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Some Birds of Ana Capa Island

Authors
J. Grinnell
Journal
Condor
Volume
10
Issue
3 (May-June)
Year
1908
Pages
130
Section
From Field and Study
Online Text

Some Birds of Ana Capa Island

On the 4th of September, 1903, I was landed from a yacht onto Ana Capa Island, which lies east of Santa Cruz Island, California, and separated from it by about five miles of open ocean. Ana Capa is rapidly decreasing in size and one can easily foresee its complete dissolution at no very distant time. The action of the waves has already cut thru it at several points. My stay on the Island was limited to less than an hour; but besides that I was permitfed to coast along nearly the whole length of the island in a small boat. There is but scanty vegetation on this Island. I saw a few insects, signs of mice (Peromyscus), and one species of lizard (Uta) .

Besides the usual seabirds of the region I saw the following: One Bald Eagle (Haliæetus leucocephalus) flying; one pair of Mexican Ravens (Corvus corax sinuatus) ; several Rock Wrens (Salpinctes obsoletus), these being noted on the highest declivities of the Island; several spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularia) along the surf; several Wandering Tattlers (Heteractitis incanus) on partly submerged rocks; one flock of five or six Black Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala) ; one pair, with three two-thirds grown young, of the Black Oystercatcher (Hæmatopus bachmani) on a point of rocks jutting into the surf; and one Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) flying along the surf.

J. GRINNELL

Pasadena, California.

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