Nature at Alcatraz Island National Park
September 11, 2013 4 Comments
Fog Bank Flowing Over Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island – “The Rock” Front Side
Alcatraz Island – “The Rock” Back Side
Western Gull
Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron
Pigeon Guillemot
Beautiful Peach Rose
Gorgeous Calla Lily
Succulent Garden
Alcatraz Island National Park is San Francisco’s number one tourist attraction. Most people visit “The Rock” to learn about its role as a Federal Penitentiary housing criminals such as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly (1934-1963). But some visitors come for a different reason – they come to see its historic gardens and nesting sea bird colonies in spring.
The gardens were important to everyone living on the island. Park rangers say the gardens demonstrate the importance of plants to the human spirit. More info is at: http://www.alcatrazgardens.org/index.php and http://alcatrazgardens.org/featured-on-the-internet.php A self-guiding brochure of the gardens is at: http://www.alcatrazgardens.org/pdf/AZ%20Garden_05_12.pdf You can watch an episode about the gardens by Huell Howser’s “California’s Golden Parks” at https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2007/11/08/alcatraz-gardens-californias-golden-parks-158/
Sea birds nest on the island from February – September. Birds that breed on the island include California and Western Gulls, Pigeon Guillemot, Brandt’s Cormorants, Black-Crowned Night Herons, and Snowy Egrets. A brochure on the “Waterbirds of Alcatraz” is at: http://www.nps.gov/alca/naturescience/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=388749
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Alcatraz is equally eerie as it is beautiful. Love your selection of photographs, Pam!
Love that shot of the fog rolling in under the bridge!
What a great idea for a post! I never thought that there is nature! Of course, there must be, but Alcatraz itself does not support this idea. Thank you.
It’s actually a pretty location, just quite chilly at times! Gulls nest there in spring.