31-Aug-2002 Field Notes

Still,hazy and warm on the Lookout today. Thick haze to 4000′. Genie from the Hopper crew made a brief appearance at the Lookout while out mobile tracking.Strong, broad signals from Or-212, Y-190, B-167, and B-170 between 1110 and 1610. At one point, these birds were very close to the Lookout, likely on the Santa Lucias. They seemed to move back and forth across the Santa Margarita valley all afternoon. At 1250 I had a few brief signals for B-155 and R-112 at 120° SE, near Lion Cn. Got a call at 1252 from Genie who was out near Castle Crags, she had visuals on Y-125 and Y-213 soaring out over Ca Valley. Got another call from Alan Mee who reported signals for Y-192 and Or-212 from Hwy 41 and US 101 at 1315. - Paul Andreano

Read More

30-Aug-2002 Field Notes

No signals throughout the morning. At 1203, I began picking up a group of Ventana birds to my distant NW. Spoke to Hopper and Ventana crews, and determined that most of this group likely headed N from Hopper yesterday,when I was away. Between 1203 and 1517, I had signals from Y-192, Y-190, B-164,Y-194, W-231, B-167, and B-168. Most were strong and consistent between 320° NW and 350° NW. By 1600, all signals had become distantat 320° NW. - Paul Andreano

Read More

27-Aug-2002 Field Notes

Only signals today were from W-231, beginning at 1034 at 320° NW. She must have snuck past me yesterday (possibly on the east side of the La Panzas?),assuming she spent the night near Machesna. At any rate, she was headed south again today, and for a few hours it felt like she was following the Santa Lucias down. At times I was getting only a weak signal in the direction of San Luis Obispo. Between 1218 and 1310 I had a strong vertical or “perching”signal at 260° W/NW. At about 1415 I was getting a strong soaring signal again that abruptly moved east and rapidly dwindled in strength. My guess is that she headed back up to Big Sur. On my way home for 2 days off I continued to track W-231 along the US101 N. At 1746 I had a weak signal for 231 at 300° NW from appx 1 mile north of Santa Barbara St., Atascadero. At 1805 I checked again from the HWY 46 interchange but got no signal. -PDA

Read More

Update from the Lookout 20-Aug to 27-Aug-2002

Greetings all,

The last week on the Lookout was mild (mid 80’s), windy, and somewhat
clearer than the past few weeks. Last Saturday and Sunday were by far
the two most exciting days, punctuated by signals from both Hopper and
Ventana birds. A few of Hopper’s R series birds have been popping up
mid-day around 120°SE of the Lookout, which I am assuming is over Cuyama
and Lion Canyon. On Sunday, a group of 6 Ventana birds made the passage
down to Hopper, using the Santa Lucias as their flight corridor. This
was the first time this summer that the birds have passed the Lookout
using this more south western route and the recent change in nearby wind
speed and direction my have something to do with this. They likely
cruised down the back of the Cuesta Ridge, hopped over Lopez Lake,
continued out over Huasna toward Cuyama, and eventually arrived at
Hopper NWR. At 1610, I spotted the group soaring high above Huasna
Valley, working the thermals and dwarfing the many TV’s soaring below
them. At 1830, I was joined at the Lookout by Nick Todd who picked up my
binos and promptly picked a soaring condor out of the haze somewhere
above the Machesna Wilderness or American Canyon. We checked for signals
and ID’d the bird as W-231. I just updated the news page on our website
and you can find a more detailed listing my recent tracking endeavors at
http://www.calpoly.edu/~pandrean/himountain/news.html

As construction continues, and as the heat subsides, the Lookout is fast
becoming a comfortable place to live. I’m looking forward to next month
and the first real signs of fall on the mountain. Visitors continue to
trickle in, though mostlly on weekends, and hunting season has been
entirely uneventful. Most everybody I talk to seems truly surprised by
the notion that condors still pass through San Luis Obispo county
regularly. Well they sure do. And as we go an about our daily lives, so
does the California Condor….surveying the situation from high above on
ancient flyways, quietly sorting out their place in this crazy, mixed up
world.

Thanks for all of your input and support over the last month and a
half. As always, I look forward to seeing all of you up at the Lookout
sometime. Enjoy what’s left of your summer!

Cheers,
Paul Andreano

Read More

26-Aug-2002 Field Notes

Not surprisingly, today was a rather slow day for condor movement. A few signals from R-112 at 110° SE and 120° SE, which I am now assuming to be Lion Canyon or some where over Cuyama Valley. Interestingly, Hopper’s R birds have been frequenting this area of late and I hear there is alot of hunting going on in those parts right now. Last signals for R-112 wereat 1415. No other signals to report. - Paul Andreano

Read More

25-Aug-2002 Field Notes

Conditions (especially wind and visibility) have changed significantly over the last few days. The wind has picked up tremendously (averaging 25 mph from the N/NW) and I’ve noticed the TV’s seem to be working the thermals along the Santa Lucias more than normal. Seems to be great soaring weather. Quite a bit of Condor activity to report today, as well as a few more confirmed sightings from the Lookout. At 1030, I began picking up strong signals from R-107, R-112, R-108, and R-111. They were somewhere around 110°SE,and seem to remain there until about 1500, when they dropped out of range.(I actually only had a signal from R-111 at 1030). A group of Ventana birds moved south today, and for the first time this summer,they passed the Lookout to the south. I began tracking Y-190, Y-194, B-168,B-164,B-167, Or-212, W-222, and W-237at 1250, at appx 320° NW. This group of birds stayed close together as I tracked their movement south along the back side of the Cuesta Ridge. I had strong signals as they moved past the Lookout to the south (over Lopez Lake or eastern Arroyo Grande). It wasn’t until 1610 that I got a visual on these birds, and I had to sort through dozens of TVs to get it. I located a group of at least 5 condors soaring in a thermal somewhere out above Huasna Valley, maybe 1500 feet up, headed roughly in the direction of Twitchell Reservoir. I am confident that this was the group I’d been tracking all day. Between 1322 and 1515,I was getting intermittant signals from B-161 and B-170, beginning at 85°E and headed north, where I lost them at 280° NW (at appx 1515). Throughout the late afternoon I had also been getting signals from W-231 who was also moving south, though taking the usual “eastern route” along the La Panza range, and travelling by herself. At about 1830 I was joined at the Lookout by condor biologist J. Nick Todd, who promptly picked out a soaring condor out of the haze just off the La Panzas ( a few miles south east of Pozo Summit).We ran a quick set of signals and were still getting intermittant signals from W-231 in the same direction. Minutes later, the bird was both out of sight and out of range. Could it be that W-231 spent the night at or near Castle Crags? Well, who am I to say…..

Read More