A cloud of birds exploded off the island as we approached. Thousands of gulls swarmed over head and screamed angrily at our approach. I marveled at the sight above my head and was warned to keep my hat on and my mouth shut. This colony was going to be even trickier than the pelican colony because nests, eggs and young would be every where. Recently hatched birds will would stay in one spot, juvenile birds would sit and hide in vegetation and would not move even if you stepped on them.

As soon as we stepped foot on the island you could see eggs, right on the rocks, right next to shore. In the distance small pods of pelicans could be found and way in pack was a small group of cormorants. A small flock of great egrets had nests in the few trees left, but there were no young available to be banded.

The banders set up a net that we used as a corral. We were to grab juveniles who could walk, not recently hatched birds. The young gulls were put into the corral and the two banders would grab a bird, tag it and release outside of the net. They were mobile enough that they would run back to their parents.