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From: Justin Hite
Sighting_Date: 5/24/04
Remote Name: 209.221.205.168
Date: 24 May 2004
Time: 15:53:30 -0400
I saw a Prairie Falcon eating an adult California Gull on Little Tahiti Islet (one of the Negit Islets) on Mono Lake this morning. I was out there getting things organized for the upcoming California Gull nest count when I heard a lot of gull alarm calls coming from Little Tahiti. I couldn't see anything, I think my vantage was blocked by some large rocks. The gulls kept up a low level of alarming for about 15 minutes, when suddenly a few hundred flushed. Ahead of the gull flock was the Prairie Falcon, which turned toward Krakatoa Islet and flew right by me at eye level. Before returning to the mainland I boated toward the area where the commotion had been, and was able to see a freshly eaten adult California Gull lying on the rocks. Over the past few years I've seen Peregrines and Golden Eagles take adult California Gulls out there, but this was the first Prairie I had the pleasure to watch putting the gull colony to use in this way. Other predators that we've seen take chicks include Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Horned Owl and Common Raven, and we've watched gull eggs be taken by Ravens and an Osprey (!!!). Bald Eagles, Northern Harrier, and occasional herons/egrets patrol the area on an irregular basis, but we haven't witnessed any foraging by them yet.
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