Other Species Management
Birds / Marine Mammals / Plants / Other

Birds, marine mammals, and plants are not the only wildlife that occurs on the islands. An arboreal salamander (not found in the trees on the Farallons), crickets, beetles, and other invertebrates are year round residents. Non-native house mice are also on the island, possibly to the detriment of nesting birds and native plants. The island is also visited by traveling butterflies, dragonflies, and bats. Studies of the transient bats are in the early stages.

White sharks can be found in the waters around the island to feed on seals and sea lions. Research is on going that identifies individuals by scars and markings. A project using satellite relay tags has been ongoing and the Farallons is one site where the tags are placed on the sharks. Evidence analyzed thus far reveals that our sharks appear to head to Hawaii after leaving the Farallons. They then travel to the southern coast of Mexico before returning to the island.

Besides the biological activities, personnel must continually perform maintenance and repairs of facilities. A self-sufficient duty station doesn’t come without a cost. Collecting water from a bird refuge has obvious problem. Purifying and moving the water around the island requires a network of pipes, filters, and pumps. The installation of the solar system reduced diesel consumption to about 550 gallons per year provides enough electricity to power two houses and workshops despite the frequent foggy conditions. There is no dock on the island so a rotating crane is used to lift the work boat from the water to the landing area. The crane requires frequent maintenance.

The houses were constructed in 1879 and the main residence house was recently remodeled providing a comfortable retreat from the howling wind and vicious gulls. Food and personnel are brought to the island by a dedicated group known as the Farallon Patrol. The patrol is an organization of boat owners (mostly sailboats) who volunteer to make the run to the island once or twice a year. They are the Farallon supply line. After dinner it is time to journalize, a tradition that spans back to 1968 though it has evolved from time to time. The Farallon Journal is kept by PRBO in which they record weather, unusual events, and any birds seen that day, among other things.

Molly has been a resident of the island since 1993. Molly is a black brant that decided she wasn’t going to migrate from Alaska to Mexico with the rest of the Pacific brant. She hangs out on the marine terrace with the gulls and sometimes is the only bird on the island that is not a breeding species.