A portrait head shot of an adult California condor 692's head looking downwards with his body providing a dark backgrop to his colorful head. 692 was in the wild when this photo was taken. Please note that I was not as close to 692 as this photo might suggest. The photo is a heavy crop of the original photo which was taken with a telephoto lens. I was lucky enough to accompany the field biologists, vets et al on a recent "handling" day, where trapped birds were given health checks, new tags, and HPAI vaccinations before being released back into the wild. This activity often attracts other wild birds that come in and land on top of the flight pen to see what's going on and that's when I was able to take this photo.

Normally associated with Pinnacles NP, California condor 692 (and other Pinnacles regulars) were among the many wild birds that showed up at the VWS sanctuary in Big Sur earlier this month when I was lucky enough to be there too.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksforthepose #condorspotter

An adult California condor, 692, with wings outstretched and feet dangling, is about to land on an unseen spire. The white background to the image is caused by bright clouds behind the bird. The only background is the bright clouds, making the photo look like it might have been taken in a studio, but it was taken in the wild, in the High Peaks area of Pinnacles NP.

From a couple of weeks ago, California condor 692 comes in to land.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksfortheflyby #condorspotter

A head and neck portrait shot of California condor 966 looking down from her perch on top of a volcanic spire. Condor is looking towards the camera with her neck ruff feathers up behind her head and on her neck. Photo was taken with a telephoto lens and then heavily cropped, she wasn't as close as she appears to be.

Perched condor look up and to the right, showing off her well use (battered!) radio transmitter and vinyl wing tag on her right wing.

A couple of photos of California condor 966 Pixchi taken yesterday, one day after her 6th birthday.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #pixchi #thanksfortheposes #condorspotter #happybirthday

California condor 966 flying towards the camera in the top of the frame banked at an angle, looking towards the camera, with two other condors below her and out of focus.

From last week, California condor 966 Pixchi soaring around the High Peaks with a couple of fellow soarers in the frame too.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #pixchi #thanksfortheflyby #askyfullofcondors #condorspotter

An adult condor flying left to right with dark cliffs in the background

A distant view of an adult condor with a hill in the background topped with a fire tower.

An adult condor turns in the sky as it approaches the photographer. The condor's crop is visible poking through its chest feathers.

Three photos of California condor 589 soaring around the High Peaks in the late afternoon. Taken last week at Pinnacles National Park.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksfortheflyby #condorspotter

An untagged juvenile condor with wings outstretched and legs akimbo aborts a landing in late afternoon sunshine with clouds in the background

An untagged wild fledged juvenile California condor aborts a landing in the late afternoon earlier this week.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksfortheflyby #condorspotter #untaggedjuve #wildfledgedjuve

A juvenile California condor standing on top of a volcanic spire, looking to the right, sporting a yellow vinyl wing tag with an underlined black "38" painted on it - the bird's "forever" id tag, allowing biologists to identify the bird from afar.

California condor 1238, a wild fledge from a nest in the park in 2023, sporting his "forever" tag that he received 3 weeks ago, hanging out in the High Peaks yesterday afternoon.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #wildfledgedjuve #thanksforhangingout #condorspotter

California condor 892 perched on a rock above the photographer looking in the direction of the camera

California condor 892 perched on a rock above the photographer, yawning with tongue visible.

From this morning, California condor 892 Vincent taking in the morning before he headed out for the day.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #vincent #thanksforhangingout #condorspotter #naturessoftbox #yawnsarecontagious

Four condors interact in the top of a dead tree, backlit by the setting sun

California condor shenanigans at sunset yesterday up at the sanctuary.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksfortheshenanigans #condorspotter #thanksvws

An untagged juvenile condor soaring with the late afternoon sun highlight the leading edges of its wings, with volcanic rock formations in the background.

From a couple of weeks ago, one of 2024's wild fledged untagged juveniles flying around the High Peaks area with the late afternoon sunshine illuminating the leading edges of those tag free wings.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksfortheflyby #condorspotter #wildfledgedjuve #untaggedjuve

California condors 726 Little Stinker and 966 Pixchi line up with the camera as they fly in formation around the High Peaks area of Pinnacles National Park.

Formation flying!

Things lined up just right to capture this photo of 726 Little Stinker and 966 Pixchi as they cruised around the High Peaks area of PNP a few days ago (3rd member of their trio, 692, was in the area too).

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksfortheformationflyby

California condor 692 about to touchdown in the High Peaks area of Pinnacles National Park last week.

California condor 966 Pixchi about to touchdown in the High Peaks area of Pinnacles National Park yesterday.

Call me biased, but as fun as it was to watch those Eagles touchdowns on Sunday, I don't think anything can beat a good California condor touchdown!

Featuring condors 692 & 966 Pixchi.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #pixchi #thanksforthescoringplays #touchdown #condorspotter

California condor 646 Kodama makes a close head height fly by complete with a full crop and a slightly goopy head.

California condor 646 Kodama makes a close head height fly by as she leaves the scene of a seafood buffet, with a full crop and a slightly goopy head, sure signs that the buffet below was well stocked.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #kodama #seafoodbuffet #thanksfortheflyby #condorspotter

The late afternoon sun catches California condor 692's head just right as he looks out from his perch directly at the viewer

From yesterday, the late afternoon sun catches California condor 692's head just right as he looks out from his perch atop the High Peaks.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksforthestare #condorspotter

Portrait of juvenile California condor 1145 hanging out in a tree at the VWS condor sanctuary

Juvenile California condor 1145 hanging out in a tree at the VWS condor sanctuary a couple of weeks ago.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #thanksforthepose #condorspotter #thanksvws

California condor 970, a female from the Pinnacles flock, takes evasive action as she's pursued through the skies of Big Sur by 957

California condor 970, a female from the Pinnacles flock, takes evasive action as she's pursued through the skies of Big Sur by 957. She's been attracting a lot of attention recently from the eligible bachelors in the flock as breeding season is in full swing. #californiacondor #ieatdeadthings

California condor 1019 Jane goes for a bit of a hike as the sun goes down over the High Peaks last week at Pinnacles NP.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings #jane #thanksforthehikeby #condorspotter

California condors 892 Vincent and 646 Kodama look out from their perches on branches of a Redwood tree in Big Sur, CA

I'm going to try posting my condor photos on here too (usually they're on IG and shared to FB) - to see if there's an audience for them here.

California condors 892 Vincent, and 646 Kodama share a redwood tree on New Year's Day.

#californiacondor #ieatdeadthings