California condors are making a comeback at Vermillion
Cliffs National Monument in northwestern Arizona and we saw most of the 30 or
so captive bred adults that have been released in the area on our visit. The cold weather (another effect of El
Nino) made it possible for our Subaru to drive the normally muddy two miles of
rutted road to the release site where an Arizona Division of Wildlife staffer
was scanning for the radio-chipped birds.
We could see them perched on the distant cliffs and occasionally soar up
to the winter feeding station but they were too distant for to see their wing
tags. In the summer they travel
miles to scavenge carrion but in the winter they need a little help. On our way back we saw three other
condors near the bridge and got some good photos. Now we can go look for their cousins, the Andean condors.
