Wednesday, 1/15/2013 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Andy] [Jonathan] [Sundowner] [SD Photos]

Andy Dainsberg
Wednesday 1/15/2014

Article Copied from: http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2995#p8923
Posted by: by Dainsberg_Andrew » Wed Jan 15, 2014 7:55 pm

,,, there i was- over nuthouse ridge when Condor68 came in from the NW being dogged by 2 crows.. ive been lucky enough to fly w/ condors a few times- it truly does seem that (contrary to other soaring birds) if they see us they often come over to fly along... 68 flew directly at me from about 3/4 mile away and as he neared, the crows dropped off. a pal and a bodyguard, we flew almost wingtip-wingtip in a lazy thermal- close enough for eye contact- . eventually, i was outclimbed and 68 went on glide over to spine one. i followed, lower, but never caught up. i got up to around 5k @ pyramid and nord ridge. There was strong NE around my alt/location and I decided to bail to the HS in an abundance of caution i suppose; out of the mtns my ground speed was 30-35mph for awhile. tom pushed Ebound then Wbound and maxd the day in his typically amazing way... Fun trip w/u guys. /

ps, info from a biologist friend: "A little background on your friend. HE is condor number 568 (the tag only gives the last 2 digits. The color of the tag indicates the first number. e.i. black tag = 500s). He was born 28 April 2010 in the zoo, and released into the wild in 2011. Seems like he's got the hang of things ay.
They are very curious birds, so I'm not at all surprised that they come in for a closer look at you.

Oh, and those were ravens harassing him. Ravens are notorious for being little buggers. Always harassing the bigger birds (eagles, red-tails), even though the condors pose no threat to them. Part of it is a game to them. I've seen a condor perched peacefully in a tree. Then 2 ravens will show up, perch near him, and hop closer and closer, then one will sneak in and pull one of the condors feathers. It's like the other one is daring him to get a condor feather. Maybe it's a right of passage."