Quick updates
Ecological Notes:
- 2 juvenile female Elephant Seals, hauled out in the main grass area, but visiting the water once or twice a day.
- Noted a California Sea Lion with damage to one of his pectoral fins …. bone and tendons appear to be ok. Looks like a patch of about 6X12 inches of skin removed.
- The Northern Fur Seal was reported to me as being on his second favorite rock out here, near the NW end of the reserve
- Sea Otter (reported as being Ollie) in the kelp to the west
- Lots of Pigeon Guillemots spreading around the main area, pairing off with courting behaviour
Visitors:
- 1 – Richard from the shore front team delivered Diesel and groceries
Facility Work:
- Replace another faulty light switch in the main house
- Transferred fuel to drums and moved most to the generator building, and added some to the furnace tank in the main house. I find it safer and easier to transfer in drums when by myself.
- Split and transferred more firewood
- Oil filter, oil, and fuel filter changed on Generator.
- Batteries electrolyte levels topped up
- Noticed drop in daily battery percentage over the last 2 weeks, found specific gravity readings were very low, trying an equalization charge
- Main house window cleaning
- Collected up fencing blocks left spread around after the last modifications to the fencing system
DND events:
- More radio simulations of boater conflict ….. again, no mention before or during, causing some discussion among other boaters
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- A solo kayaker, travel through and around the reserve on Tuesday.
- More Eco-Tourism vessels
- Several people fishing just outside the reserve, pulling lines and visiting the main area without fishing
Weather Events:
Mostly typical spring weather, changing direction, but lots of clear sky days with slight haze. Only a couple days of higher winds
- Monday, April 21:
- Sky: Slight haze, but mostly sunny all day
- Wind:mostly W mixed 5-20kts
- Sea: rippled to slight chop
- Temperature Low 8oC, High 12oC
- Tuesday, April 22:
- Sky: Very slight haze, but mostly sunny all day
- Wind:ESE 2-12kts changing to W 15 kts by evening
- Sea: flat calm
- Temperature Low 9oC, High 13oC
- Wednesday, April 23:
- Sky: Very slight haze, but mostly sunny all day
- Wind: low ESE winds, shifting to SE 10kts mid day
- Sea: calm all day
- Temperature Low 7oC, High 13oC
- Sky: Very slight haze, but mostly sunny all day
** Any wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Weather – Current:
http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather – Past:
Animal Census
- Bald eagle adult 5
- Bald eagle juvenile 4
- Black Turnstones 23
- Gulls 98
- Cormorants 77
- Pigeon Guillemots 64
- Oyster catcher 14
- Canadian goose 7
- Harlequin Ducks 17
- Pacific Wren(?) 4 comes flying out of the shrubbery too
fast to get a picture
Mammals
- Sea Otter 1
- Steller sea lion 28
- Harbour seal 57
- California sea lion 33
- Elephant seal female 2 juveniles (adult female has not been seen in a while)
Animal Census
- Bald eagle adult 2
- Bald eagle juvenile 3
- Black Turnstones 18
- Gulls 83
- Cormorants 56
- Pigeon Guillemots 22
- Oyster catcher 8
- Canadian goose 7
Mammals
- Norther Fur Seal 1
- Steller sea lion 18
- Harbour seal 42
- California sea lion 20
- Elephant seal female 2 juveniles (adult female has not been seen in a while)
Elephant Seals and Northern Fur Seal
Ecological Notes:
- 2 Juvenile female Elephant Seals coming and going daily, Haven’t see the full adult female in a few days…… Last couple days she was here, she spent a lot of time bellowing from a high point on the rock, maybe she heard other animals in the distance(?)
- The Northern Fur Seal was hauled out on the most north west rock in the reserve (reported to me by an Eco-Tourism vessel)… but is now on the rocks next to the crane shed (just east of the jetty)
- Sunday, the Fur Seal spent most of the afternoon rolling and grooming in the water off the end of the jetty
- Many of the Sea lions spent the afternoon rafting and thermo-regulating in the water
- It seems each day I find new blooms
Visitors:
- 2 technicians from Environment Canada came twice, to service all relevant equipment and attempt to get the display unit in the Eco-Guardian residence up and running – returned a couple days later to reset the system
Facility Work:
- reset the wind indicator/ reporting system up in the tower via phone instructions from EC
- replaced the rest of the fencing on the jetty
- Moved drums to prepare for diesel delivery
- Weekly battery maintenance, including electrolyte top ups
DND events:
- Several radio broadcasts simulating emergency situations….. the first couple were a little concerning, as they didn’t announce the simulations before hand!
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Several Eco-tourism vessels
- A submarine travelled south of the reserve on the surface, un-escorted though.
- Kayak group, I monitored while they were in and out of the various currents. The group leaders were very good, and responded well when ever anyone got caught in a bad current.
Noted Infractions:
- None. I’ve let vessels know the Sea lions around the jetty area seem to be extra touchy, and vessels all responded appropriately. There are lots of really small ones and females in the groupings.
Weather Events:
- Wednesday, April 09:
- Sky: High overcast with sunny periods
- Wind: Variable calm – 5 kts
- Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
- Temperature Low 9oC, High 11oC
- Thursday, April 10:
- Sky: Low overcast, shifting to low fog to the south and west mid afternoon, scattered rain showers, followed by sunny breaks
- Wind:E 5-10kts shifting to W 15-25kts mid day
- Sea: morning chop 1ft, flattening as the wind shifted to W, then rising to 3-4 ft swells and chop on top
- Temperature Low 9oC, High 12oC
- Friday April 11:
- Sky: Although cloudy on both shorelines, the area above Race Rocks and the strait was mostly clear and sunny all day
- Wind: W 20-25 kts
- Sea: 2-3 ft chop and swell
- Temperature Low 9oC, High 9.5oC
- Saturday April 12:
- Sky: Heavy clouds to the north and south, but mostly clear and sunny overhead
- Wind: W 20-35kts
- Sea: light chop turning to high waves by evening
- Temperature Low 7.5oC, High 10oC
- Sunday April 13:
- Sky: light haze, but overall sunny
- Wind: W 5kts shifting to E by mid morning
- Sea: flat calm plus current
- Temperature Low 7oC, High 11oC
** Any wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Weather – Current:
http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather – Past:
More signs of spring and a surprise visit!
Ecological Notes:
- 3 female Elephant Seals, 1 adult and 2 juveniles, still coming and going, no full haul out
- A surprise visit from a Northern Fur Seal!
- In addition to the more regular Black Turnstones, noted some Ruddy Turnstones today
- The Pigeon Guillemots are showing up in larger numbers, with many frequenting the rock pile where they like to nest
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- the nesting rocks
- Not that long ago, we would say ” this is an all male haul out area” ….. sources tell me this is in fact, Male, females, and yearling pups(haven’t seen nursing yet today, although I’ve photographed a few here doing that too)
- The Black Oyster Catchers are mostly paired up as well
- It appears that 2 of the 3 pairs of Canada Geese have given up on egg laying for the season (the gulls have been raiding the nests), but the one pair by the crane shed still has 2 eggs they are taking care of.
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- These 2 still stand guard over their empty nest
-
- by the crane shed
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- This solo one has been by the student house all season
Facility Work:
- swapped out an electrical switch to restore light to the room I prefer to sleep in
- Checked and topped up the battery electrolyte levels
- Moved and stacked some of the split firewood
- Done before I got here, but a straight forward “why didn’t I think of that” solution to the storm rattled doors on the water tank shed
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Some Eco-Tourism vessels visiting the reserve.
- 1 private vessel noted
Noted Infractions:
- Private vessel approached the haul out area by the crane a bit too close and straight on, startling all the animals off into the water, including the rare (to this area) Northern Fur Seal
Weather Events:
- Sunday April 06:
- Sky:Overcast, low clouds on the Olympic Peninsula, rain showers started in the morning, more squalls as the wind rose later in the day
- Wind: N 5-10 kts, shifting and rising to W 25 kts by early evening
- Sea: rippled to 2′ chop
- Temperature Low 8oC, High 13oC
- Sky:Overcast, low clouds on the Olympic Peninsula, rain showers started in the morning, more squalls as the wind rose later in the day
- Monday April 07:
- Sky: Overcast with sunny breaks, low cloud over the Olympic Peninsula, light rain in the afternoon
- Wind:mostly N 5-10 kts, switching to west and rising to 25 kts in the afternoon before dropping back down during the evening
- Sea: light chop
- Temperature Low 9oC, High 10oC
- Tuesday April 08:
- Sky: Overcast with sunny breaks, heavy cloud to the south, occasional showers
- Wind: N 5-15kts, rising to 25kts, gusting to 25kts, from the West late afternoon
- Sea: 2 ft swells from the north during the day, switching to 2-3 ft chop late afternoon
- Temperature Low 9oC, High 11oC
Animal Census
Birds
- Harlequin duck 6
- Bald eagle adult 4
- Bald eagle juvenile 7
- Black Turnstones 34
- Ruddy Turnstones 8
- Gulls 112
- Cormorants 74
- Pigeon Guillemots 48
- Oyster catcher 12
- Canadian goose 7
Mammals
- Norther Fur Seal 1
- Steller sea lion 19
- Harbour seal 36
- California sea lion 23
- Elephant seal female 3, 1 adult, 2 juveniles
- Sea otter – while not at the reserve, Ollie was reported to me as being over by william head
Back again!
Happy to be back at my home away from home!
Ecological Notes:
- 3 female Elephant Seals, 1 Full Adult and 2 juveniles
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- The juvenile females prefer this grassy are
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- The Adult female moves around more based on sun,shade. and breeze
- The Gulls are slowly pairing off, no full courtship displays or nest building noted yet
A few squabbles here and there
- So far, I’ve only found 2 of the 3 previously noted active Canada Goose nests…. I think the one by the composting are has been abandoned
The gulls are quite quick to take advantage of spoiled eggs
- The harbour seals on the southern rocks seem to be very skittish …… wondering if there have been undocumented orca hunts in the reserve, maybe at night(?)
Visitors:
- Just the waterfront coordinator during the Eco-Guardian exchange/transfer
Facility Work:
- fuel transfers
- Monthly report levels checks
- general quick facilities check on arrival, moving to scheduled routine checks
DND events:
- Heavy Blasting one one day
Noted Vessel Traffic:
- Some eco-tourism vessels, all following good practices and procedures
- 1 private vessel exploring the reserve
Noted Infractions:
- Private vessel approached the haul out area by the crane/jetty area a little close and head on orientation, startling the sea lions, all moving and several entering the water…. I feel the nervousness of the sea lions was increased by the previous days blasting though
Weather Events:
- Thursday, April 03:
- Sky: sunny and clear, very occasion cloud patches
- Wind: Mostly W, 5-10 kts in the morning, dropping to very light in the afternoon, rising to near 20kts over the afternoon/evening
- Sea: calm seas
- Temperature Low 8.5oC, High 10oC
- Friday, April 04:
- Sky: Mostly clear, with some high overcast at times
- Wind: NE shifting to E 5-15 kts
- Sea: calm seas
- Temperature Low 7oC, High 11oC
- Saturday, April 05:
- Sky: Bright, high overcast
- Wind: W/WSW 16-37 kts
- Sea: calm seas
- Temperature Low 8oC, High 10oC
** Any wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Weather – Current:
http://www.victoriaweather.ca/current.php?id=72
Weather – Past:
Wildlife Census
Woa, last week on Race Rocks. 3 months has FLOWN by, marked with very few intense winter storms and no resident Elephant Seals over the breeding season. We had a big female come ashore and do a bunch of feeding over the last month, and then a new (smaller) seal showed up on March 31st. She looks like a survivor of ‘scabby moult’ and she’s tagged! It’s a green tag (L334) meaning she was tagged in Año Nuevo, and probably 3-4 years old. We were so excited to have more than 1 Elephant Seal around we were very suprised to wake up this monring to another small Elephant Seal female! Could this be the begining of the moutling season for Race Rocks? Stay tuned to find out!
We figured if it’s the end of our time here, better try and leave the place better off than we found it. We installed Greg’s new electric fence concept on the jetty, and re-habed the N fence perimeter. Cleaned up a bunch of the scrap materials from previous infrastructure projects, and put the ladders away. We’re very fancy like that.
The Canada Geese have begun the laying season, which means a marked increase in their aggression as they start to defend their nests. It’s a battle between the Geese and the gulls (who are also getting ready to start laying), and we often wake up to a freshly cracked egg on the main walkway.
Mammals:
- Stellar Sea lions: 12
- California Sea lion: 14
- Harbour Seal: 30
- Northern Elephant Seal: 3
Birds
- Gulls: 122
- Cormorants: 68
- Eagle: 8 Adult, 6 Juvenile
- Turnstones: 20
- Canada Geese: 7 – 3 breeding pairs
- Oystercatcher: 18
It has been a LOVELY time on Race Rocks, and we’re always so grateful to get to spend time here. It’s such a beautiful spot with so much history, and it has Elephant Seals some of the time! We look forward to seeing a new Beachmaster take charge of the island, and for the opportunity to return.
Tristan & Courtney
Elephant Seals LOVE the smell of sawdust.
Wildlife Census
This week the highlight was definitely the lightning storm! This is the only time we’ve seen lightning on Race Rocks, and it was very cool to see it. Over there. Not hitting the lighthouse.
We still have a resident female Elephant Seal! She goes to sea most nights and returns in the morning. We like the idea of her munchin’ on animals all night long, and that would align with the crazy amount of pooping she’s been doing. Typically Elephant Seals have very few excretions while on land, but this lady has been painting the town orange.
Very few Whale Watching boats this week, and the California Sea Lions decided to spend the week elsewhere, maybe munching on all those spawning herring up island?
Mammals:
- Stellar Sea lions: 27
- California Sea lion: 10
- Harbour Seal: 16
- Northern Elephant Seal: 1
Birds
- Gulls: 64
- Cormorants: 157
- Eagle: 4 Adult, 4 Juvenile
- Turnstones: 55
- Canada Geese: 7 – 3 breeding pairs
- Oystercatcher: 16
Wildlife Census
It’s been a BEAUTIFUL spring!
We had a Pearson Graduate come out to visit Race Rocks and hear all about the shenanigans the students got up to 20 years ago. That was GREAT! Thank you so much for visiting Professor J!
We had the female Elephant Seal from ‘Middle Rocks’ move over to Race Rocks to take up residency in the front yard, bellowing up a storm. She sat on the boat ramp at night and bellowed all night long, and we were greeted with a second female Elephant Seal in the morning! Pretty interesting to think they might call each other into safe haul-outs.
A new female joined for a few days of intense napping.
Our resident female loves snugglin’ flowers.
We also got that Transient pod of Orca visiting again (likely T041) hunting around South Seal Rocks and Middle Rocks, followed by some playing in the rapids of Middle Channel. While we didn’t see exactly what they caught, there was a bunch of blood to looks like they were successful.
Cruising close to the rocks looking for a tasty sea lion.
I do find it funny the Sea Lions get in the water when the Orca approach. Clearly they are more agile than I give them credit.
Spring is sprung, the gulls are getting ready to nest and the geese are in the heat of battle for the ultimate nesting areas.
Mammals:
- Stellar Sea lions: 25
- California Sea lion: 75
- Harbour Seal: 10
- Northern Elephant Seal: 2
- Transient Orca: 5 T041
Birds
- Gulls: 165
- Cormorants: 157
- Eagle: 2 Adult, 2 Juvenile
- Turnstones: 16
- Canada Geese: 5 – 2 breeding pairs
- Oystercatcher: 10
- Pigeon Guillemots: 44
