Field notes, v1400
Page 565
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Gymnogyps californianus May 30, 1946 Nr. Mt. Poso, Ca lt. two in a fast glide. The lower bird shot well ahead of the upper in descent. They seemed to be heading for the spot where I saw 5 earlier today. Retrogressing again - while the two circled nearby about 12:04; one stretched its legs far down once + retracted them in a few seconds. There seemed to be no effect on flight so I believe it was a "leg stretch"; the first I recall having seen in air - the legs were out much farther than the usual "legs down" attitude. A single turkey vulture circled above the two when they circled + rose to 2000+ ' about 12:15. I believe condors + vultures associate at roosts, feeding, in air currents, & other places because of similar interests & not because of sociability. I continued on cross-country to the power line near where it crosses McFarland - Woody road. By 2 p.m. I had seen no more condors - and only 2 or 3 turkey vultures. I saw the poisoning crew working about 1 mile N. of road at the power line. The crew consisted of 4 horsemen who rode about 100 ft. apart back & forth over the country. At squirrel burrows I saw much grain (oats) in the open up to 6 or 8' from burrow. Dead squirrels were rare in the country I traversed - I found one carcass apparently recently chewed by a vulture or condor - spine & tail were in one piece (+ a few ribs). I found no definite internal organs. Some pieces of skin were wet