Our August 2015 issue featured Wing Commander, a profile of California-condor recovery worker Chris Parish, and Rare Birds, a John Sherman portfolio of the endangered condors. That prompted Robert Mayo Failing of Santa Barbara, California, to send us the following email and photos. Thanks so much for sharing, Robert.

I believe the last pair of native-wild California condors ("captured" and removed to the San Diego  Zoo and used in breeding to replenish its depleted species) nested on the face of West Big Pine Mountain, located in the San Rafael Mountains of the Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County, California.

Shortly after moving to Santa Barbara in 1961, I met and became a close friend of William Hansen, supervisor of the Los Padres National Forest. I accompanied him on numerous outings into the backcountry. On my first trip (to Bluff Camp, at the foot of West Big Pine), I suddenly saw two big birds flying overhead. I said, "Bill, I've never seen such huge turkey vultures!" "Those are condors," he replied and laughed. He gave me a quick education about the bird; the one thing I best remember was its curiosity —"more curious than a kitten," he said. He told me the two we saw were probably attracted by the green Forest Service vehicle standing out in the otherwise uniform color of the backcountry. On another outing, at the old lookout atop West Big Pine, he put his bright-yellow poncho on the open ground; within 10 minutes, two condors were circling above us. Curious, they were.

Each spring In the late 1960s and early '70s, I would lead a group of ninth- and 10th-grade students from a local high school on a one-week wilderness outing through the San Rafael Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest (which included West Big Pine). I'd ask the students if they ever had seen a condor. "No" was the universal answer. When we'd get to the old lookout spot on top of West Big Pine, I'd put out my colored poncho, and what do you know, two curious condors invariably would show up within a short time.

Attached are three pictures (all taken in the early 1960s): West Big Pine Mountain (with old lookout on top), the lookout with Supervisor Hansen sitting on the stairway, and the two condors I first saw over Bluff Camp.

All photos courtesy of Robert Mayo Failing.