During Summer 2026 at Monterey Peninsula College, Braulio Beltran participated in the Black Oystercatcher Monitoring Project with Monterey Audubon Society. His experience influenced his perspective on bird wildlife.

Standing at the edge of Seaside State Beach, I watched Kyan Russell look through the spotting scope to check the little legs of the gulls. I was thrilled to learn he found a banded fledgling! Wow, a tiny success. This year’s new Heermann's Gulls of Seaside project included monitoring, outreach, fledging safety, and banding. This rare colony emphasizes collaboration with community science.

A shared passion for wildlife conservation untes CSUMB students Aidan Randall and Maxwell Frantz. They've teamed up to monitor the Seaside Heermann's Gulls. Their work blends rooftop observations, GoPro footage, and drone surveys to track nest locations, chick development, and interactions with neighboring Western Gull colonies.

Monterey County participation for the California Bird Atlas Big Weekend included four events led by Monterey Audubon Society

Black Oystercatchers are excellent indicator species of the rocky shoreline habitat. One thing that makes them a valuable indicator species is that they do not go across any other habitats. They nest on rocky shores, are territorial, and easy to spot (and hear) from shore. Join us to monitor these unique birds.