Flight of the California Condor - a photo on Flickriver

            Last Sunday we had an incredible sighting of four California Condors in Big Sur, flying around us up close for over an hour. They were definitely showing off, putting on an airshow and circling and swooping less than 10 feet above our heads! It’s incredible to hear the wind whistle through a condor’s feathers and see up close what it means to have an almost 10-foot wingspan. The condor in this photo, #550, is half of a mated pair that was flying and landing together, preening each other, and definitely enjoying a nice date day out. I looked up their bios on the Ventana Wildlife Society's website and they have a really interesting story - the female (pictured) is a wild-born condor from the Pinnacles National Park flock, but has paired up with a Big Sur male (52, named Ferdinand), and they’ve raised two chicks together in the redwood forests in Big Sur. Ferdinand is the son of the original condor #1, Topa Topa, who was one of the last remaining wild birds. Topa Topa was taken into captivity in 1967 to start the breeding program, which saved the species.  While the species has made a miraculous comeback, there are still only about 330 wild California Condors, so it is always an honor to be graced with their majestic presence, especially in such a majestic place!

That's the Pacific Ocean and kelp forest in the background. I love that the rich colors of the Big Sur coast are also included in this photo.

Taken on: July 11, 2022

Tags:

Big Sur

condor

california

california condors

bird

wildlife

ventana

wilderness « less

Sets appears in: • Spectacular California

Groups appears in: • Northern California • California more » • California Landscape and Seascape • California Coast (The California Coast) • Beauty of Big Sur • The Nature Conservancy • Beautiful California • Northern California Photographers « less

Stats: 8,671 views / 16 comments

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