road. Hundreds of Calves, of all ages, were in the Kerr Grade field and had just been branded, marked--Castrated and Vaccinated within the last few weeks, and some within the last few days. Several of the large bull Calves that had just been Castrated were still stiff and sore. I Noticed a cow [illegible] that had died recently with its legs sticking up in the air, near the roadway, going from the foot of Kerr grade to the Gene Rambo Ranch. Driving back to the Kerr grade, and west on the Gene Rambo Road, I went to, and investigated, what had been feeding on this carcass. Still well bloated with gas it looked to have been dead about three days. Feathers and down from Turkey Buzzards were scattered about this Carcass, and some feeding had been done, but probably by Buzzards. Driving to foot of Kerr grade & Took up a watch For targe flying birds. Several Buzzards came by, usually heading in the direction of the dead Carcass but Some just wandering about. at 1:45 P.M. an adult Condor Passed slowly over me coming from the Southeast, drifted out over the area where the dead Critter was near Rambo Road and then turned and very slowly sailed Northeastward to a point above the East Valley edge about two miles below the Cholame Rancho Headquarters. A light North Wind was blowing. This Condor coasted about on this wind, above this spot, until 1:55 P.M., then it let itself down to the Carcass of a dead calf that lay near the east bank of the riverbed. Let itself down is the proper term to use in describing how a Condor cooses altitude on a calm day when the air currents are good, unlike a Buzzard that dashes back and forth banking and turning as it drops from a high altitude, the Condor--