Category: Gull Research

A Fond Farewell from Waterbird Biologist Victoria Heyse

12/3/2018

By Waterbird Lead Biologist Victoria Heyse

I first came to SFBBO in the Fall of 2014 to work as a Salt Pond Intern. I was familiar with waterbirds, but as a recent New England transplant, my only experience had been with east coast species. To say that I had a lot to learn those first couple months would have been an understatement, and not only that but I needed to learn fast as the winter migration of shorebirds & waterfowl would soon be in full swing. But after my first salt pond survey not only was I hooked ... I was obsessed! I loved familiarizing myself with the diversity of the pond habitats and their corresponding waterbird niches. As my internship was ending, an opportunity arose for me to join the ...

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Gulls, Gulls, Gulls - Nest Monitoring With SFBBO

7/6/2018

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By Waterbird Lead Biologist Victoria Heyse

Every May, our volunteers and biologists walk through all California Gull colonies in the South Bay to estimate the breeding population. This volunteer experience isn’t for the faint of heart! It can be hard to hear yourself think, let alone stay focused enough to tally nests, as thousands of screaming gull parents fly towards your helmet, occasionally making contact with a kick or beak strike. You’ll escape the colony unscathed by gull poop only if you’re lucky.

We have monitored the South Bay gull population for almost 40 years. In the early 1980’s there were only 24 breeding California Gulls, and ...

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A Fond Farewell from Waterbird Biologist Victoria Heyse

Gulls, Gulls, Gulls - Nest Monitoring With SFBBO

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