For birders it's the bird watching, not the Birdman that draws them to Alcatraz, including falcons, ravens, hawks, Brandt’s and pelagic cormorants, herons, western gulls, pigeon guillemots, black oystercatchers, black-crowned night herons, great egrets, and snowy egrets. Other species visit at different times of the year as they migrate through the Bay Area.
We've just found a great new website devoted to Alcatraz birds and birding. I learned a lot just reading the last few articles there, and the authors not only know their ornithology, they can explain it to laypeople in an interesting way.
One more link of interest is a recent Park Service report on the state of the bird colonies on Alcatraz, and the effects of disturbances by well-meaning kayakers and boaters during the breeding season.
Have some great bird photos you took on Alcatraz? We'd love to share them with our readers, and we give you credit and copyright.. You can reach us here.
Text copyright (c) 2010 OurAlcatraz.com. All Rights Reserved.
