Condor Update for 2009 by Jan Hamber

To all,
Here’s a tiny look at what happened in the California Condor Recovery Program during 2009.
The year began with a total population of 321 condors and ended with an increase of 21 birds for a total population of 350.

In an amazing display of cooperative effort on the part of many organizations and staff, here are where those 350 birds were located. 162 were in captivity at 7 zoos. Some were in captive breeding facilities and others on display. The zoos involved with captive breeding are: Los Angeles, San Diego Wild Animal Park, World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise (run by the Peregrine Fund), and the Oregon Zoo. Zoos that have condors on display are: San Diego Wild Animal Park & San Diego Zoo, Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, and our own Santa Barbara Zoo. Four immatures and 1 adult are now on display at SBZ.

Condors flying in the wild are 65 in Arizona, 18 in Baja California and 95 in the Southern California complex. The last group is composed of 34 birds at Hopper Mountain & Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuges run by USFWS, 20 in the Big Sur area managed by the Ventana Wildlife Society and 25 released at Pinnacles National Monument under the auspices of the National Park Service.

There are now 16 wild fledged condors in Southern California: 9 in Hopper NWR, 6 in Big Sur and 1 (brand new last year) at Pinnacles and 10 in Arizona. None of the 3 eggs laid in Baja have made it to
fledging.

21 birds died: several from predation by coyotes, one by strangulation (a condor twisted a rope, left behind by a climber, into a noose and hung himself), several from lead poisoning but many
from unknown causes.

A new group, Friends of the California Condor - Wild and Free was formed last year. The group is composed of individuals who assist with field work, education and fund raising. One person put
out 1 newsletter in July 2009. I have attached it to this message for those who would like to learn more about the events at Hopper NWR.

The fate of the nests mentioned in the newsletter is as follows: HC 09 - chick fledged and is doing well, AB 09 - chick fledged as is doing well, DG 09 - chick died after ingesting too much trash, KR 09 - chick disappeared from nest cavity when no one was there to monitor the nest. Several other nest failed prior to the newsletter’s publication. They were HB 09 where an egg was seen shortly after laying but disappeared several days later (raven predation?) and TC 09 where a bear was seen entering the nest cave. When FWS staff arrived a few days later there was no chick to be
found (bear predation?).

So now a new year has begun and there are eggs at LAZ & SDWAP and 1 egg at Hopper by the same pair (HB) that lost the egg last year.

Hope you enjoyed the update,
Jan

8th Annual Hi Mountain Campout and Open House

8th Annual Hi Mountain Condor Lookout Campout and Open House Event
Saturday, October 10, 2009 (all day event)
Hi Mountain Lookout, San Luis Obispo County, Los Padres National Forest

Come and discover one of the largest and most endangered flying birds of North America. California Condors re-introduced into the wild are radiotracked from Hi Mountain Lookout, flying between Big Sur in Central California and the Sespe Condor Sanctuary in Southern California. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about condors and the effort to return these magnificent birds back to the wild. The Hi Mountain Lookout Project is a collaboration between Morro Coast Audubon Society, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service, Cal Poly Biological Sciences Department, Ventana Wildlife Society, and Pinnacles National Monument.

Continue reading ‘8th Annual Hi Mountain Campout and Open House’

Weblos at the Lookout

Cub Scout Pack #425, Den #7 Weblos recently made a trip up to the Lookout and had a great time!

Benefit 7/19 @ Saucelito Canyon Winery, Edna Valley


*Note: This event is not being held at the Hi Mountain Lookout. It is being held at the Saucelito Canyon Winery tasting room in the Edna Valley of San Luis Obispo

What: Condor Benefit Mixer

When: Sunday July 19th, 3-8pm

Where: Saucelito Canyon Winery tasting room in the Edna Valley of San Luis Obispo, off of Hwy. 227 (Broad St.) on Biddle Ranch Rd.

Why: To benefit ongoing Condor research at the Hi Mountain Lookout and enjoy some wonderful, local wines

For details, click on the flyer to your left. Hope to see you there

Sociable Hermits: A Story of Lookouts by Matt Geer

Sociable Hermits: A Story of Lookouts by Matt Geer @ youtube.com

This is actually just a 10 min trailer for a video documentary that I’m not sure ever got made. When I was an intern at Hi Mt. in the summer of 2002, Matthew Geer came up for a visit. He was shooting scenes for this movie and wanted to use the Hi Mt. Lookout as an example of a vandalized and disfunctional Lookout site. At the time, we had just barely begun the restoration process at Hi Mt, and there are a few good shots of the interior of the Lookout and the West wall before Anthony’s mural was painted. Also in this video are interviews with Kathy Ball and some magnificent aerial video of the famous Buck Rock Lookout. Hope you enjoy this, and thanks to Matthew Geer for putting this together and sending me the VHS tape. -Paul