Nesting Boxes for Auklets on the Farallon Islands – 2000

An avian condo

The Cassin’s Auklet is a burrow and crevice-nesting seabird of the Pacific Coast. With a declining population and nesting range, it is a candidate for California’s Species of Special Concern list. About 80% of California’s Cassin’s Auklets breed on the Farallon Islands. Mated pairs lay only one egg per year. Point Reyes Bird Observatory (now Point Blue) has studied breeding … Read More

Dual Pane Window Retrofit – 1999

Point Reyes Bird Observatory and the US Fish and Wildlife Service aim to have the buildings on the Farallon Islands as self sufficient as possible. There are two buildings in use; one houses the resident scientists, and the other is used as office and laboratory space. Both are old and, prior to these improvements, not energy-efficient. FIF made a grant … Read More

Farallon Islands Boardwalk Replacement – 1999

Boardwalk replacement on the Farallon Islands, 2000.

  The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge boardwalk project was developed to protect burrow-nesting seabirds (Cassin’s and Rhinoceros Auklets, in particular). These birds, as well as Tufted Puffins, Pigeon Guillemots and Ashy Storm-Petrels lay their eggs and seek shelter in crevices, as well as burrows that they excavate in the soil. Burrows in the loose soil of the marine terrace … Read More