Not good news from California. Last week, a new chick, parented by AC9, the last free condor to be trapped in 1987, fell from its nest ledge and broke a wing.
It was rescued and will recover, but its crop was found full of bottle caps and similar debris, something that has become a grim concern for all wild chicks.
Then, yesterday, another of the three chicks hatched this year in California was found dead. It had jumped or fallen from its nest ledge two days ago, but was alive then and looked alright. An autopsy will be done, but preliminary investigation showed - microtrash, like the other chick - debris in the crop and stomach, although the chick was of normal weight, condition, and feather development.
Meanwhile, the Battleship chick is getting huge. As of today, it is about 80-90% the size of an adult and getting its flight feathers in, although it still has almost no tail. Today it was in fine form, stomping around the nest cave, flapping its wings, napping sprawled like a labrador retriever, jumping on rocks, and peering over the edge into the canyon.
Although both AZ chicks are progressing along just fine, the occurances in CA serve as a reminder that things can change in an instant. Nest watch will continue past fledging, some months away. There are still holes in the Nest Watch Schedule. If you would be interested, you can arrange to do "On the Job Training" with me and then help cover the schedule. Call or e-mail Scott Harger.