May, 1909 
ORNITHOLOGICAL TRIP TO LOS CORONADOS ISLANDS, MEXICO 
97 
reaclit San Diego. The bay being reaeht only by a very narrow and winding 
channel we did not enter until the following morning. 
There we left Mr. Long to return by rail, and that evening at 8 p. M. we 
arrived off the South Island of the Coronados group. We sounded and anchored 
in twenty-eight feet of water. Bright and early the next morning we were up and 
made for the bay which lay about a half mile from us. We noticed along the cliff 
facing us quite an area of guano, and many pelicans, cormorants and gulls flying 
about, indicating a colony. 
Arriving in the harbor we were at once struck by the beauty of the little bay, 
at the back of which rose a sheer cliff 300 feet high. On the right was a small 
cliff, above which was a steep cactus-covered slope to the summit. On the left was 
a low cliff, above which was another steep slope. The bay was as clear as crystal 
and very deep. Having anchored about the middle of this cozy little bay we took 
the punt and landed on a ledge 
underneath the cliff, there be- 
ing no beach on which to land. 
This was no easy task; we 
had to watch our chance and 
go in on top of a wave, jump 
out, and lift the boat bodily 
from this ledge to one above. 
It was still more difficult to 
launch the skiff, our clothes 
being drenched both coming 
in and going out. 
These islands are located 
about fifteen miles south of 
San Diego. There are three 
main islands: North, Middle 
and South. Their names in- 
dicate their position. They 
are very high and rugged, the 
highest being 672 feet and 
about a mile long. The only 
good harbor, and that only 
suitable for small craft, is the 
little bay on the northeast side 
of South Island in which we 
anchored. There is no water on these islands. Consequently there is little vegeta- 
tion — cactus and ice plant being the most abundant, tho there was some kind of a 
scraggly bush scattered thruout. 
The first day was spent in making camp and looking around a bit on South 
Island. The next day we went to North Island, which is about two miles to the 
northwest. But when one rows to it, it is about forty. We could not sail on 
account of the kelp. We stopt at Middle Island to examine a small gull colony, 
— eight nests with eggs. There were a few cormorants roosting on rocks, and a 
pair of oyster-catchers circled around us. One of the latter, which we shot, led 
us a merry chase thru the surf. We then continued our row to North Island on 
which we found large colonies of auklets with young, and colonies of gulls with 
young. The young gulls ran all over the island like chickens. There was a large 
colony of pelicans with almost full-grown young. The number of these we could 
PORTION OF COLONY OF FARALLOXE CORMORANTS ON 
SOUTH ISLAND 
