Spirit Magazine - July 2013 - (Page 66)

were only 22 left. The last wild one, AC-9 (for adult condor No. 9), was captured in 1987. Thanks to a successful captive breeding program, about 400 California condors live today—in California, the Grand Canyon area, and northern Baja, Mexico. About half of them live in the wild. But the birds are still critically endangered. While the remains from humans’ hunting of deer and other game help feed them, our lead shot poisons them. In addition, a forthcoming study by the Ventana Wildlife Society shows that some of the marine mammals that condors feed on contain high levels of DDE, which is produced by the metabolic breakdown of DDT. This results in eggshell thinning and a reduction in the number of young condors. Despite the condor’s precarious footing, the study reports significant milestones in recent years. In 2010, a pair of them nested in the park for the first time in a century. I walk part of the way up Condor Gulch with Nichole Andler, Pinnacles’ chief interpreter. She tells me that the best places to see condors in the eastern side of the park are over the array of pinnacles known as the High Peaks, and the ridgelines above the campground. And sure enough, at that very moment, two big, black birds are circling above. I can’t believe my luck. “Look carefully,” she says quietly. The birds are turkey vultures, a smaller scavenger with distinctive, white trailing feathers, which are easy to see once you train your binoculars on them. The next day I’m hiking the Old Pinnacles Trail along the west fork of Chalone Creek when I hear a thunderous flapping of wings and see through the trees and brush an enormous avian body touching down. My heart races. I spin quickly, put my binoculars to my eyes, and behold ... a wild turkey. I’m heading up Condor Gulch again the next day when the sun 66 spirit july 2013 natural selection Flowering plants proliferate in Pinnacles. Brewer’s Butterweed sticky monkey flower

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - July 2013

Spirit Magazine - July 2013
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
The Numbers
Business
Made in America
American Idol
Your Adventure In Baltimore
Life Adventure In Baltimore
Promotional Series: Spirit of Branson
Promotional Series: Spirit of Nevada
Promotional Series: Spirit of Health
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Route Map
Rapid Rewards Partners
Flight Service
The “If” List

Spirit Magazine - July 2013