Condors Soar Over Meher Mount
By Cassandra Bramucci
At Meher Mount, it pays to look up at the skies from time to time for you never know what you might see there.
The latest delight has been the first appearance of California Condors — four of them on one occasion — soaring over Meher Mount’s open fields and swooping down toward the area around the Visitor Center.
THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR is the largest flying land bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet. A condor weighs up to 26 pounds, and can soar and glide at speeds up to 50 MPH, traveling up to 100 miles in a day. This photo shows a comparison between a Turkey Vulture (top) and a California Condor (bottom). (Photo: U.S. National Park Service)
The condors first appeared on a windy day, November 7, 2020, “hiding” among a wake of smaller Turkey Vultures (as a flock is called) catching the coveted air currents that rise from the west.
Of course, it would be difficult for condors to hide anywhere since they are such giants of the skies. With wing spans as large as 10 feet, the shadow of a condor flying overhead will take anyone’s breath away. And that is just what happened for Manager/Caretakers Ellen Kwiatkowski and Eric Carlson.
An Endangered Species
Although these magnificent creatures are considered one of the most endangered species in the world, their numbers are increasing due to careful management in California’s condor sanctuaries. One such refuge is the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, a mere eight miles East (about 70 degrees southeast – according to Google maps) of Meher Mount as the crow – er, condor – flies.
THE SESPE CONDOR SANCTUARY, established in 1947, is 53,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest. The California Condor was recognized as endangered in 1967 and received legal protection in 1972. These protections include controlled public access to the sanctuary to protect condor nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat. (Map: U.S. Forest Service)
AS THE CONDOR FLIES. The flight distance from Meher Mount to the heart of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary is less than eight miles. (Source: Google Maps)
Condors Soar Over Meher Mount
“I remember it was November 7th that Ellen first sighted the two condors,” said Eric. “That day, the winds were blowing steadily from Ojai up the side of Sulphur Mountain creating a wind shear along the mountain’s backbone. All along the Sulphur Mountain ridge, Turkey Vultures were circling in the updrafts, and at one point we counted more than 34 together.
“Among them were two California condors — their sheer enormity and distinct markings making them clearly stand out from the Turkey Vultures,“ he explained.
In the storm-like winds, the sky was full of soaring raptors playfully competing for the rising currents. “Even the ravens were excited,” reported Eric, “diving and somersaulting past the vultures.”
CONDORS are “opportunistic scavengers” that feed on large, dead mammals. They live up to 60-years-old in the wild, mate for life, and produce one egg every other year. November 7, 2020 was the first recorded sighting of the California Condor at Meher Mount. (Photo: Eric Carlson, November 2020)
The second sighting of the California Condors came a week later. “The wind conditions were similar. Ellen and I were waiting to greet guests while we birded and sat near the fountain,” Eric continued. “Again, we noticed groups of Turkey Vultures traversing Sulphur Mountain, but unlike the day of the 7th, they were lower, flying in single file along the south side.
“They would disappear around the corner to the east toward Fillmore. Once, when they came back, we noticed they were traveling with four condors. I ran inside to get my camera, and by the time I made it to the top of the hill by the water treatment system, the first of the condors was flying over the swimming pool!”
All afternoon, Ellen and Eric watched the birds fly in from the west, head south towards Santa Paula, and then come back, returning every 20 minutes or so. “It was as if on their earlier visit, they got a taste of Meher Baba’s love at Meher Mount and couldn’t resist revisiting again and again by taking advantage of the ideal wind-travel conditions on the Sulphur Mountain expressway,” said Ellen.
It Was Only a Matter of Time
For several years, Robert Turnage — temporary caretaker, treasurer, and avid bird watcher who has organized several bird watching events and releases at Meher Mount — steadfastly kept an eye out for the California Condor.
“Several years ago,” he said, “I updated the checklist of bird species for visitors interested in birds that can be seen at Meher Mount and in the Ojai area. Although I had never seen a condor fly over Meher Mount, I included them on the list.
“I knew the condor refuge was an easy glide away, and with the right wind currents, I had a feeling that one day people would see condors soaring over Meher Mount. So it was a special thrill when I heard about the recent sightings.”