“So Ramon, what DO you actually do over there at Sea Ranch?”
This might be a question that readers have for me, given that I’ve never fully outlined what my day looks like here. And since I’ve talked about the PECOs that I survey every other afternoon, it’s time to talk about what my mornings are all about: Gualala Point Island.
This small island, only a couple hundred feet from shore, is a different world on its own. Geologically speaking, GPI is complex, which makes it a favorable habitat for nesting seabirds; Pigeon Guillemots enter crevices between rock layers, Pelagic Cormorants nest on the rock ledges, Brandt’s Cormorants settle on the limestone flats of the island, and Western Gulls occupy the flat areas at the top of the island.
My job is to keep track of all these nests, as well as all the visible species that are present on the island. From each of two vantage points (north and south), I do a count of all the seabirds and mammals present on the island. I also monitor the status of all visible nests, using a photo that shows the location of all the tracked nests (which are given a unique number). Additionally, now that most of the gull chicks have hatched, I also keep track of these mobile (emphasis on the word mobile) chicks that run around the vicinity of their original nest site.
A view of GPI from from the south side, as well as the back of Sophie’s head.
Tallying all the seabirds that I see.
Sophie counts all the brown pelicans the fly by the island. At one point, we saw more than a hundred!
With this information, I can further understand habitat use in the island. And, with data from previous years and from other nesting sites, I can also determine population and behavior trends of these species over time.
Unfortunately, not every morning here on the coast offers bright and calm conditions. We frequently get winds and fog that swoop into the coast, preventing us from clearly seeing the island.
Sophie and I get our breaks when the wall of fog descends upon us. Sophie spends her time reading, while I take selfies (for the blog, of course).
But overall, the process has become second nature, and I’m just about ready to name the hundred or so gull chicks that I keep track of, starting with the chicks from nest #47.