Condor sighting?

[Dennis S]

I will start with some caveats. First, I have always wanted to see a Californian Condor in flight, and people have a tendency to “see” things they really want to see. Second, there are a lot of turkey vultures where I live, and the turkey vulture, with it’s similar coloring and six foot wingspan is often mistaken for a condor, which can have a nine foot wingspan.

However-I think I saw a California Condor from my deck yesterday. Here’s why I think so. First, the wingspan was huge. This was so large that it caught my eye even though I was inside the house when it first caught my eye. It was a fair distance away, but it was so big I first thought I was looking at a hang glider. In addition, it didn’t have the “tippy” flight you see from Turkey Vultures. The wings on this thing were as steady as an airplane. Condors have been re-introduced to the Grand Canyon area. Based on some help I got from Freddie, that would require a flight of about 300 miles to our mountains, but could have easily been a shorter flight depending on exactly where this Condor started his flight. Based on what I have read, a Condor can easily travel 150 miles searching for food. Finally, our terrain seems (IMHO) to be perfect for a Condor.

So---I think I may have seen my first Condor. What do you think?

 

[ChouDoufu]

Based on what I have read, a Condor can easily travel 150 miles searching for food. Finally, our terrain seems (IMHO) to be perfect for a Condor. So---I think I may have seen my first Condor. What do you think?

you probably saw a condor. those numbers, 150 miles, are just averages and
estimates. the numbers of birds in the wild are too few to reliably know
their habits. we really don't know how the birds will range in real life, but
since they once nested throughout the southwest, no reason a condor
could not be there. anyway, they have been sighted from shiprock.

i hope you have a telephoto lens......

 

[Lionheart]

Dennis,
That's pretty neat. No doubt a condor could fly that far (300 miles or 480km). A few years ago, two or three juvenile condors followed the Colorado River upstream and showed up in western Colorado, an even farther distance.

I looked at the Arizona-New Mexico Birding List and in the past week, no one has reported a condor. A similar search for "condor" on the Rare Bird List did not show any other sightings either. So if you saw one in NM, you might be the first and it would be a big deal for local birders. They will be flocking to your door. If you watch that NM birding web site for daily updates, someone else will report it, if it is anywhere near. Keep your telephoto lens nearby in case you see it again. Good luck and have fun.
I'm more of a bird dog than a birder, my sweetie is the birder, I just point and say "There's a bird".
John

 

[Mary]

That's exciting, Dennis.
Keep your camera with telephoto lens nearby. If it is a condor, it will be a big deal, and others will want to see a photo. And be prepared for visitors . . . birders will be flockingto your door!

 

[Dennis S]

I don't have a telephoto lens (at least not yet). People flocking to my door doesn't sound like my cup of tea. I had no idea that was even a remote possibility. Thanks for the warnings.

 

[Bina]

Maybe it's worth it to mention your bird sighting on a birder's forum just in case
someone else is also wondering....."Did I see a condor, or vulture?"
About 20 minutes northwest of us we have a resident bald eagle. Many of us have confirmed the sighting, quite a thrill.
Good Luck with this.

 

[Dennis S]

I love sighting wildlife, and have been very fortunate over the years. I was (unintentionally) very close to a Grizzly bear in Banff, and, under very unusual circumstances, a portion of that encounter was caught on commercial quality video tape, which I still have somewhere.

During my few years in New Mexico, I have seen nine mountains lions (six of them cubs) several bear, thousands of elk and maybe a dozen eagles. I have (with great care) wandered into several Indian ruins, some on the map, some taken off modern maps, and some really unknown to the general public. I have seen enough pottery shards to fill a school bus. Over the years I have come to believe that these things are better discovered by those who head out without maps or score cards. Take a nice long look, maybe a picture, and move on leaving things just as you found them.

These things are out there, and seem to me more precious every year as we increasingly crowd out our wildlife and national treasures. I hope this doesn?t sound selfish, but I don?t really like the idea of crowds of well meaning people scouring the sky for the condor. There is still a lot of empty sky in Northern New Mexico. It is OK with me that he remain an unknown visitor (if indeed he has visited) for as long as possible. That?s just one mans opinion, and I hope it doesn?t offend anyone who sees things differently.

 

[Bina]

Dennis, I totally understand. When I saw the bald eagle, I kept it to myself until someone mentioned it in the local newspaper.

 

[Mary]

I don't have a telephoto lens (at least not yet). People flocking to my door doesn't sound like my cup of tea. I had no idea that was even a remote possibility. Thanks for the warnings.

If you're going to deal with people flocking to your door, birders generally are the least intrusive. Commotion is not conducive to stealth birding!They respect the environment and private property issues, so I'm sure they would contact you in advance and ask permission before stepping on your property. But still . . . a condor in the wild is a condor in the wild!

 

[hensylee]

that's really interesting, Dennis. You find some of the neatest stuff. Hope you can see it again to get a pic.

 

[bvdr]

Maybe it's worth it to mention your bird sighting on a birder's forum just in case
someone else is also wondering....."Did I see a condor, or vulture?"
About 20 minutes northwest of us we have a resident bald eagle. Many of us have confirmed the sighting, quite a thrill.
Good Luck with this.

We used to have a bald eagle that would perch on the top of a dead tree and fish our lake. We got great views of him without binoculars. Once he swooped down through the fog and soared past us as we sat on the second story deck. It was an incredible site.

 

[Marguerite53]

Oh, Dennis! Lucky you!!!!! I love birds!!!!!!

We have an enormous blue heron who lives/visits very close (several hundred yards away). The Willamette River is several miles one way, this little pond, yards away the other way. This heron goes back and forth. This spring, before the leaves have come in, he has made it a practice to swing around the large oak tree that is in the house next door's back yard, then sail past our windows (our LR windows are 3 stories up, basically, since we're perched on a hill by a creek). It is like a terydactyl sailing by!! Just amazing. 3 times I've seen him now, just by chance, walking past the room. I'm about ready to set up a webcam!!

Which actually brings me to that thought for you, Dennis. How about a webcam?? Here in Portland area, there is a red-tailed hawk who has built a nest on an undisclosed fire escape. A tv station has a Raptor Cam going live. I can't see it since it's a microsoft program (and I refuse to taint my new Apple), but you might try. http://www.kgw.com/raptorcam/?nvid=226982&live=yes

I vote you set up a webcam, Dennis!!! Just for us!!!!!!

Marguerite