California Condor Eben McMillan 1 October 1963 I left for Frazier Mountain and Tejon Ranch at 7:00 A.M. It was cool in the Bitterwater Valley, but as soon as I reached Blackwell's Corner it warmed up, and continued so, until I climbed out of the San Joaquin Valley in the Lebec area, as I drove south of Bakersfield on the new 99 Freeway, in the area west of Greenfield, great numbers of turkey buzzards were coming up out of the cottonwood trees that grow along where the old Panama Slough used to run. These buzzards were gathering in flocks of from 25 to 250 birds. These flocks would circle in tall columns, then gather into lines and sail southward for one-half mile or more, when they would gather together again and circle for ten minutes or so after which they would move on south again. Some of the smaller flocks, at times, emerge with larger flocks; and some of the larger flocks would divide into smaller groups at times. Stopping on the freeway to photograph one of these flocks of buzzards, I could look east and see flocks circling. The same was the case each direction I could see. A rough estimate at this time placed the number of buzzards within my sight at a minimum of one thousand. I stopped at Chuchupate Ranger Station in valley between Mount Pinos and Frazier Mountain. Gary Plisco, the district Ranger in charge there, gave me three sheets of paper on which were Condor sightings by himself - Frank A. Thorpe and a Mr. Bruce Lambertson of Van Nuys Calif., who had spent two weekends on Frazier Mountain with Scout Troop 190 also of Van Nuys. The following