California Condor Enjoying the Breeze

Another joy when living in the Sonoma Valley of the Moon area is observing the many creatures that share life among the grapevines with mere humans like me. I watched the huge bird as he balanced on top of a light pole assuming he was preparing for flight. But for a full five minutes, the enormous creature savored the quiet breeze filtering through its outspread feathery extensions. No flapping, just leaning into the wind. Then, the Vulture allowed his wings to fall into a thermal and soared over the trees and into the valley to look for a snack. What a magnificent sight!

This says it best........The Vulture's flight is easy, graceful, and majestic. A writer who watched one of these gigantic birds thus pictures it: "High in air an aeronaut had launched itself — the California Condor. Not a wing or feather moved, but resting on the wind, like a kite, the great bird, almost if not quite the equal of its Andean cousin, soared in great circles, ever lifted by the wind, and rising higher and higher into the empyrean. Not a motion of the wing could be seen with careful scrutiny through the glass, but every time the bird turned and faced the wind it seemed to bound upward as though lifted by some super human power, then bearing away before it, gathering the force or momentum which shot its air-laden frame higher and higher until it almost disappeared from sight — a living balloon."

                   THE CALIFORNIA VULTURE

Among the crags, in caverns deep,

•   The Vulture rears his brood;

Far reaching is his vision's sweep

•   O'er valley, plain, and wood;

And wheresoe'er the quarry lies,

•   It cannot 'scape his peering eyes.

The traveler, from the plain below,

•   Sees first a speck upon the sky

Then, poised on sweeping wings of woe,

•   A Vulture, Bat-like, passes by.

— C. C. M.