Nik Epanchin photographed these nesting Pelagic Cormorants on a bluff face near the Point Arena Lighthouse recently. You can see the babies in the upper nest. What a great photo and I thank Nik for allowing me to share it here!
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.
Gualala Point Island is a beautiful rock island that sits off the far north end of The Sea Ranch. It is an important rookery for seabirds. Right now the island is bustling with renewed life. Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants are building nests. Black Oystercatchers are mating. While watching the island, hundreds of Loons, mostly Pacific but some Common and a few Red-throated streamed by. You can see this island from Gualala Regional Park. Just head west to the ocean next to the Sea Ranch access trail and it will reveal itself as if by magic.
