The meager flock of a few siskins grew, and grew, and grew until there were at least 587 siskins zipping around the lighthouse in large murmurations.
Record breaking Pine Siskins!
Archives: Farallones Blogs
Los Farallones
Los Farallones
Dusky-capped Flycatcher – A first island record
A Dusky-capped Flycatcher was recently found on Southeast Farallon Island increasing our list of bird species to 435. Read more about this exciting find in this new blog!
Farallonathon 2020
Farallonathon 2020 From September 27 to October 3, the fall crew took part in the 29th annual Farallonathon, the Southeast Farallon Islands’ spin on Point Blue’s annual Bird-a-thon fundraiser. The Farallonathon was established in 1992 to highlight diversity on the island while showcasing many of the fall wildlife monitoring programs. The rules are simple (well,
Farallonathon 2020 is on!!!
We just started our week-long Farallonathon – a bird-a-thon and bio-blitz all rolled into one.
Introducing the Farallon Yellowstart
Fall migration is in full swing on the Southeast Farallon Islands, and the resident researchers recently had a great taste of just how birdy the islands can be when the weather conditions are ideal.
A Peculiar Puffin
The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is well known for the many species of seabirds which roost and breed here. Maybe the most charismatic of these species (and the one most sought by visitors on the sightseeing boats) is the Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). However, on the morning of June 30th, the crew was treated to a sighting of a Puffin of a different persuasion. While sitting on Lighthouse Hill during a Pigeon Guillemot diet watch, one of our biologists spotted a HORNED PUFFIN (Fratercula corniculata). This close relative of our Tufted Puffins is a rare sighting this far south and has been a thrilling addition to our usual collection of seabirds on the Farallones.
A Migration North
The month of July often brings reflection on the events that have unfolded throughout the seabird season. Here on the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, we’ve documented the earliest eggs on record, witnessed extremely high occupancy and chick success, an now wait with anticipation as some fully-feathered chicks begin to exercise their new flight feathers
The Least Expected
People often ask when they learn about our work on the Farallones, “So, how are the bird counts going?”. While counting established long-term index plots is one method we use for tracking population change of ground nesting species like Western Gulls, Brandt’s Cormorants, or Common Murres, determining the number of birds that nest underground is
Auklet Class of 2020
There are approximately 500 wooden boxes (shown with a rock on top in the photo) scattered around on Southeast Farallon Island that are used as nesting habitat by Cassin’s auklets, the small seabird I’m holding in the photo. These boxes have been checked every year since 1982, where pairs of auklets using each box can
An Invisible Force of Nature
Located just off the coast of central California, the Farallon Islands rest within one of the most productive ecosystems on the globe: the California Current System (CCS). Perhaps the most influential force that contributes to the immense productivity of this region is wind. Over the last fifty years, biologists and interns stationed on Southeast
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