Hollister
– Some people are morning creatures. Apparently, some condors
are too.
Hollister – Some people are morning creatures. Apparently, some condors are too.
In its fourth public condor release Saturday, Pinnacles National Monument had planned to release up to three 1-year-old birds into the wild in an ongoing effort to rehabilitate the once nearly extinct species. Several of the condors were ready to roll at 7:30am, but park officials waited another two hours before opening the holding pen as more than 300 people gathered about a mile away.
Unfortunately for the viewing public, the young condors never ventured back into the small double door trap, which allows the birds to be released without human interaction, said Carl Brenner, the park’s supervisor of interpretation and education.
“We can hope and wish all we want for the birds to take that first step toward freedom,” Brenner said. “But it’s up to them.”
Jim Petterson, a wildlife biologist with the park who studies the habits of the condors, said the birds flew throughout the flight pen for most of the day.
“It sounds like they’re active,” Petterson said. “Maybe too active.”
Biologists did not feed the condors as much in the days preceding the release and baited the trap with dead rabbits to lure the birds, Petterson said.
Karen Belford, a Santa Cruz resident and neighbor of John Moir, author of “Return of the Condor,” stood talking with Petterson as the viewing came to a close around 1pm.
“They’re teaching you the lesson you’ve been teaching all along,” Belford said to Petterson. “Limiting human contact.”
Petterson admitted that if it had been any other day, the three condors may have been released successfully. However, park officials will work to release the condors in the next two weeks, Brenner said.
In 2004, when the park hosted its first public release, no condors took that step toward freedom. With more than 300 people, Saturday’s event also rivaled the 2004 release in attendance, Brenner said.
Despite no new free-flying condors, park officials called the event a success.
“I think everyone got a chance to see free-flying condors and learned a thing or two,” Petterson said.
Up to six of the 13 free-flying condors that call Pinnacles National Monument home could be seen above the park Saturday. Petterson said many of the condors are visiting with a flock at Big Sur, where sea lions washed ashore and made for good eating.
There are 128 wild condors living in California, Arizona and Baja California. There are 152 more in captivity, living in zoos and other wildlife centers in California, Arizona, Oregon, Idaho and Baja California.
“The goal is to establish two self-sustaining populations of 150 birds, of which 15 are breeding pairs,” Petterson said.
For many visitors, the sight of the condors was their first.
Pat Franscioni, a third-grade teacher in Soledad, is an amateur bird watcher who came to the release to see her first condor in the wild. Franscioni said she would take the experience back to her classroom.
“We did a thematic unit on owls,” Franscioni said. “Now I’m going to force them to do a thematic unit on condors.”
Sue Rowinski drove to the park from San Mateo with her husband, John Epperson, to attend their first public release. The couple has frequented the park for about six years. Rowinski said they visit the park to watch other birds and even track the condor population using the park’s Web site.
Rowinski said her favorite part of the day was the 50 or more people who used the couple’s spotting scope to watch the condors.
“It’s nice when you see adults turning into kids,” Rowinski said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or mvancassell@freelance
news.com.
