Decades ago Dr. Richard White practiced medicine on the Mendocino coast. He loved sharing interesting information the gathered. His publishing of “Mendocino Medicine and Gazetteer” allowed him to share his views on rural medicine and natural history.
He gleaned papers from the University of the Pacific’s Albion Field Station and in 1986 shared the “Natural History of Continental Islands” in the gazetteer section of his publication. Here a researcher looked at what was on rocks and islands off Albion Harbor and along the nearby coast.
Interesting facts gleaned from this research? Birds like to nest on offshore islands because predators are avoided but the island must be 100 feet high bro support plant life in the topsoil. Less than 50 feet tall an island’s plant life will be denuded by wind and rain and wave action and nesting becomes impractical.
An island on the south side of Little River Bay 700 feet west of then headlands was 600 feet long, 150 feet wide and had a 89 foot summit of Graywacke Franciscan rock with three inches of soil on top. The mainland was 40 feet away with a 15-foot deep channel in-between. Found there on the island were 36 plant species including hedge nettle, coyote bush, sea figs, ferns and grasses. Birds included Guillemot’s, Oyster Catchers, and gulls. Wildlife was Banana Slugs, Alligator Lizards and Salamanders.
On one island a half mile from Albion Harbor and 120 yards offshore measured 475 feet by 275 feet and was 52 feet high. It had a rocky plateau with little vegetation due to high winds and surf but still supported seven plants and grasses. Brandts and Cormorants nested there from late April to early July incubating eggs 30 days. Sharing a 80 feet by 35 feet space above the splash zone were 160 birds. Nests were made from Eel Grass and feathers. Western Gulls were a threat eating eggs and young chicks.
A rock called Mooring Rock in the Albion Harbor still had iron chains on it in 1986 as a reminder of coastal shipping 100 years in the past. The rock was 30 feet high, 60 feet wide and 100 feet long. A study in 1948 said it had no terrestrial life on it but birds would land there and feed on sea life. It was declared by researchers a paradise for intertidal life with mussel beds, barnacles, anemones, purple sea urchins, starfish, limpets, periwinkles, chitons, sponges and crabs.
I wonder how much has changed on these islands 40 years after publication of the U of P researchers work? In 2000 California Coastal National Monument protected to some degree 20,000 exposed rocks, reefs and pinnacles within 12 miles of the shore Thanks to Dr. Richard White for saving and sharing the research with readers then and now.
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