A tragic loss, In the fall of 1986, I read an article in the news, they had decided to capture the last three wild California Condors in an effort to save the species. I was stuck that I might never experience these birds and hurriedly got a few friends together and we journeyed out to California. We went to the regular places and stood around for hours and on our last afternoon we stood at an overlook with a group of students talking. Suddenly, directly above us, a rustling in the wind and there in a slow glide and low enough to hear the wind flowing over its wide out stretched wings was a wonderful bird, no a magnificent bird. A silence spread across the group as each discovered the bird and after it had sailed out over the valley, you could hear everyone exhale and a nervous chatter spread through the group. Only then did I notice that not only I, but every other soul that had a camera, never once thought to take a photo. It was the type of experience that happens a few times in a birders career, you just stand and stare. We did manage to see all three of the wild birds that afternoon and I do have a shot of three distant dots in the sky. I think of that experience time and again. Today, the California Fish and Game Commission, in a press release, disclosed that condor # AC8, the last condor born in the wild to wild parents, was found dead on Feb. 18. The bird had be re-released back into the wild after a long stay in captivity. My mind raced back to a time some 17 years ago when this bird had graced me with its presence and a great loss was felt. Even more remorse and guilt followed when I read the bird had been shot. We have a lot of work to do, we have to bring more people to the same understanding that some Indians had; we do not own the earth, nor its animals, nor its plant life, but are stewards only. We have a trust that is slowly, much to slowly coming into focus for more and more each day. Will the realization come too late? I have no qualms with hunters nor hunting but I would like to know just what went through that persons mind, when that creature fell from the sky. He cannot take away the experience I had on that mountain side, years ago, but there is a vacant feeling in my heart which will take time a long time to heal due to his callousness. I take this murder personally. Good Birding!!! Jeff R. Wilson OL' COOT / TLBA Bartlett Tenn. =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958 =========================================================