PHOTOGRAPHER'S JOURNAL: We flew from Cuzco, Peru, to Quito, Ecuador, not directly, as this eagle would, but through fiber-glass waiting rooms and multiple layers of sleepy-headed, security checkpoints. The next day we drove to Otavalo, a few hours north of Quito in a quest to see an Andean condor before leaving the Andes. These giant birds can have wing spans over ten feet across, the largest of any land bird.
Parque Condor is a preserve for injured birds. We walked past large cages or rescued raptors of all kinds until we reached a larger cage, home to several injured condors. They were not a disappointment, and one spread its wings for a photo, but it wasn't a picture. On the other hand, this eagle was the star of the show.
