Monthly Archives: March 2002

Black Oyster catchers arrive noisily

Posted on by
Saturday, March 09, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max 9.0C  Min. 2.7C Reset 6.5C  No Precipitation
MARINE LIFE: 4 Bald Eagles – 3 mature,still 2 pair Canada Geese. The gulls and Black Oyster catchers arrive noisily soon after daybreak and spend a good part of the day in and around the nesting areas; the Oyster Catchers foraging along the shoreline call out to each and often form a group of 22-24 birds then fly around the island several times before pairing off again to search for food.There are now 3 Elephant seals hauled out on the boat ramp, the 2 bulls and 1 smaller one about 11/2 metres long juvenile,they are very noisy especially from 1-3 a.m.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:14 PM

Good Morning: WEATHER: Sky Overcast  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind 23 Knots Sea 3 Foot Moderate >> Low East Swell

posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:39 AM

2 bull Elephant seals are very vocal

Posted on by
Thursday, March 07, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 1.0C  Min. -3.0C  Reset -0.5C  Snow 3.0 cm = 3.0mm
MARINE LIFE: 1 lone mature Bald Eagle this morning but did not stay long. Seems the closer we get to the first day of spring the worse the weather. 2 pair of geese today and the 2 bull Elephant seals are very vocal as they spend the night in the area around the boat ramp. We are used to the usual ‘snorting’ sounds but lately they have been letting out some great bellows which I have read can be heard up to a mile away. Certainly they are loud enough to wake us at 2 a.m.!
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:43 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis 15 Miles Wind North North East 19 Knots  Sea 3 Foot Moderate >> Low East Swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:13 AM

Wind North East 25 G 33 Knots Sea 4 -5 Foot Moderate

Posted on by
Wednesday, March 06, 2002
Good Evening 3/6/2002
TEMPERATURE: Max. 5.0C  Min -2.0C  Reset 0.0C No Rain or Snow
MARINE LIFE: 5 Bald Eagles – 3 mature- arrived first light but left the area earlier than usual as the weather deteriorated.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 12:30 Angus arrived to take Garry back to campus. With the wind and easterly swell it was another tricky manouever to ‘nudge’ into the dock so Garry could jump into the boat – timing is everything, not for the squeamish!
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:22 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind North East 25 G 33 Knots  Sea 4 -5 Foot Moderate  Low Easterly Swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:19 AM

Black Oystercatchers calling

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‘Mike gave me a lift over this morning to work on the data computer, I will be going back to “civilization?” at noon tomorrow. Students are all off on Project week this week so it is rather quiet around the campus. The pair of Black Oystercatchers was active here with their high pitched calls down by the docks this afternoon. One can hear them occasionally these days on cameras 1 and 3. I also noted an eagle perched on the subtidal island directly to the West this afternoon at low tide. You may often see an eagle along the island rock crests in presets 2 and 4 of the remote camera if you pan along the cliff edge. I noted an absence of gulls this evening. They don’t stay around at night until they have established territories and taken up nesting. Go to the video archives for recent website additions: several new videos in the invertebrate section and a new Northern Sea Lion video–Garry

Black Oystercatchers active here

Posted on by
Tuesday, March 05, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.1C  Min. 4.3 C  Reset 4.5 C  No Rain
3/5/ 8:00 PM Garry
MARINE LIFE: Mike gave me a lift over this morning to work on the data computer, I will be going back to “civilization?” at noon tomorrow. Students are all off on Project week this week so it is rather quiet around the campus. The pair of Black Oystercatchers was active here with their high pitched calls down by the docks this afternoon. One can hear them occasionally these days on cameras 1 and 3. I also noted an eagle perched on the subtidal island directly to the West this afternoon at low tide. You may often see an eagle along the island rock crests in presets 2 and 4 of the remote camera if you pan along the cliff edge. I noted an absence of gulls this evening. They don’t stay around at night until they have established territories and taken up nesting. Go to the video archives for recent website additions: several new videos in the invertebrate section and a new Northern Sea Lion video.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 Pleasure craft through the M.P.A. today. Race Rocks boat over to Parry Bay to Bring Garry over to work on the data system.posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:07 PM

Good MorningWEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 23 Knots  Sea 3 -4 Foot Moderateposted by Carol or Mike S at 6:34 AM

Glaucous-winged Gulls visiting

Posted on by
Monday, March 04, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 9.9C Min. 3.8C Reset 7.8C No Rain
WEATHER: It was a cloudy day  Vis. 15 all day Wind North 4 – 7 knots at 14:30 wind shift West 17 right now at 16:11 West 40 knots  Sea rippled until 15:15 >> 2 – 3 foot chop now 5 foot moderate
MARINE LIFE: 3 Bald Eagles – 2 immature.In pairs, the Black Oyster Catchers are spending most of the mornings along the shore adjacent to nesting areas on Gr. Race. The Glaucous-winged Gulls are visiting the nesting areas in the early morning, they are very noticeable by their vocalizing in contrast to the gulls that winter over which are very quiet.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:11 PM

Good Morning

WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind North 4 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:36 AM

Ecotour boats out

Posted on by
Saturday, March 02, 2002
Good Evening
WEATHER: Bright and sunny a great day to be on the rock. wind northeast 13 – 21 knots then by noon just a light breeze Sea 2 – 3 foot chop. and like the wind was rippled by noon.
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.2C  Min. 3.0C  Reset 7.5C No Rain
MARINE LIFE: 3 Bald Eagles – 1 mature
HUMAN INTERACTION: 9:10 Juan de Fuca Warrior with divers off West Race. 10:20 2 eco tour boats from Gr. Pacific Adventures. 11:20 2 ecotour boats; 14:00 ecotour boat Discovery Launch through M.P.A.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 10:02 PM

Mike and Carol to return

Posted on by
Friday, March 01, 2002
Good day.
WEATHER: clear and sunny>> >> Vis 17 miles>> >> Wind ENE 8 knots >> >> Sea rippled
MARINE LIFE: Bald eagles 3 mature and 2 immature on West Race and by the Helipad. I only saw 2 Canada geese so far today.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 2 eco-tour boats this afternoon and one sport fishing vessel on the western reserve border this morning.
Just received a call from Mike ( the regular eco-guardian) He is coming back today. I am meeting him at the marina at 1700hrs to do the watch change. Then it is back to reality. This has been a great three days; sad to have to go back.
Chris
posted by Chris Blondeau at 3:52 PM