Monthly Archives: August 2013

Stealing Condor Eggs (1899)

An illustration originally published in the San Francisco Call newspaper in 1911. “CALIFORNIA CONDOR A RARE BIRD WHOSE EGGS ARE VALUED AT $18,000 A DOZEN It is not generally known that among the fads of the day the collecting of … Continue reading

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Feeding A Scrub Jay

We’ve befriended a scrub jay.

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Life and Death in a Creek

Murky and mossy, slow-flowing summertime creek. With the southern Los Padres National Forest currently undergoing its characteristic seasonal broil, and being too brutally hot and dry for hiking many miles, there are a few cooler, less visited nooks I like … Continue reading

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Pit Viper On Arroyo Burro Trail

Chumash bedrock mortars in Barger Canyon below Arroyo Burro Trail. Arroyo Burro Trail purportedly follows an historic Chumash Indian route over the Santa Ynez Mountains linking the Santa Barbara coastal plain to the Santa Ynez Valley. In the foothills below … Continue reading

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California Condor; Timeline of Tragedy and Hope

A California condor soaring over Sespe Wilderness. 1890—California condor population estimated at 600. 1982—Only 22 California condors alive in the world. 1985—A single breeding pair survive for the entire species. 1987—The last wild condor is captured from Bitter Creek National … Continue reading

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