Tag Archives: Craig Tooley

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Gualala Point Island is a large, rocky island sitting off the northernmost end of The Sea Ranch. It is a haven for many birds and pinnipeds and many of us enjoy watching them from the bluffs. But on the far side, where we landlubbers cannot see, there is a large colony of Brandt's Cormorants currently nesting.

TSR are Stewards of the rocks and islands off their stretch of the coast, which are part of the California Coastal National Monument. They have formed a Task Force to monitor the seabirds. Recently their aerial photographer Craig Tooley went up with pilot Tom Osborne as part of their 5th year of monitoring and captured this photo. There are also some Common Murres in the photo, a cause for excitement. There is hope they may be prospecting for nests. And one lone Gull at the top, hoping for a free meal.

This is the big reason why fireworks over the 4th of July weekend in Gualala are a bad idea. We are fortunate to have nesting seabirds here. Don't feel sorry for us! We have fireworks in Point Arena 11 miles to the north.

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Once again Craig Tooley has the magic. He recently photographed a pair of Pelagic Cormorants on their cliff-side nest. I thought these birds were black with a white patch on their flank when breeding but Craig's photo shows a multitude of colors.

Do you wonder how they get their nest to stay on that precarious spot? I wondered too. They use their own guano to help cement it to the ledge. Amazing! The nest always faces the sea. Pelagics, also called Baird's Cormorants, feed on fish. They dive from the surface and chase their prey underwater. Another example of some of the wonderful creatures sharing our beautiful Mendonoma Coast.

To see more of Craig's photos, here's his link:

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On calm days the Sea Lions on the colony at Fish Rocks just off of the hamlet of Anchor Bay can be heard noisely barking. They are giving birth to pups now on the rocky islands off the coast. Craig Tooley captured a photo of a mom and her newborn pup and has kindly allowed me to share it here. Another of Craig's photos shows a group of Sea Lions on Fish Rocks. They are known for their intelligence and playfulness - this mammal is often the trained "seal" found in zoos. I prefer to view - and listen - to them in the wild!

To see more of Craig's photos, go to: http://web.me.com/theruffians1

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Brandt's Cormorants are busy building nests on Gualala Point Island just off the Sonoma coast. Craig Tooley photographed one in breeding plumage. You can see the blue throat patch - a sign this bird is ready to mate. I'm also showing you a picture taken by Rich Kuehn of storm driven waves crashing over the island taken several months ago. Brandt's Cormorant nest rather late. They instinctively know not to build their nests too soon. These birds were scared off their nests in 2006 and 2007 when a group decided to shoot off fireworks in Gualala for the 4th of July. Some places just don't work for fireworks, at least in nesting season - some places are for the birds!

 To see more of Craig's photos: http://web.me.com/theruffians1

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And X-rated sighting for you today! Craig Tooley took a lovely photo of a pair of Western Gulls mating on Black Point Island. This rocky island sits just offshore of the southern edge of The Sea Ranch. Western Gulls nest there. I will post a photo of the island in the days to come. You can see this tiny island for yourself by going on the Black Point Beach public access trail of The Sea Ranch. Once you reach the bluffs and see the beautiful beach, look for a trail that winds off to the left. That will lead to the island. Approach it quietly - it is a place of beauty and serenity.

Here is the link to Craig's web site to see more of his photos:

http://web.me.com/theruffians1/RufImage