Easter Egg

[Loi Nguyen]

I spent Saturday in the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge building a fence around the flight pen to prepare for the release of the Endangered California Condor from the LA and San Diego zoos this season. Afterward, I was invited to go see an active nest in the wild. This image was shot across a huge canyon, so I apologize for the IQ due to heavy cropping. I thought I shouldn't post it here, but it was a treat for me to see a California Condor tending to her egg in the wild, so I'd like to share with you after all.

1DX
500f4 II + 2X III
1/1000
f10
ISO-640
Tripod
Manual Mode

Please let me know what you think.

Thank you

Loi

[arash_hazeghi]

Thanks for sharing this Loi. you pointed out the short comings in terms of IQ and it's also difficult to photograph them given their status. All birds have GPS antennas and numbers on them if I am not mistaken.... But it is nice to see the egg which I guess is as big as a baseball (I have never seen their egg). These birds are HUGE if you see them up close, they dwarf a bald eagle.

[PhilCook]

IQ aside, things like this are always a treat I think, thanks for sharing. I must say there does not seem to a lot from stopping that egg from rolling out of the nesting hollow

[David Salem]

Nice documentation of this threatened species with her precious egg. These birds are huge, as Arash stated, and are the largest land bird in North America. They have a wing span of up to 10 feet. TFS

[Satish Ranadive]

Loi:
Great documentation. Very nice image of Condor in wild habitat.

Regards,
Satish.

[Loi Nguyen]

IQ aside, things like this are always a treat I think, thanks for sharing. I must say there does not seem to a lot from stopping that egg from rolling out of the nesting hollow

Phil, egg rolling off the cliff has happened in the past, but not the major loss. Raven is the major source of loss for eggs if the parents are not vigilant and leave the egg unattended. Last year, there were 6 nests in Southern California, resulting in 4 chicks. The majority of the birds flying now are still coming from captive breeding programs.

Loi

[Loi Nguyen]

Thanks for sharing this Loi. you pointed out the short comings in terms of IQ and it's also difficult to photograph them given their status. All birds have GPS antennas and numbers on them if I am not mistaken.... But it is nice to see the egg which I guess is as big as a baseball (I have never seen their egg). These birds are HUGE if you see them up close, they dwarf a bald eagle.

Arash, yes all birds have GPS and number even those born in the wild. The Condor Recovery a project continues to monitor the lead level in wild birds by re capturing sick birds and treat them for lead poisoning. So the Condor is still entirely on their own until people stop using lead bullets. Their eggs are 4-5 inches long and 2-3 inches wide, so pretty huge.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Must be a great experience, Loi. What a treat to watch this nest. TFS!
Hope this magnificent species can make a full recovery.

[adrian dancy]

As stated the IQ and artistic merit is not great but that does not mean a picture is not worth looking at...far from it. I have enjoyed watching programs on TV about this species. I would have been honoured to have been with you when this mage was taken.