At first,
Just a speck in the sky.
Then a couple of flaps from those wings.
The ones spread 9.5 ft wide.

H9 
Drops down into Marble Canyon.
Coasting toward Navajo Bridge.
Choosing her place on a lower girder.
Ah,, but 54’s beat her to the coveted spot.
A bit of jostling settles the matter.
H9 rules the roost.

Obviously, she’s just finished a large meal. The enlarged red pouch below her throat, the crop, stores partially digested food. She can eat up to 4 lbs. of carrion.
Which staves off hunger for several days. 
--
The California Condor Recovery Program outfits all condors with wing tags and tracking devices, so biologists can track the movements of these endangered birds. Imagine in mid-1980’s just 27 condors graced the skies. All were trapped and placed in captured breeding programs. Now 200 of the 410 condors live in the wild. 
--
H9 the Stunner
A 7 year-old, female Condor.
Standing about 3 ft. tall and weighting 23 lbs. 

Proud, Strong and flying free.
Sometimes we just get it right.
Saving, instead of destroying.