--Apple-Mail-10--57052424 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; delsp=yes; format=flowed I realize that this is a little further south, but I think it is =20 worth a mention. On September 17th there will be a Condor release at =20 the Pinnacles National Monument. For information go to the National =20 Parks Service website. http://www.nps.gov/pinn/condor/condor.htm My wife and I were at the Pinnacles on Labor Day, September 5th and =20 we we so fortunate to see two of the older free flying condors. These =20= are magnificent creature. There is a lot of information about them on =20= the NPS website. We got there early and watch them as the began there =20= day. The ranger said that we were very lucky to actually catch a =20 glimpse, let alone watch then for about 15 minutes at about 200' =20 away. The closest distance that the park allows observation. The rangers described them as troublesome teens. Usually sleeping in =20 until late morning and then slowly waking to flap there wings but =20 once or twice to catch thermal and take a leisurely ride from one to =20 the next for up to 80 or 90 miles. The have a poor sense of smell but =20= have incredible vision. They look for the circling turkey vultures =20 which have a great sense of smell and move in displaying their 9' =20 wing span and take over the vultures find. It can be difficult to =20 tell the two apart at first. The Condors have very little wing =20 movement and are quite graceful. The white patched appear on the =20 front of the wings on the condors and the back on the vultures. We actually had seen them on the way up the High Peaks Trail but did =20 not realize it until looking at the photos on the computer. As we =20 reach the peak we ran into two rangers on the condor patrol. The were =20= great and were very excited when they saw my 400-mm lens. I must have =20= been excited too because I neglected to check to see that the =20 stabilizer switch was turned on. 80 photos later and a mile down the =20 trail a large lump formed in my throat. I did get about three of four =20= good photos, but I should have had dozens of amazing shots. The =20 experience will not be forgotten though, I just can't fully share the =20= experience. I would recommend this trip to anyone. The rangers will be the 1st to =20= tell you that there are no guarantees. The one ranger on the condor =20 patrol said that he is lucky to see them that close in months of =20 observations using tracking devises. There are only 7 free flying =20 birds in the park and they can cover over 100 miles in a day. Knowing =20= where they are and getting to them before they have moved is a =20 challenge. The hike that we took was about 6 miles w/ 1600' of clime =20 and it was about 90=B0 at the time. We saw them early in the loop, but =20= the rest of the hike did offer many great views. See the photos (even =20= a the not quite so sharp photos) at: http://homepage.mac.com/iwantapuppy/PhotoAlbum17.html Enjoy and thanks to everyone on all the great birding tips!= --Apple-Mail-10--57052424 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">I = realize that this is a little further south, but I think it is worth a = mention. On September 17th there will be a Condor release at the = Pinnacles National Monument. For information go to the National Parks = Service website.=A0My wife and I were at the Pinnacles on Labor = Day, September 5th and we we so fortunate to see two of the older free = flying condors. These are magnificent creature. There is a lot of = information about them on the NPS website. We got there early and watch = them as the began there day. The ranger said that we were very lucky to = actually catch a glimpse, let alone watch then for about 15 minutes at = about 200' away. The closest distance that the park allows = observation.The rangers described them as troublesome = teens. Usually sleeping in until late morning and then slowly waking to = flap there wings but once or twice to catch thermal and take a=A0leisurely= ride from one to the next for up to 80 or 90 miles. The have a poor = sense of smell but have incredible vision. They look for the circling = turkey vultures which have a great sense of smell and move in displaying = their 9' wing span and take over the vultures find. It can be difficult = to tell the two apart at first. The Condors have very little wing = movement and are quite graceful. The white patched appear on the front = of the wings on the condors and the back on the = vultures.=A0We actually had seen them on the way up the = High Peaks Trail but did not realize it until looking at the photos on = the computer. As we reach the peak we ran into two rangers on the condor = patrol. The were great and were very excited when they saw my=A0400-mm = lens. I must have been excited too because I neglected to check to see = that the stabilizer switch was turned on. 80 photos later and a mile = down the trail a large lump formed in my throat. I did get about three = of four good photos, but I should have had dozens of amazing shots. The = experience will not be forgotten though, I just can't fully share the = experience.I would recommend this trip to anyone. The = rangers will be the 1st to tell you that there are no guarantees. The = one ranger on the condor patrol said that he is lucky to see them that = close in months of observations using tracking devises. There are only 7 = free flying birds in the park and they can cover over 100 miles in a = day. Knowing where they are and getting to them before they have moved = is a challenge. The hike that we took was about 6 miles w/ 1600' of = clime and it was about 90=B0 at the time. We saw them early in the loop, = but the rest of the hike did offer many great views. See the photos = (even a the not quite so sharp photos) at:Enjoy and thanks to everyone on all the great birding = tips!