The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Home to hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds, colonies of sea lions and seals, it is a wildlife spectacle like nowhere else.

Western Gull in flight, Southeast Farallon Island. Incredibly dedicated parents, gulls will enthusiastically guard their small nest plots from would be predators or invaders. In a colony of 20,000 of its kin, space is certainly at a premium.
Western Gulls courtship feeding, Southeast Farallon Island.
A Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) guards it’s eggs in a colony of thousands. If they survive, these chicks could live upwards of 25 years.
On my way to do some routine nest counts of cormorants, but I could not figure out for the life of me why an adult Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) was defending this cinder block so vigorously, that is until I took a closer look. This chick is maki
Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) collecting nesting material One of my favorite subjects, the beguiling Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) building its nest.
Male Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) displaying on freshly built nest Male Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) displaying on his freshly made nest. In this species, the male will construct the nest at the beginning of the
Brandt’s Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) dancing Taking a look at the tender side of a seabird colony, Brandt’s Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) engaging in their courtship dances and preening on the nest. There’s something remarkably
Sun and surf over the nesting colony on Southeast Farallon Island.
Sunset over the field station on Southeast Farallon Island.
California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) checking in Just a nose boop by two California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) on Southeast Farallon. This highly intelligent ocean dwelling mammal feeds primarily on fish, shellfish and squid, toppin
California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) moving down to the water While sighting tags on Northern Elephant Seals (pictured in the back), I saw a group of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) making their way down to the water. Surprisi
Seabird and seal colonies are special places. During the breeding season entirely full of stimuli, constantly ringing with the vocalizations of their inhabitants, life and death in the same frame, and if you’re a human visitor the knowledge that hund
Common Murre (Uria aalge) among the Farallon Weed. I remember the beginning of field season on the Farallons, when everything was green and the Farallon weed was in full bloom, watching them gather among the rocks by the hundreds of thousands at the
Common Murres (Uria aalge) calling in the colony Common Murres (Uria aalge) call nearly constantly in their colony of over 500,000. Packed in even more tightly than the gulls, they puffin relatives form a sea of black and white across the guano spat
Common Murre (Urea algae) in the morning light on Southeast Farallon.
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