Hello folks who wonder if stealing fries from humans is a Gull's full-time job, or just a side hustle,
In the last post, we explored the island, enjoying the beautiful houses and trees that inhabit it. We also hiked to the top of the hill, where we were rewarded with a stunning view from the lighthouse. One thing I didn’t include was a complete 360° view of the island. If I had, you would have seen the islands shown below.
Farallon islands are also called as the Devil's Teeth, these islets can give a hint why.
Today, we will focus on the island located farthest to the right, known as Sugarloaf. It earned this name because its shape resembles the conical form in which refined sugar was traditionally sold, back when bloodletting was considered a beneficial health practice. Below, you can see an image of a sugarloaf along with the tools that were used to cut it into smaller pieces.
This is a Swedish "sugarloaf box." It features a drawer at the bottom that collects the granulated sugar residue left over when the loaf is cut into pieces.
Sorry, I got distracted for a second there and started reminiscing about the good old days when we would drill holes into skulls to treat head injuries. Say what you might about the era, but at least we did not have high fructose corn syrup and palm oil in every single item on the supermarket shelf. Why do we need these additives being pumped into our food....
Karan, sorry to interrupt, but, can we get back to the point, please? It's Monday, and people have work to go to. Thank you.
The largest rocky outcrop in that group is the Sugarloaf, teeming with seabirds.
The people who named it took some creative liberties to associate it with the sugarloaf shape
Every day, biologists on the island explore the landscape and hike to its highest point. Their purpose is to survey the surroundings and watch for any unusual birds that might have made an unexpected stop. These birds could have been diverted due to adverse weather conditions or possibly due to navigation errors, such as using Apple Maps.
In April 2012, biologists on the island noticed an unusual bird at a distance. Northern Gannet, a bird typically found in the Atlantic Ocean, was a surprising sight for these researchers, as this was the first Northern Gannet ever seen in the Pacific. I say "seen" because it's possible that other Gannets have ventured into the Pacific, taken a quick selfie, and then returned to the Atlantic—perhaps while the biologists were fast asleep or distracted by Netflix or TikTok.
The range map of the Northern Gannet as seen on allaboutbirds.org
The quirky biologists who are passionate about this bird affectionately named it "Morris." This nickname comes from its scientific name, "Morus bassanus." In fact, if you visit the house where these biologists stay, you'll find a framed celebration of the three-year anniversary of their first sighting of "Morris." And you folks think I have lost it when I anthropomorphize spiders in my blog posts.
We searched for "Morris" on Sugarloaf multiple times but initially had no success. The need for a spotting scope or zoom lens made it even more challenging, especially on gloomy days, as visibility was poor.
Can't tell a gull from a gannet in this light
Even on days when the light is in our favor, it was really hard to get a good shot of the gannet by popping the phone in front of the spotting scope.
Such a tourist trap of trying to look for the gannet
Northern Gannets usually prefer to live in large groups, but this particular gannet is perfectly content living alone. Here is another shot of "Morris" in a better light.
What part of your past are you trying to run away from, my friend? Unpaid taxes I think.
Now that we've moved beyond the usual tourist trap I encountered, we will focus on the real highlights on the island.... in the next post.
In the next post, we'll explore how Western Gulls on the islands can be their own worst enemies. But first, I want to share a postcard that was intercepted by the USPS. It was sent by a Northern Gannet who was vacationing in the Pacific.
Sigh... Smartphones really shouldn't have been made so easily accessible to everyone.
Northern Gannet posting on Instagram using a puppy face filter
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