California Condor in Flight showing off its 9+ foot wing-span.
Photo: Noel Snyder, USFWS
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23, 2009 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft plan today that would allow the Tejon Ranch Company to harm and harass the iconic and extremely endangered California condor. The condor’s last bastion of wild habitat is threatened by mega-developments in northern Los Angeles and southern Kern counties, planned by the Tejon Ranch Company, a publicly traded company heavily invested in by New York-based funds. Twenty-six other rare species are also included in the proposed plan. This Habitat Conservation Plan, as it is called, is sought by Tejon Ranch to exempt Tejon from its otherwise illegal “taking” of the covered endangered and threatened species.
“The countdown has begun on Tejon’s plan to destroy the condor’s ‘Garden of Eden’-the core of its existence,” said Adam Keats, director of the Urban Wildlands Program of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Contrary to Tejon’s assertions, this is not a conservation plan. This is a permit to harm, displace, disturb, and in some cases, kill 27 endangered, threatened, or rare species that call Tejon home. Don’t be fooled: Each of these species would be far better off if this permit is never issued.
“The Center has a better plan for Tejon Ranch: preserving it as a new national or state park. See http://www.savetejonranch.org.
None of us have done updates on the blog since July
That doesn’t mean there haven’t been interesting things going on… just that we’ve been taking a breather. Soon the 2009 nesting season for our all wonderful feathered friends will be underway and we’ll start posting more regular updates.
For now, join us in going outside, listening and looking for some of the wonderful wildlife that share the cold of winter with us. You may be surprised at what you find in you own backyard!
First Year Snowy Owl, January 18th 2009
Wyoming County, Western NY
Irinash, Joyce and I met for Falcon Watch earlier this evening – both adults and all four juvenile falcons were seen. Details are on our forum and I’m including this brief vid clip of two of the female juvenile falcons flying overhead (I really don’t like YouTube’s poor quality, but the original files are HUGE).
Videos and Images are provided courtesy of “glenham”. Please contact our web administrator falconsandfriends@gmail.com if you are sharing these links on other forums or discussion groups. This webcam is hosted by FalconsAndFriends and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
Thanks to glenham for sharing this wonderful feeding video – this brood is growing rapidly!
