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Parker, Mike. 1999. Murres on Devil Slide Rock! It's the Decoys, Dummy. Tideline Vol 19 No. 2 1-3.
by Mike Parker It is first light as seabird biologist Sue Schubel attaches the spotting scope to the tripod. She is tired and her body aches from the previous two days of work. Nothing was going to keep Sue from rising out of bed and heading out into the cold Pacific northwest wind to look at the stage she has helped create. The final touches were made just a few short hours ago but it took months to prepare all the equipment. And now, as she peers through the scope, she can see all the hard work is paying off as the first performer has arrived stage right. Sue is part of a team of biologists that created an artificial common murre colony on the top of Devil's Slide Rock in January 1996. Her colleagues include a team of biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Humboldt State University Foundation, U.S. Geological Service, National Audubon Society and Point Reyes Bird Observatory. Common murres (Uria aalge) had not been seen breeding in San Mateo County since the early 1980's even though they are the most abundant |
Murres
on Devil Slide Rock!Last updated:
May 27, 2008
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