California Condor Eben McMillan 3 February 1964 At 6:25 A.M. Two Raven were hovering above the upper sheep carcass and calling. At 6:55 A.M., Just as the sun was showing over the eastern horizon, from where my bed was rolled about two hundred feet above our campsite, Two Condor were seen hovering about one hundred feet above the lower sheep carcass. How long before this time they had arrived I have no idea for I had not looked in that direction before not thinking there would be a chance that Condor would be on the wing that early. A strong east wind was still blowing as it had done throughout the night. It was also quite cold but not enough so that ice could form. Except for the Two Raven, no other birds were about at sunrise besides the Two Condor. The Two Condor and Two Raven were hovering over the area where the lower sheep carcass lay at 7:30 A.M. When an adult Golden Eagle dove down from the top of Hopper Mountain, on closed wings, and alighted on the lower sheep carcass and commenced eating of it. Four more Raven came in and joined the other birds about this carcass soon after the Golden Eagle came. The Condor were still hovering about over this carcass while the eagle fed. Some of the Raven were on the ground trying to filch a few bits of mutton when the Eagle was not looking. This Eagle was an adult. One adult condor flew northward over our camp, low, and lit in dead Big One spruce tree three hundred yards north of our camp. Six Condor were at the lower sheep carcass at 8:30 A.M., four of which were on the ground and two in the air above. The eagle had gone. The four Condor and about Twelve Raven that were all on the ground flapped and fought over the carcass.