Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Gymnogyps californianus
May 4, 1946
Nr. Famoso, Calif.
to SW at 9:45 a group of 10 (+1 buzzard) milled
about 1 1/2 miles E. of me at 200-800' altitude. The
group broke up within a minute, several birds
straggling back to NE at a time, & all strung out
for about 1 1/2 mile at 9:47. Counted 11 at 9:50 - along
the power line area toward Blue Mtn. from me. Twice
briefly
this morning I saw one condor chase another, both
banking sharply with wings strongly flexed, & at least
once attacker had feet down. 9:57, 6 were over the
power line area in Blue Mtn. direction, & X + 3 in a
circling group 1 mile E. of me, 2 or 3 others scattered
about 2 miles E. of me. All seemed to B-line toward
a spot about 3 miles ESE of me where buzzards &
condors were milling - at least 5 condors there at 10:02,
some dipping out of sight in the hills. I saw one con-
dor apparently land just out of sight in that area - about
1/4 mile E. of the power line - at 10:07, then no activity
at that spot. I scanned the horizon but found no
condors. At 10:15 I saw one land atop the hummock
behind which the 10:07 bird disappeared, then I saw at
least one other perched there & another about 100yds.
to E. across a dip. One bird from hummock flew
across the dip & landed by other - a few seconds
dlater one of those (same I believe) flew out of sight
behind the hummock, & the other took off at 10:24.
I then saw 3 and 5 + buzzards circling over the