California Condors: Thought I'd send a couple more photos of California Condors. I've posted a few before... They are cropped to an extreme so they aren't good pictures, but!, they are...

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Thought I'd send a couple more photos of California Condors. I've posted a few before... They are cropped to an extreme so they aren't good pictures, but!, they are Condors! You can see how they are tagged for tracking purposes. Was very very grateful to see them, and grateful for their comeback. These are very very large birds!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Great captures.

phv Loc: Goleta, California

I wish I could see them! Magnificent birds!

vonzip Loc: cape cod

A big bird! Well done. vz

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Huey Driver Loc: Texas

Nice captures
Wonder if those landing lights on the wings in the first picture were an extra accessory they purchase or are they borne with them?

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Huey Driver wrote:

Nice captures
Wonder if those landing lights on the wings in the first picture were an extra accessory they purchase or are they borne with them?

Not sure if you're really asking or making funny... In anycase...I don't know exactly how these things are attached to the wings, but they are both numbers, and tracking devices. On the bottom photo you can see the number...sorta... Fascinating story these birds. When trackers see that a Condor is down, they go and find the bird and give it a blood transfusion. They take the bird's blood out, filter it, and put it back in. Evidently, the primary killer of these Condors is the lead poison they get after eating dead animals/birds that have been shot and lead pellets digested by the carrion eating condors. Wing span is 9 feet! Condor numbers have been brought back from near extinction of about 2 dozen, to several hundred. Amazing!

Huey Driver Loc: Texas

Actually I was just trying to be funny. Never gave a thought that those could be planted there by man. I thought they might be a tuff of feathers on one sex or another. Now I know. Thanks.

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

You're welcome! I previously posted the same or similar Condor photo and someone thought they looked like machine guns on the wings! I guess they do...:)

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

DirkWill wrote:

Thought I'd send a couple more photos of California Condors. I've posted a few before... They are cropped to an extreme so they aren't good pictures, but!, they are Condors! You can see how they are tagged for tracking purposes. Was very very grateful to see them, and grateful for their comeback. These are very very large birds!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

These are nice pictures but can you post them again using (Store Original) what we now see is more like a thumb preview there is no meta data, Thank you.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good captures, Dirk.

rockdog Loc: Berkeley, Ca.

DirkWill wrote:

Thought I'd send a couple more photos of California Condors. I've posted a few before... They are cropped to an extreme so they aren't good pictures, but!, they are Condors! You can see how they are tagged for tracking purposes. Was very very grateful to see them, and grateful for their comeback. These are very very large birds!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Very nice Dirk! I'm also grateful to see photos of California Condors. The effort to protect and save them is a victory for them and us. Thanks for sharing these.
Phil

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Haven't done that but I'll give it a whirl...

(Download)

DirkWill Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico

I don't see any difference nor meta data...

ChackbayGuy Loc: South Louisiana

DirkWill wrote:

Thought I'd send a couple more photos of California Condors. I've posted a few before... They are cropped to an extreme so they aren't good pictures, but!, they are Condors! You can see how they are tagged for tracking purposes. Was very very grateful to see them, and grateful for their comeback. These are very very large birds!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Back in the 80s, I had a gold mine claim in Los Padres National Forest. One day, on a hiking expedition along a mountain ridge, my wife and I were resting after a 500 or 600 foot climb to the ridge top. Must have been very still, as we were suddenly "buzzed" by California Condor, one of the last before they were captured for breeding in San Diego with South American condors. That magnificent bird was so big I first thought we were buzzed by an aircraft. Don't think I had time to get my camera up, but it would have been film and most of my negatives were destroyed later in a flood. Still remember the incident. Also got to see a pair a few months earlier from the top of Mount Pinos, near the Grapevine on I-5 between Los Angeles and Bakersfield. Those were a good ways off soaring over a valley, but the size was apparent. Great memories. Thanks for the Photos to bring back those memories.