Monthly Archives: May 2002

gulls are getting much more territorial,

Posted on by
Sunday, May 12, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 16.2 C  Min. 7.3 C Reset 15.1 C
MARINE LIFE: 1 mature,1 juvenile Bald Eagle today.The gulls are getting much more territorial, there are constant skirmishes with intruders being dragged unceremoniously across the yard by the neck,tail or wing.It looks pretty brutal but we seldom see any serious injuries.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 9 pleasure craft and 12 ecotour boats throughtthe reserve today. The Second Nature was in the morning. Garry and Laura busy getting things set up for the exam tomorrow-nice job on the tank! Too bad the exam was not today -the weather was incredible- the forecast for tomorrow not very good, calling for wind and showers!
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:21 PM

Good Morming

WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy  Vis 15 miles  Wind East 5 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:54 AM

Hummingbirds and Black Brants

Posted on by
Saturday, May 11, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 12.0 C  Min. 7.3 C Reset 10.1 C
MARINE LIFE: 2 mature Bald Eagles today, still the 3 geese.There is a lot of bird activity and it is never quiet.Today we saw the usual gulls,oyster catchers,eagles,pigeon guillemots, geese, starlings, crows and savannah sparrows. An added bonus were the 2 humming birds that buzzed around for 20 minutes or so, always amazed to see them so far from the mainland but do see a few every year especially if the winds are light. A couple of black brant geese landed in the small bay on the east side of Gr. Race but did not stay long.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 5 pleasure craft and 13 ecotour boats, the last two enjoyed a beautiful sunset as they left the reserve.The D.N.D. did some blasting on the beach on Bentinck Island between 17:30 and 22:00 but only two blasts about 20:20 and 20:25 were big enough to have any noticeable impact here.The birds took flight en masse each time and took 10-15 minutes to settle down,it was getting too dark to see much beyond Gr. Race.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:09 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy Vis 15 Miles  Wind West 19 Knots  Sea 2 – 3 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:49 AM

BC Parks out

Posted on by
Friday, May 10, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 11.9 C Min. 6.1 C Reset 10.5 C
MARINE LIFE: 2 mature Bald Eagles -kept away from Gr. Race by the ever vigilant gulls and Oyster Catchers.Have found 6 Oyster Catcher nests with eggs. This morning there was a lone female Mallard in the garden but did not stay long -flew over towards Bentinck Island.Garry reports that there are 10 or more Elephant Seals on Middle Rock, mostly females.About 10:40 a small group of Transient Orca came into the reserve from the west. Looked like 5 plus 1 calf.They are very stealthy and did not spend much time on the surface so cannot be positive in indentification.The whales did not seem to be hunting or in any hurry and spent about 45 minutes in the small bay area off the east side of Gr. Race.There was only one boat in the area but as the whales moved east, there were quite a number of tour boats reporting the whales and even a kill of a porpoise.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 2 ectour boats,1 pleasure craft. The Second Nature in with Garry and Don from Parks B.C. –
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:39 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 9 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:55 AM

Pigeon Guillemots seek out ‘tunnels’ in the rock piles

Posted on by
Wednesday, May 08, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max.11.0 C  Min. 5.5 C  Reset 9.0 C
MARINE LIFE: 2 mature bald eagles today-still 3 geese.The gulls and Oyster Catchers kept the eagles on the move, every time the big birds approached Gr. Race they were ‘herded’ away and so spent most of the day on North Rocks.Although it is not as warm as it usually is for May, the sun is so welcome -it has been a strange spring. The birds are pretty well all paired off now except of course for the 3rd goose! The Pigeon Guillemots seek out ‘tunnels’ in the rock piles to lay their eggs and will sit for quite a while guarding the entrances, they are however so striking with the white wing patch and bright red feet that it is easy to find the nests.It is interesting to note the differences of bird behavior as far as protection of the eggs. The Gulls stay with the eggs and fend off intruders while the Oyster Catchers use the ‘distraction’ method of flying some distance away all the while chirping frantically. Have not seen any chicks yet but the oystercatcher eggs in the east bay area should soon hatch,will check the nest in the morning.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 4 pleasure craft and 13 ecotour boats through the reserve today,station boat round trip to Pedder Bay.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:45 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles Wind West 9 Knots  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:54 AM

so cold,wet and windy—Snow Trace!

Posted on by
Monday, May 06, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.1 C  Min. 1.9 C  Reset 7.3 C Rain 2.0 mm  Snow Trace  Yes Snow in May what next
MARINE LIFE: 1 mature and 1 juvenile bald eagle. Felt sorry for the birds this morning – so cold,wet and windy.The weather did improve and by mid afternoon it felt much more like spring.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 1 pleasure craft, 2nd Nature through the reserve.Station boat, trip to Pedder Bay and back late afternoon.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 8:40 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis 15 Miles  Wind South West 22 Knots  Sea 3 Foot Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:59 AM

Albinism in The California Sea Cucumber

Posted on by

 

The Sea Cucumber Parastichopus californicus is normally a reddish-orange to brown color, although there is also a beige color phase with dark brown spots.( leucistic).  In the past year, 2 of these white variants have shown up near Race Rocks

felt a lot colder than the thermometer readings.

Posted on by

Sunday, May 05, 2002 Good Evening

TEMPERATURE: Max 8.1 C  Min. 5.7C  Reset 7.7 C  Rain 2.2 mm
MARINE LIFE: 1 juvenile bald eagle arrived early afternoon but stayed only about an hour.The weather really was miserable, felt a lot colder than the thermometer readings.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 4 Ecotour Boats late afternoon.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:17 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind West 21 Knots  Sea 3 Foot Moderate  Ocnl RW-
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:00 AM

PC field lab

Posted on by
Saturday, May 04, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 9.0 C  Min. 6.1 C  Reset 7.7 C
MARINE LIFE: 1 mature bald eagle in the reserve today, still 3 geese.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 4 ecotour boats ,2 U.S. pleasure craft in reserve today.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:06 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Overcast Vis 15 Miles  Wind West 20 G 30 Knots Sea 4 Foot Moderate — Low South
West Swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:51 AM]
———————————————————————
Friday, May 03, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 11.0 C  Min. 5.3C Reset 8.8 C Rain 0.7 mm
MARINE LIFE: 2 mature, 1 juvenile bald eagles. 3 geese. The Gulls,Pigeon Guillamots and Oyster Catchers are all busy in the nesting areas -found 3 more Oyster Catcher nests with eggs.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 3 ecotour boats, 2 pleasure craft. The Second Nature in just before noon with Garry, Laura and students for field lab.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:29 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Clear  Vis. 15 Miles  Wind Calm  Sea Rippled
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:56 AM

Black Oyster Catchers,always the first to lay,

Posted on by

 

Thursday, May 02, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 10.1 C Min. 7.1 C Reset 7.3 C
MARINE LIFE: 3 bald eagles, 1 juvenile- 3 geese still here.The birds are all actively courting,mating, nest building and in the case of the Black Oyster Catchers,always the first to lay,incubating and protecting their eggs from crows and otters. Now we stay as far away from nesting areas as necessary to prevent stressing the birds.If the birds are off the nests too long the eggs will cool down in the 35+ knt. winds.
HUMAN INTERACTION: The 2nd Nature in just before noon with Garry,Laura,Sylvia and students for field lab. Another successful but tricky low tide landing! The mornings start out somewhat promising then the wind picks up and even with the sun never gets much over 10 C
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:25 PM

 

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Cloudy  Vis 15 Miles Wind West 15 Knots  Sea 1 -2 Foot Chop
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:07 AM

Enviro. systems field lab.

Posted on by

 

Wednesday, May 01, 2002
Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 10.3 C  Min 7.7 C  Reset 9.9 C
MARINE LIFE: 1 mature and 1 juvenile bald eagle,still the 3 geese. A few gulls have managed to gather bits of grass to build nests in spite of the wind, the never ending wind!.Will check the usual areas for more Oyster Catcher nests tomorrow if the winds abates somewhat. Don’t want to disturb any egg sitting especially since the temperatures are so unseasonably cold.Usually by the first of May the garden is 1/4 planted with the snow peas,green onions and radishes up.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 2 Ecotour boats today. 2nd Nature in with Garry, Laura and students for Enviro. systems field lab. The very low tide with the brisk westerly makes landing at the dock tricky to say the least-well done Laura!
posted by Carol or Mike S at 8:05 PM
Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy  Vis. 5 Miles – Fog  Wind West 29 Knots  Sea 4 Foot Moderate – Low South West Swell
posted by Carol or Mike S at 5:59 AM