November 16, 2007
It feels like fall may finally be upon us. As the days get shorter and the temperatures cooler, the condors begin to slow down. A typical day at Pinnacles for the big birds these days is to start out in the High Peaks, fly around the park in the afternoon and then roost either back in the Peaks or in their favorite pine near the campground. That means our crew can finally spend a little less time tracking and a little more time on other tasks relating to the condor program, such as repairing the captive pen and going through hours of video footage.
We are gearing up to do a few major repairs to our captive pen before we get new juveniles going in there early in 2008. Our plan includes replacing the mesh and one of the corner wooden poles as well as adding a center pole to decrease mesh sag. Last year we had a problem with a couple of condors snagging their wing tags on the upper mesh, so hopefully by making these repairs we won’t see that happening again. If all goes well, we should have all the modifications accomplished by early January, before the new arrivals get here.
We now have a new and exciting way of observing the condors feeding. A remote digital video recorder is now fully operational at the primary feeding site. Every few days when we place new carcasses, we bring back a small hard drive with the previous two to three days’ worth of video footage. It’s exciting to see such up close views of how the condors interact at carcasses and all the gory details of how they feed. Additionally, we’ve been getting lots of footage of golden eagles (and even a bald eagle) tearing at the carcasses. We all like seeing how much all the birds really love the deer that came from the Point Reyes National Seashore exotic deer control project. The condors clearly prefer feeding on deer carcasses over calves. It’s great to have this cooperation between park units.
August 29, 2007
Last Tuesday, Condor 405 was released followed by Condor 411 on Wednesday. We are keeping a close eye on the newly released birds.
Since they gained their freedom, they've been learning how to use their wings effectively and they both have been observed feeding at one of the park feeding sites! It's only a matter of time before they start joining the older condors on longer flights.
July 20, 2007
In our last update, a few condors had been observed feeding outside of the park on a pig carcass and we were going to start trapping up those few.
Over the next couple of weeks, we observed most of the Pinnacles flock and some of the Big Sur flock feeding to the south of the monument on private land. We confirmed that at least one of those carcasses had been shot with lead ammunition. As a result, we stepped up our efforts to capture those birds and urged the Ventana Wildlife Society crew to also start trapping. Fortunately, we managed to trap eight condors in the next days. Additionally, the Ventana crew trapped another eight condors at their facility in Big Sur.
In early July, we performed lead tests on the eight condors trapped at Pinnacles. Two of those, 306 and 318, had blood lead levels high enough to require treatment. It turned out that 306 had a lead score higher than any previous Pinnacles or Big Sur condor. Both birds were taken to the LA Zoo for a week of treatment and observation.
About two weeks later, we participated in the lead testing of the condors captured at the Big Sur facility. Two of the Pinnacles condors had elevated levels that warranted them staying in captivity under observation and one of the Big Sur condors, Condor 242, required treatment. Shockingly, Condor 242 had a blood lead level nearly four times higher than that of Condor 306. Not surprisingly, Condor 242 is currently undergoing treatment also at the LA Zoo.
Earlier this week, the first two condors treated for lead toxicity, 306 and 318, plus Condor 332 returned from the zoo. Condor 332 you may remember had a severely infected wing injury about three months ago. That wing has healed impressively and if we observe 332 flying normally in the flight pen he could be released in the coming month.
Unfortunately, the lead scare continues. It seems like every week we observe more condors feeding outside of the park. They are behaving as scavengers should, but we just wish that the food on the landscape was safe for them to eat.
In other news regarding the condor program, there is no further information as of yet regarding the cause of death for either Condor 307 or 417. We hope to get the final reports soon.
You may be wondering about our newly released condors. Condors 400 and 401 are often seen together both in and out of Pinnacles. They occasionally join up with some of the older condors at feeding sites, but are more often separate. This is normal behavior for young condors; it takes some time before they are fully integrated in the flock.
Condors 405 and 411 are still being held in the flight pen. We hope to release these two at the same time we release Condors 306, 318 and 332. Cross your fingers that we can get them all out within a month!
One other side note that could be of interest is that both of the chicks being reared in the wild by Big Sur condors seem to be maturing well. Our crew has been observing one chick occasionally over the last couple of months and it just had its 100 day birthday yesterday!
June 27, 2007
The crew has had many questions about the newly released and to-be-released condors. 400 and 401 seem to have figured out the lay of the land. They will take off for a couple of days exploring and then return to the park to feed. A few times they even tagged along with other older condors, which indicates that they are starting to integrate into the flock. The other two, 405 and 411 are still in captivity in the flight pen and will be for a bit longer. We’ve decided to delay their release for reasons next described.
About 2 ½ weeks ago, a park employee passed along a message from neighbors that they had seen condors feeding south of Bitterwater. When we went to check it out, four condors were seen standing near a pig carcass. Over the next couple of days, we observed a total of five condors in the area and when we talked to the landowner we found that the pig was likely shot with lead ammunition. From that information, we decided to begin a trapping effort targeting those particular condors. Then, just this week, several condors were seen feeding on yet another pig. We’ve now decided it’s time to do a full flock trap-up in order to do blood lead tests.
Summer is a busy time for the project because the condors tend to range further afield. Over the last few weeks we’ve tracked them 20-30 miles from the park, as well as at Big Sur. Sometimes they just take off for an afternoon while other times they head somewhere and stay a few days. We’re doing our best to keep track of them each day, but they do tend to split up and of course they don’t always stick to places that can be seen from roads.
Keep an eye to the sky when you’re out and about (inside or outside the park), because we’ve had about 18 condors in the park throughout the week, including few new visitors from Big Sur, as well as several of the Pinnacles flock and some Big Sur regulars.
May 19, 2007
As biologists wait to hear the results of the necropsy after the first death of a Pinnacles condor, another was found dead in Big Sur. Condor 307 was a member of the oldest cohort at Pinnacles, and was known for being the most adventurous bird in the flock.
She traveled farther than any of the other Pinnacles birds, routinely making the trip to Big Sur to interact with the Ventana Wilderness flock. She often flew alone. She survived high blood lead levels last year after requring emergency treatment on two separate occasions.
A condor from the Big Sur release site also died last Wednesday, making it a very tough week for the Condor Recovery Program in central California. Condor 301 appears to have died after hitting a set of power lines.
May 14, 2007
On Saturday morning, condor 417 was found dead. Her cause of death is currently unknown. She had been released on May 3rd, and only lived in the wild for nine days. This is the first condor mortality at Pinnacles National Monument, which became a release site for the Condor Recovery Program in 2003.
Biologists had been monitoring 417 closely because she had flown outside the park, away from the rest of the flock. She hadn't shown any signs of illness, though, and biologists were stunned to find her lying on her back in a field, dead, on Saturday.
Condor 417 will undergo a necropsy to try to determine the cause of death. Results from this examination could take up to three weeks.
May 7, 2007
Condor 417 was released on May 3rd, and has been doing very well as a free-flying condor. On her first day out, she fed all day. She has since voyaged outside of the park to the south and the east, which is notable so soon after her release. Another newly released condor, 401, has made the journey from the flight pen area to the High Peaks.
All three of the newly released condors are are roosting consistently in trees and have found the hilltop feeding site, which is encouraging news for the biologists who are monitoring them.
May 2, 2007
Biologists have been closely monitoring the progress of the two newly released condors. They've been waiting for them to roost away from the flight pen and feed with the other free-flying birds at the feeding site so that the remaining three juveniles can be released.
Condor 400 got an early start away from the flight pen on her second day out. She flew about an eighth of a mile to the feeding site and fed with the other birds. For the next five days, though, she remained close to the flight pen, roosting on it each night. Last night, she finally roosted in a tree away from the pen.
Condor 401 took a little longer to move away from the flight pen, but he has been roosting away from it consistently since then.
Now that both birds are showing that they can feed and roost safely, biologists plan to release the remaining juvenile condors that remain in the flight pen.
April 24, 2007
Condor 401 entered the double door trap and was released at 7:45 this morning, and 400 was released soon after. Both made short, awkward flights near the flight pen. As long as they integrate well with the free-flying flock, the rest of the cohort will be released over the next week or two.
Condor 332 was transported to the LA Zoo last week because of an injury to his wing. He underwent a two hour operation to clean up a five inch wound on the leading edge of his left wing. The tendons and bones associated with that wing were not seriously damaged and the prognosis for his recovery is good.
He'll probably be at the zoo for a few weeks before getting another car ride back to PINN for re-releasing. The likely scenario that led to his injury was that he struck something while flying (e.g. a powerline or tree branch) and there was no evidence of a gunshot wound.
April 21, 2007
Over 400 people made the journey to Pinnacles National Monument to attend this year's condor release event. A special viewing area within sight of the condor flight pen was opened up so that people could watch the condors join the free-flying flock of Pinnacles condors.
Unfortunately, the juveniles that were candidates for release didn't cooperate, and no birds ended up leaving the flight pen.
Several of the free-flying Pinnacles condors were flying near the viewing area, though, which gave everyone a chance to see these endangered birds.
During a release, juvenile condors leave the flight pen by entering a double door trap. Once they decide to enter the trap, the inside door is closed and the door to the outside is opened. This minimizes human interaction with the birds, but makes the release events unpredictable.
Biologists had placed carcasses in the double door trap early on the morning of the release to entice the birds to enter it. Although many of the birds entered the trap in the early morning, none ventured back in later on when the release event was underway.
Over the next week or two, biologists will release the five juvenile condors that are living in the flight pen. The viewing area is now closed to the public.
We'd like to thank everyone who joined us for the release event. We appreciate your continuing support of the Pinnacles condors and the Condor Recovery Program.
March 15, 2007
A Pinnacles biologist observed condor 330 limping last week. The bird’s right foot was swollen, but without closer inspection, the biologist could not determine the nature and severity of the injury. The bird was captured and biologists inspected the foot. 330’s injury wasn’t serious but he was held for observation. Over the past week, he has shown improvements and was released yesterday.
While at the pen to check on 330, biologists reattached the proper tracking devices to 307 and 265 and captured 155 for transfer back to Hopper National Wildlife Refuge. 265 and 307 were released and are free-flying once again.
Pizmo has established her dominance in the flight pen. The younger birds have been following her lead, and with the behaviors that they learn, should be ready for release next month.
March 1, 2007
Condors 265 and 307 enjoyed brief stints in the wild for the first half of February before being recaptured for some unexpected transmitter maintenance. Soon after 307’s release, the hardware holding on her GPS tag failed, and the tag fell off. Being the most peregrine of the Pinnacles condors, the GPS information is critical for tracking her distant and solitary movements. Rather than risk losing contact with 307, biologists decided to trap her and reattach the tag. 265 will also be receiving a GPS tag and both birds should be back in the wild within the next week.
Two days ago, 330 traveled to Big Sur with some other Pinnacles condors. With that trip, the only remaining Pinnacles bird who has not made the trek to the coast is 265.
Pizmo, a wild-born 22 year old female condor, has arrived from the Oregon Zoo to mentor our juveniles in the flight pen. Condors are extremely social animals, and younger birds rely on older birds for behavioral cues. Pizmo will quickly become the dominant bird in the flight pen, and until their release, the juveniles will follow her lead while feeding, preening, and bathing. The chicks will also copy her behaviors if predators approach the pen, hopefully learning what threats look like and how to react to them.
January 22, 2007
On the 10th of January, we received five condor chicks from the breeding facility in Idaho. The transfer went smoothly but there have since been a couple of bumps in the road.
Three days after their release, condor 402 caught his/her (the sexes of our new juveniles has not been determined yet) temporary wing-tag on the pen's overhead mesh. These temporary tags are placed on the chicks in the zoo and are used to secure the vinyl number tags to the birds before they receive transmitters. To the horror of our staff, 402 hung and struggled by this tag for ~45 minutes before an employee was able to cut him/her free. The next morning, we took the bird to the nearby Avian and Exotic Clinic where he/she received a few dozen sutures and antibiotics. That night, we transferred 402 to the LA Zoo so he/she could recover in isolation and be under the care of their staff for a few weeks. Fortunately, the wound appears to be healing properly and the bird will likely be releasable, possibly even this year, barring any further trauma to the wing.
While dropping off 417 at the LA Zoo, condors 155 and 417 were picked up from Southern California release sites to be held in our pen for a few months. Prior to placing these birds in our pen (now totaling 9 condors) we tightened the cables supporting the pen's nylon mesh netting to reduce any sagging and to hopefully avoid a reoccurrence of 402's incident...
Yesterday morning, condor 400 caught his/her temporary wing-tag on the overhead portion of our flight pen's mesh netting. After hanging for ~5 seconds, the bird's tag popped off. This morning, we confirmed that 400 did not receive any significant injuries from this incident though he/she did have a small cut near the tag piercing.
These are the first known instances of tags getting snagged in our pen.
Today, we removed the rest of the temporary tags from the remaining new birds and replaced them with old transmitters. We are hoping these transmitters, which are designed differently, will be less likely to snag on the mesh and that this problem is behind us.
For some good news, condors 265 and 307 will be released into the wild as soon as possible. 307's blood lead concentrations have decreased to acceptable levels and she is ready for release.
January 10, 2007
We at Pinnacles are looking forward to the arrival of new condors over the next few weeks. Tonight, biologists will be transferring 5 juveniles from a captive breeding facility in Idaho to our captive pen. These birds will be released this spring, some of them here and some in southern California. By the end of the month, a 22-year-old female condor named Pismo should arrive. She will be the mentor for these new juveniles prior to their release.
In other exciting news, condor 265 will return after spending 18 months at the LA Zoo. You may remember that 265 was one of the original release birds here at Pinnacles and has been held in captivity because of his several attempts to approach people. The biologists at the zoo assure us he is very wild and ready to be re-released.
This spring we will also be temporarily holding condors 155 and 417 from southern California. 155 was apparently shot in the face in the fall of 2005 and it is still not clear whether she will ever be able to return to the wild. 417 is a juvenile that hatched last season and is waiting to be released with the other juveniles.
All of these birds will join condors 313 and 307 in our captive facility. 313, like 265, is being held for inappropriate behavior and 307 is still recovering from lead poisoning.
So, to summarize, we will have 11 condors in our captive pen, making it a busy place for the next couple of months. We look forward to releasing a new cohort of juveniles and a couple of our older birds over the next months.
December 18, 2006
We've recently completed our semi-annual trap-up, tested blood-lead levels, replaced transmitters and performed health checks on all 13 of our park's condors.
Twelve of our thirteen condors "passed" their blood tests with values ranging from 2.5-19.0 ug/dL. Blood-lead scores are termed/considered as follows:
<20 ug/dL = background
20-59 ug/dL = exposure
60-99 ug/dL = clinically affected
>100 ug/dL= acute toxicity.
Unfortunately, condor #307 had an alarming blood-lead level of 130 ug/dL (the highest yet recorded in Big Sur or Pinnacles history). Immediately following the trap-up, 307 was x-rayed to determine if surgical removal of a lead fragment would be necessary. Thankfully, the attached image demonstrated no retained lead fragments thus ruling out the need for surgery. Chelation therapy, on the other hand, was essential. After several late-night and early-morning injections of Calcium EDTA 307's blood-lead level went down to 16.6 ug/dL. If all continues to go well, she could be free-flying in another week.
In other news... our flock will be expanding this winter. Condor 265 will soon be returning from the LA Zoo, where he was taken after repeatedly approaching hikers and climbers in the high Peaks. Pismo, an adult from Oregon Zoo, will be loaned to Pinnacles as a mentor bird, and six juveniles from the Boise World Center of Birds of Prey will be arriving in January.
December 4, 2006
This time of year means cooler temperatures and shorter days, and less quality flight time for the Pinnacles condors. Still, the birds remain active. They often make long loops to the east and south in addition to their usual flights between the High Peaks and the feeding site. Also, condors from Pinnacles continue to make routine trips to and from Big Sur.
All Pinnacles condors except number 330 have made the 30-mile trek to interact with the Ventana Wildlife Society’s flock of condors on the coast. Ventana biologists report that during their visits, the Pinnacles birds have incorporated themselves into their new flock’s dominance hierarchy, with older Pinnacles birds like 310 and 312 being particularly assertive. Despite their new Big Sur interactions and discoveries, all Pinnacles birds still return to the monument periodically.
In addition to monitoring the Big Sur and Pinnacles condors, Ventana biologists are trapping the birds for their yearly health check, lead test, and transmitter maintenance. In the process, several Pinnacles birds have been captured. 306, 310, 312, 313, 317, and 345 have been checked-out by Pinnacles and Ventana biologists. Some birds’ blood tests indicated exposure to lead, but so far, none have required treatment. Still, lead remains a constant concern, particularly for birds like 307, who regularly forage outside the park and have yet to be tested.
In addition to lead, human contact is potentially dangerous to condors. Pinnacles biologists work hard to dole out negative reinforcement to condors that land near people or on buildings. Despite this effort, condors occasionally approach humans. In late October, condor 313 landed near climbers at Pinnacles on several occasions. Since he is a dominant bird and could spread this behavior to others, biologists have decided to hold him in the Pinnacles flight pen to strip away his social status and redirect his behavior toward climbing the dominance hierarchy. While the biologists are optimistic that 313’s behavior can be diverted, help from the public is needed. If you see a condor, please enjoy the view from a distance of at least 100 feet.
Next month, Pinnacles condor biologists will be trapping and testing the rest of the flock. Additionally, condor 265 will likely return to the monument from an extended stay at the Los Angeles Zoo. 265 was one of the first condors to be released at Pinnacles, but was removed and relocated because of his habit of approaching people. After a stint in isolation from people, zoo biologists say that he is ready to rejoin the Pinnacles flock.
September 1, 2006
The Pinnacles condors have continued to expand their range, with one bird almost making it to Livermore and more of the flock spending time at Big Sur. In fact, many of the birds now travel to Big Sur and spend 7-10 days at a time feeding with the birds there, and trying to find their place in the social hierarchy of that flock. Condor #310 was seen flying with a bunch of Big Sur condors that were checking out a dead sea lion carcass along the coast. With flying conditions expected to remain good for the next couple of months, it's hard to say what the 2 flocks will do, so we are looking forward to an exciting fall.
August 1, 2006
Condor #307 appears to be recovering well, since she underwent emergency treatment for lead poisoning last month and has rejoined the other birds that had elevated blood lead levels. Biologists will continue to watch these birds closely to make sure that they don?t show symptoms that indicate the need for additional trapping and testing. The condors have been spending a lot of time exploring the countryside, with 4 birds in particular, making frequent trips to the Ventana Wildlife Society Big Sur condor release site. Also noteworthy is that several of the Big Sur condors have made the trip over to Pinnacles, so it appears that the flocks are becoming more integrated and mixing it up a bit.
June 30, 2006
Ten of the eleven condors that were seen eating squirrels shot with lead bullets have been tested for lead poisoning and rodenticide poisoning. Four condors have significantly elevated levels of lead in their blood, but will not require treatment. Read the Pinnacles National Monument Press Release: 6/30/2006 for more information.
June 19, 2006
Eleven condors have yet to be tested for lead and rodenticide poisoning after they were seen eating squirrels that were shot with lead bullets, but biologists are working to trap them.
June 12, 2006
An ominous observation was made today, as nine condors were seen feeding on ground squirrels that had been shot using lead ammunition. Biologists will try to keep close tabs on these birds over the coming days and will likely have to trap them and test their blood lead levels to see if they have become poisoned. Fragments of lead ingested from spent bullets are an acute toxin that shuts down the bird's digestive system and causes death and has been implicated in the deaths of at least 6 condors in northern Arizona during the last 8 years.
June 11, 2006
An exciting development unfolded recently as birds from Pinnacles made their way over to the Big Sur field site for the first time! Condors 310 and 312 arrived at the flight pen along the Big Sur coast during the afternoon of June 7th. The next day, they were observed feeding alongside both adult condors and newly released one year old birds at the Big Sur feeding site.
Since 312 is wearing a GPS tag, we were able to see what route she took to cross the 35 mile distance from Pinnacles, and interestingly, it was a flight path that hadn?t been followed before by any of the GPS-tagged condors. Since June 7th, the 2 birds have been hanging out with their newly found friends and further GPS data suggests that other Pinnacles condors may be heading that way soon! Since the connection has now been made between the sites, it will be interesting to see how further movement patterns unfold, since summertime is the season when wind conditions are most favorable for making long distance flights. One possibility is that the rest of the Pinnacles condors make their way to Big Sur, or vice versa. Or being condors, odds are that they will surprise us and throw us an expected curve ball in the movement patterns!
Stay tuned for more updates as this exciting time period progresses.
June 2, 2006
The temperature continues to rise at Pinnacles and so does the activity level of both the condors and the condor biologist. Biologists have recently completed repairs and modification to the flight pen facility and are preparing to trap-up all 13 condors. About every six months, Biologists take blood samples from all the free-flying condors in order to monitor their blood-lead levels and to further their understanding of long term lead exposure. In addition to taking blood samples, the Biologists will also be replacing three faulty transmitters and performing a head-to-toe health check of each condor. Upon completion of this evaluation, the condor is then either held for further observation and testing or is immediately re-released so it may continue to take advantage of the ideal summer flying conditions.
Recent months have seen a dramatic increase in the Pinnacles flock’s range as well as their tendency to find food outside the park. All 13 of the Pinnacles condors have crossed over the Salinas valley and have begun to explore the Salinas, Carmel Valley, Monterey and Los Padres areas. This is an especially exciting development as it increases the likelihood of the Pinnacles condors making contact with the older and more established Big Sur flock. Biologists expect this rendezvous to occur any day now and are anxious to see what developments will occur as a result of it.
Within the past two weeks the condors have found and fed on a few deceased cattle to the South of the park. It is encouraging to see that these birds are finding plenty of food and foraging as wild condors should. However, it is also concerning as it increases the likelihood of a condor feeding on a carcass that has been shot with lead ammunition. Thus, Biologists strive to investigate feeding sites and inspect carcasses for signs of lead to ensure the continued health of the flock. If it were not for the assistance of local ranchers and farmers many, if not all, of these meaningful wild foraging events would go undocumented. Thank you to all the landowners who have informed the park’s staff of condor activity on their property and have allowed Biologists to observe and document such occurrences; your contributions are invaluable.
March 24, 2006
The condors have recently shifted their movement patterns from the south and southeast to the west and northwest. They have been exploring areas that the Pinnacles condors haven't traveled to in the past.
Although they've been exploring new areas, they have spent quite a bit of time within the park. This could be because of the weather. The late winter was much more rainy that the early winter, and there was even a day of snow.
Biologists have been working to improve the condors' feeding system.There are two feeding areas near the pen, one with a permanenet electric fence, and one without. Biologists are now using both feeding sites. They've noticed that the condors have been spending a bit too much time on the ground. By using the feeding site without the fence, the condors will have an opportunity to encounter predators, and may be encouraged to spend more time perched in safer spots.
No condors are currently living in the flight pen, but there are plans to retrap at least three birds so that their GPS transceivers and VHF radio tags can be repaired. Biologists have noticed a problem with the mock telephone pole, and they plan to repair it before the retrapping.
The repair will be a major undertaking, because the mesh netting surrounding the pen will need to be removed and then replaced when the work is completed. Because the condors are staying in the park, monitoring is not taking as much time as usual, and biologists will have the opportunity to do the repairs.
March 3, 2006
In November and December of 2005, all of the condors were retrapped so that their transmitters could be replaced. Routine lead tests were also performed, and a few of the condors showed elevated blood levels. The exposure was at low levels, and no chelation (treatment for lead poisoning) was required. They were kept in the flight pen for follow-up tests to ensure that the lead levels were declining, and then rereleased.
After the trap-ups, all of the condors changed their patterns and began sticking close to the flight pen, rarely venturing out of the park. Late in the afternoons, they could often be seen roosting in the High Peaks, but they would always head back to the feeding area each morning.
At the end of February, they began making more flights outside the park, and at least three crossed the Salinas Valley and explored Los Padres National Forest. At one time, they were within ten miles of the Ventana release site. As soon as they find the group of free-flying condors in Big Sur, biologists expect them to spend more time there, or possibly encourage some of the Big Sur condors to come to Pinnacles.
